I'm having a problem getting the primer crimp out of my cases.  I am using the CH4D swage kit, but the primers still won't seat cleanly.  I'm guessing I need to chamfer the rim, but I can't find the right tool to do it.  You guys have any suggestions?

rcbs case chamfer tool or carbide counter sink work well.

I was worried that a standard chamfer tool would bottom out in the flash hole before it contacts the edge to cut.  

use the magnum style deburring tool

Swaging doesn't work very well for 50 BMG primer crimps.  My CH4D unit worked so poorly I gave it away to a guy who wanted to play with it.

Use a 50-BMG designed chamfer/debur tool.  I personally use the Lyman one offered on Midway because it's the cheapest at under $20.  Cut a chamfer on the inside of the primer pocket slighly beyond square.  A good way to tell if you've done enough is to see if a primer pocket uniformer (I use a K&M) will slide into the pocket without substantial effort.  If the pocket uniformer won't go in, remover a little more material.

Cleaning up primer pocket crimps is the single biggest pain in the ass in reloading 50 BMG in my opinion.  Thankfully you only have to do it once for any particular piece of brass.

This is another reason I advocate new brass such as the IK 07 available from Wideners and the new PMC brass that's been available from time to time.  New, never loaded 50 BMG commercial brass such as these two do not require this tedious step since a primer has never been crimped in.

-David
Edgewood, NM

Interesting, I have been using the CH4D tool for almost a year now with 500 rounds down and not a single incident with seating primers.  I use the same type of tool on my other calibers and don't have a problem with them either.  If you swage, then you have to have a good primer seater that will set the primers straight with the pockets, otherwise, you will have problems.

Swaging will often work with brass that has been stake crimped.  It works poorly with the current circumferencial crimp that is more common.  If swaging works for you, more power to you.  Most folks (about 75%) that I know of in FCSA use the chamfer tool/countersink method after having limited success with swaging.

-David
edgewood, NM

Quoted: Swaging doesn't work very well for 50 BMG primer crimps.  My CH4D unit worked so poorly I gave it away to a guy who wanted to play with it. Use a 50-BMG designed chamfer/debur tool.  I personally use the Lyman one offered on Midway because it's the cheapest at under $20.

I use the Lyman tool with good results. I just wish it would fit in my drill chuck . I've bought a couple of chamfer bits to use in my drill press, but they all chatter. I also have the LE Wilson 50 bmg primer reamer, but haven't taken the plastic off the cutting head yet.

Well, I bought the Lyman large caliber deburring tool and the K&M primer pocket uniformer.  Now I just have to wait for them to come in and give them a shot.  What do I do with the cases with badly seated primers?  I usually don't mind decapping live primers, but don't feel like it's a good idea with .50 BMG.  How do you guys deactivate these to make it safe to decap?

They'll decap just fine like you would with any other case.  Just run your decapping stem out further than normal so you don't size again.  Be sure to wear safety glasses and hearing protection when you decap, as you should decapping live primers in any caliber.  Principle is just the same as with smaller calibers, just a bigger bang.

Nothing reliably deactivates primers that you can easily scrub from the inside of your cases and not potentially deactivate you next primer.  Just use a slow, steady stroke to decap and they won't go bang.

Worst heartbreak is losing those $0.35/each primers.

-David
Edgewood, NM

It's REALLY hard to deactivate the primer compound.  I've tried all the usual suggestions, and they still go off.

Just wear your eye and ear protection and push slowly.

In 30years of reloading I've had one go off on me while priming, and it was a .50 primer.  VERY loud, nice flame out of the case!
No bits flying about and thankfully my face or hands were no where near the case when it went off.

My dog doesn't like to come out to sit by the bench anymore when I'm reloading...

I would detonate any live primers in the rifle rather than try to deprime them live.

I have deprimed about 5-6 BMGs live this week. I just go slow.