Why No Berdan Primers Available?

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  • Seabee

    Old Timer
    Oct 9, 2011
    517
    Left marylandistan to NC
    Not worth the time and it seems more and more cases are steel these days. Funny thing, berdan primers were developed in the US and boxer primers were developed in Britain. What a flip flop.
     

    SKIP

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 5, 2009
    3,248
    Glenwood/Glenelg
    It depends. Berdan primers have the anvil on the brass while boxer primers have the anvil in the primer. This allows a centrally located flash hole on the boxer brass, while the Berdan primed cases have two flash holes on either side of the centrally located anvil.
     

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    GunBum

    Active Member
    Feb 21, 2018
    751
    SW Missouri
    RCBS makes a tool that does the whole depriving thing... Not the most fun I’ve had reloading, but it doesn’t take much more time than decapping Boxer primed brass on a single stage press.

    http://rcbs.com/Products/Case-Preparation/Accessories/Berdan-Decapping-Tool.aspx


    I’ve used it for hard to acquire calibers for close to 30 years. If boxer brass is available, I’d rather pluck scrotum hairs than deal with berdan primers.
     

    ras_oscar

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 23, 2014
    1,666
    It depends. Berdan primers have the anvil on the brass while boxer primers have the anvil in the primer. This allows a centrally located flash hole on the boxer brass, while the Berdan primed cases have two flash holes on either side of the centrally located anvil. Typical presses use a pin to punch out boxer primers, but this does not work with Berdan primers due to the anvil on the brass.

    You can use the hydraulic method to press out Berdan primers on a press.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNDgjcgofY shows an example of this. This would not work in a progressive press.

    Not sure why one couldn't create a Berdan depriming "pin" for on press use, consisting of two pins like snake eyes. One would need to raise the ram gently and rotate the case to align the flash holes.

    I guess its just easier to purchase boxer cases and primers.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Not sure why one couldn't create a Berdan depriming "pin" for on press use, consisting of two pins like snake eyes. One would need to raise the ram gently and rotate the case to align the flash holes.

    I guess its just easier to purchase boxer cases and primers.

    Because some Berdan cases have 3 small holes.

    And how would you align the pins to the holes? You can't see into the case the depriming pin in the way.
     

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