How to identify Berdan primers?

[Ponder_MD]

I shot a bunch of .30-06 bearing the headstamp "K 70." This appears to be from the Kynoch munitions plant in England, but I'm not 100% certain.

The primers do not appear to be staked in the military fashion. How can I tell whether the primers are Berdan or Boxer? I don't want to bend a decapping unit.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Turn the empty case over and peer into with a strong flashlight.
If you can see two small flash holes astride the center of the web , it’s Berdan primed.

 

[wilcam47]

Look inside the casing. 2 holes is Berdan i believe. If its one hole then is regular

 

[Uncle Duke]

As mentioned by Doco and Wilcam above.

Case on Left is Berdan primed.

 

[Ponder_MD]

Turn the empty case over and peer into with a strong flashlight.
If you can see two small flash holes astride the center of the web , it’s Berdan primed.

Great, thanks. I didn't think it was possible to peer down into the case and get enough light on the bottom due to the narrow neck. I'll give it a try.

 

[Melnic]

use your bore light to get the light closer to the opening.

 

[wilcam47]

use your bore light to get the light closer to the opening.

Thats what she said....

 

[ken792]

They may have not staked the original primers. Do they have any sealant on them?

But yes, pulling a bullet and looking inside is the easiest way to tell if it’s Berdan. I don’t think it was ever economical for reloaders in the US to convert Berdan .30/06 brass to Boxer, so it’s likely still Berdan.

 

[wilcam47]

They may have not staked the original primers. Do they have any sealant on them?

But yes, pulling a bullet and looking inside is the easiest way to tell if it’s Berdan. I don’t think it was ever economical for reloaders in the US to convert Berdan .30/06 brass to Boxer, so it’s likely still Berdan.

Also, Berdan primered ammo is usually corrosive

 

[Ponder_MD]

They may have not staked the original primers. Do they have any sealant on them?

But yes, pulling a bullet and looking inside is the easiest way to tell if it’s Berdan. I don’t think it was ever economical for reloaders in the US to convert Berdan .30/06 brass to Boxer, so it’s likely still Berdan.

Oh, I'm not looking to convert them if they're Berdan. I just don't want to break a decapping unit.

 

[ken792]

Oh, I'm not looking to convert them if they're Berdan. I just don't want to break a decapping unit.

As far as I know, all Kynoch .30/06 was Berdan.

Also, Berdan primered ammo is usually corrosive

That’s true in many calibers of the era, but most Berdan .30/06 is noncorrosive, like Norwegian AYP, Danish AMA, Dutch NWM, post-57 FN, German MEN, and Austrian OJP after a certain year. Kynoch used some noncorrosive primers too.

Kynoch 30-06

The attached letter dated 1967 indicates that, by that time, all commercial and military ammunition was non-corrosive. Chris P.

forum.cartridgecollectors.org

 

[BFMIN]

Carefully measure the diameters.
Berdan & boxer are not the same diameter.
There's a large & small Berdan, similar to, but different from large or small Boxer.

If you have a bore-scope use that to look down inside.
If you have a mag light or similar with a fiber optic that works too.
Slim penlights or bore lights work too.

 

[lazarus]

Carefully measure the diameters.
Berdan & boxer are not the same diameter.
There's a large & small Berdan, similar to, but different from large or small Boxer.

If you have a bore-scope use that to look down inside.
If you have a mag light or similar with a fiber optic that works too.
Slim penlights or bore lights work too.

Or just a reasonably bright overhead light or work light on your reloading bench. Or just take them outside in to the daylight.

 

[Blacksmith101]

Take one fired case and stick a sharp pointed object into the primer and pry it out, then compare it to the pictures in post #4.

Reloading Berdan primers links

Berdan Military Case Loader (Foreign & Domestic)

Built by gun enthusiasts for gun enthusiasts, Sharpshooter now proudly offers a complete new system to reload Berdan/military cases using your current reloading press and dies. This system is die brand specific INSTEAD of caliber specific! Thus, ALL calibers can be re-primed with the purchase of...

22lrreloader.com

Berdan Case Reloader Extra Drill Bits

4ct. Drill Bits with an extra shaft collar. These are the same drill bits that are in each Berdan Case Reloader Kit. These will work with each version of the kit to replace dull drill bits. Small drill bits can be difficult to sharpen.

22lrreloader.com

Berdan Military Case Primer Sleeves

Berdan Military Case Primer Sleeves for your Berdan primer reloads. Each package contains 100 primer sleeves. These sleeves come in 3 sizes so be sure to select the size you need when you add this product to your shopping cart. Sizes are: Small - 100 sleeves - OD 0.218" (5.53mmm) ID 0.174"...

22lrreloader.com

Video

 

[Clovis]

Take one fired case and stick a sharp pointed object into the primer and pry it out, then compare it to the pictures in post #4.

Reloading Berdan primers links

Berdan Military Case Loader (Foreign & Domestic)

Built by gun enthusiasts for gun enthusiasts, Sharpshooter now proudly offers a complete new system to reload Berdan/military cases using your current reloading press and dies. This system is die brand specific INSTEAD of caliber specific! Thus, ALL calibers can be re-primed with the purchase of...

22lrreloader.com

Berdan Case Reloader Extra Drill Bits

4ct. Drill Bits with an extra shaft collar. These are the same drill bits that are in each Berdan Case Reloader Kit. These will work with each version of the kit to replace dull drill bits. Small drill bits can be difficult to sharpen.

22lrreloader.com

Berdan Military Case Primer Sleeves

Berdan Military Case Primer Sleeves for your Berdan primer reloads. Each package contains 100 primer sleeves. These sleeves come in 3 sizes so be sure to select the size you need when you add this product to your shopping cart. Sizes are: Small - 100 sleeves - OD 0.218" (5.53mmm) ID 0.174"...

22lrreloader.com

Video

Thanks for the links, looks like an interesting way to approach the problems with reloading berdan, but I wonder whether it makes sense to try to reload corrosive. Perhaps a good washing would make the cases better for reloading.

 

[Chauchat]

Thanks for the links, looks like an interesting way to approach the problems with reloading berdan, but I wonder whether it makes sense to try to reload corrosive. Perhaps a good washing would make the cases better for reloading.

Depends on what you mean as corrosive. Corrosive Berdan primed ammo? Probably not but that is a function of the Berdan primer. Plus there is so much boxer brass out there it doesn't make much sense to worry about Berdan brass. I stopped pulling my hair out over Swiss GP11 brass when I got a couple thousand cases of RUAG brass.

Corrosive Boxer primed ammo? You bet. Have at it. Clean your gun in the proper manner and then deprime and water/steel pin your brass. Or steel pin/water your brass and then deprime. Your call. Reload until the brass wears out.

 

[ken792]

Thanks for the links, looks like an interesting way to approach the problems with reloading berdan, but I wonder whether it makes sense to try to reload corrosive. Perhaps a good washing would make the cases better for reloading.

I wet tumble my brass and have never had an issue with corrosively primed USGI .30/06 brass. The primer pockets and insides of the cases remain a little green after cleaning, but subsequent firings with noncorrosive primers have not rusted the bores, so the salts must be gone.

 

[Clovis]

The only ammo I have that I know is both berdan and corrosive is old .303 British, I have plenty of boxer primed .303 but thought at some point I may need the berdan stuff and in the past I've shot some and just tossed the brass and thought this may be a good way to reload some of it if needed. Some of my 7.62x39 may be berdan as well and this gear from the post above may help with that as well. Don't have a wet tumbler only an old lyman vibrator with dry media so washing several times and letting it dry and then maybe tumbling might work for me.

 

[ken792]

The only ammo I have that I know is both berdan and corrosive is old .303 British, I have plenty of boxer primed .303 but thought at some point I may need the berdan stuff and in the past I've shot some and just tossed the brass and thought this may be a good way to reload some of it if needed. Some of my 7.62x39 may be berdan as well and this gear from the post above may help with that as well. Don't have a wet tumbler only an old lyman vibrator with dry media so washing several times and letting it dry and then maybe tumbling might work for me.

Not sure if you got them backwards, but most surplus ammo that’s Berdan is also corrosive. Almost all imported 7.62x39 is Berdan too, like all the Russian, Chinese, Romanian, etc. notable exceptions are the current brass cased stuff from Serbia and Bosnia.

 

[Clovis]

Other than the surplus .303 I have everything else is in boxer primed cases except for a stock of 7.62x39 I have not shot any of and I have read some of this is berdan but not corrosive. Perhaps I'll find it is corrosive, but I can wait till then to find out.