.308 3 hole primer pockets

[mdevlin53]

Today i was prepping some spent cases for reloading. a half a dozen were Spanish NATO mil-surp, when i deprimed them i noticed two extra holes in the primer pocket. they were smaller than the nain center hole. Is this common are they safe to reload. I am of a mind if anything is different it is unsafe untill proven otherwise.
Thanks for the help
Michael

[longbow]

Is it possible you deprimed Berdan brass and punched the center hole with the depriming pin?

If they are Berdan primed the primer pocket will be larger than Boxer primer. They can be converted but it is a bit of work.

If they are not Berdan primed then I have no other thoughts. Maybe someone else knows.

Longbow

[Gtek]

Berdan pockets have two holes. There have been some in past that drill center for use with the ones we use. Heard chatter over the years about conversion and mostly used with CB stuff with lower pressures on hard to get brass (Steyr anyone). Never messed with, there are some that have and will end up in conversations of ignition and pressure changes. I find in 308 and for less than thirty bucks you get a bunch of brand new ones that can be formed in a given delivery system, then the weapon owns them.
Starting new, known history, extended case life. Gtek

[nanuk]

if these are first fired from your rifle, look into one before depriming and see if there is a larger center hole.

take measurements of the primer after removal.

does it look like Boxer primers with the anvil inside the primer cup? Berden primers IIRC do not have the anvil in the cup, rather integral with the brass casing primer pocket

Pictures would also be nice

[GT27]

Is it possible you deprimed Berdan brass and punched the center hole with the depriming pin?

If they are Berdan primed the primer pocket will be larger than Boxer primer. They can be converted but it is a bit of work.

If they are not Berdan primed then I have no other thoughts. Maybe someone else knows.

Longbow

My opinion also,been there, done that!IMO not worth the extra work,86 em!

[MtGun44]

I'll bet you just punched the Berdan anvil with your depriming pin.

Bill

[220swiftfn]

Is it possible you deprimed Berdan brass and punched the center hole with the depriming pin?

If they are Berdan primed the primer pocket will be larger than Boxer primer. They can be converted but it is a bit of work.

If they are not Berdan primed then I have no other thoughts. Maybe someone else knows.

Longbow

If he did, I want to know what decapping rod he's using!!!!!!!




Dan

[longbow]

I have never done it but have read that it can be done both intentionally to convert Berdan to boxer and also accidentally when someone got berdan brass mixed in with boxer.

I decided I would try to convert some Berdan to boxer and gave it a go but decided I didn't like the force I was putting on my press and decapper so stopped trying to punch through. I made a hook type decapper and a tool to remove the anvil but that's another story.

Whether it is true or not that you can punch through with a standard decapping pin I don't know but I wasn't going to break my equipment finding out.

Longbow

[perotter]

About 10 years ago I deprimed Berdan .308 with a Lee universal depriming die. Did something like 25 before the pin broke. I put a new pin in & it broke after about the same number.

That was enough learning for me using this method.

[Larry Gibson]

If you want to easily convert berdan primed cases to boxer primers read how in this "sticky"; http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...d.php?t=143958

Not sure I'd do it with 7.62/.308W berdan primed cases given the vast quanity of readily available boxer primed cases available though............

Larry Gibson