Inland Shooters

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Every reloader that obtains once fired brass or range pickups eventually stumbles across brass with crimped primer pockets. Many reloaders end up throwing the brass in the recycling bin, but the savvy understand that there are tools that can remove the crimp so the brass can be reused.

Dillon Precision is most well known for their blue progressive presses, but Dillon also manufacturers other reloading tools, including a primer pocket crimp remover which they have dubbed the Super Swage 600.


Dillon Super Swage 600 clamped to a table

There are two methods to remove the crimp from a primer pocket: reaming and swaging. Reaming involves cutting away the crimp. This means actually cutting away brass from the primer pocket wall. Swaging uses a tool with applied pressure to enlargen the primer pocket. There is no removal of actual metal, but simply 'pushing' away the brass. The Dillon tool uses swaging, hence the Super Swage name.

The Super Swage 600 uses a handle similar to the one on a reloading press on a simple cam system that pushes the swaging rod into the primer pocket.


Close up view of the swaging rod tip that swages the primer pocket.

Configuring the amount of swage applied is simply done by adjusting the case locator rod via a hex nut.


Hex nut that holds the case locator rod in place.

How forward/aft the case locator rod is set determines how far the swaging rod goes into the primer pocket, which in turn determines how much of the crimp is removed. It amount of swage performed on the primer pocket is important. You do not want to swage away too much of the crimp, otherwise the primer pocket will be too loose. While it may hold the primer when seated, an over swaged pocket will not last very long (loosen up faster than expected via normal firing). Swaging away too little will mean the primer still won't seat in the primer pocket. Thus, it is important to set the swaging rod such that only the minimum amount of material is swaged away to allow the primer to seat. This will ensure the longest brass life with respect to primer pocket tightness.

The Super Swage 600 currently retails for $86.95 through the Dillon website. The $86.95 price tag will probably cause many to balk at purchasing this tool, especially since there are cheaper options out there for primer pocket crimp removal, but the price is certainly justified.

First of all, the quality of the tool is evident. It appears to be cast steel for the body/base and the construction is almost like a miniature reloading press.

Secondly, the Super Swage 600 is very efficient. The swaging operation is very simple and quick, allowing the operator to process brass at a quick rate.

Videos of the operation are available in Quicktime format:

Video 1 [Quicktime, 11.3M] [Youtube]
Video 2 [Quicktime, 10.3M] [Youtube]

Having used the RCBS primer pocket swaging combo tool, I can attest that the Dillon Super Swage 600 is the better tool. The RCBS combo tool is used in a reloading press, where the swaging buttons are actually inserted onto the ram as a shell holder, and a die is installed that functions as the case guide rod. Operating the ram with the case sitting on the swaging button pushes the case against the case guide rod and allows the swaging button to exert pressure onto the primer pocket crimp. The return stroke on the ram of the press then 'kicks' the case off of the swaging button (because at this moment, the case is stuck to the swaging button). This entire process makes processing brass slow. The ram of the reloading press requires a long stroke whereas the cam operation of the Dillon Super Swage 600 is shorter. Also, the process of removing the case from the swaging button requires force since the case is basically stuck to the swaging button.

The fact that I had over 50 pounds of Lake City (LC03) .223/5.56 brass to process prompted me to shell out the money for the Dillon tool, as opposed to using my RCBS Swage Combo tool to work through all that brass.

If you reload for any cartridge that is also used by the military (i.e. .223/5.56, .308/7.62, 9mm, .45ACP), especially if you are a service rifle High Power shooter, the Dillon Super Swage 600 is highly recommended. You will appreciate the time and effort saved when you try to remove the crimp from several hundred pieces of brass.

More pictures of the Dillon Super Swage 600:
http://www.inlandshooters.net/gallery2/v/reloading/dillon_super_swage/

Dillon Precision Products, Inc.
8009 E. Dillons Way
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(480) 948-8009
http://www.dillonprecision.com