Good morning - I'm in the market for a primer pocket swager. To this point, I've been using the Lyman primer pocket reamer. My 223 and 308 volumes have increased and I'd like a swager to expedite removal of the primer pocket crimps. I've looked at the swagers by RCBS and Dillon. Both appear to be good quality. Any recommendations as between the two or other options? Thanks very much.
I have been happy with the Dillon but I dont load a ton of rifle ammo.Originally Posted by Wyoming Shooter
FN America DSM
Cajun Gun Works and Shooters World Powder shooting team member
What is your volume? I have the Dillon, but had two of the Lee APPs, worth maybe looking at this thread:
New Lee Automatic Processing Press!
Reloading For The AR-15: Swaging Primer Pocket Crimps
In order to reload brass cases that have crimped primer pockets, the crimp must first be removed before a new primer can be seated. There are two basic methods used to achieve this; reaming or swaging.
With reaming, you’re removing material from the case head. With swaging, you’re simply pressing material back into its original position. Of the two methods, my personal preference is for swaging with the Dillon Super Swage 600. The Dillon Super Swage returns the primer pocket more closely to its original condition than any of the other stand-alone tools that I’ve seen used to remove the primer pocket crimp.
The pic below, with a cut-out 223 Remington case in the Super Swage, shows the swaging rod and the case positioning rod to give you an idea of just how the Super Swage works.
The first pic below shows the case head of a factory-loaded round that has a crimped primer.
Now, a deprimed case, using a Dillon Super Swage.
The case from the above pic that has had the primer pocket swaged with the Super Swage . . .
And a pic with the same case reprimed . . .
This last pic shows the factory-loaded round next to the reprimed case for easy comparison.
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Member of the General Population
The ONLY thing better than a Dillon Super Swage is a Dillon 1050 or 1100 press that has built in swaging. Will other things work? Of course but for quantity processing nothing else compares.
Have you used the APP? Pretty much the same approach as the Dillon with more automation.
I sold my two APPs when I got the 1100
I have a Dillon Super Swage and a Dillon 1050. The Dillon 1050 is bolted to the bench. I don't know where the Super Swage is.
RCBS makes a bench top swaging tool that more or less works the same as the Dillon at $50 cheaper if you are into that sort of thing.
I've had one for a few years and have no complaints.
https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Primer-P...dp/B007ZZO4MI/
When I got my 1100 I sized/swaged every 5.56 case in my possession, and a couple of my friends came over and sized/swaged all of their 5.56 cases, before I switched it over to 9mm. Now I have a buttload of 5.56 I can trim and load on the 650.
I did a buttload on my Lee APPs, I had one setup in 9mm with a Lee case collator, and I rigged up a post to share my Dillon case feeder on the one I had setup for 5.56. You can see how easily and fast you can swage on one. They were so fast that I started using one to decap 9mm, and I used a sizing die and lubricated them and sized them with not much more effort than decapping them (made loading effortless). For 5.56 you cannot size on them (the shell holder doesn't grasp enough rim to extract the case) so I was sizing/decap on a 650, then swaging on the APP.
After I got the 1100 I sold the APPs (needed the bench space for the 1100...) and I kept the Dillon, I do not want to be completely reliant on the 1100 (that I expect to stay configured for 9mm for a longgg time).
But a lot of this has to do with the volume:
Is 100 a lot?
Is 1k a lot?
Is a 5gal bucket a lot?
Last edited by mmc45414; 11-15-2022 at 06:54 PM.
The Dillon Super Swage sucks as do all the various single stage press doo-hickies. They are okay if you're swaging a handful of 30-06 brass for hunting ammo but that's about it. Anything that needs swaged in volume and you're going to want to shop elsewhere.
A couple options:
Swage adapter for the Dillon 550 or 650. No hold-down so it isn't too hard to pop a case up through the shell plate.
The Lee APP. I haven't used it but there seems to be a number of happy owners.
Dillon 1050 or 1100. Only makes sense if you have a fat wallet or will swage for friends, co-workers, etc. Fast and good.
Pay someone to swage for you. They are probably trying to pay off the Dillon 1100 the wife is upset about....
Lastly, the Hornady swage adapter for the LNL AP. Works well. Fairly fast too. Probably best as a dedicated swage machine or if you can leave it set up to swage until you're all done with the entire bucket, box, etc. Down side here aside from being a complete additional step to brass processing is that Hornady only makes it for 308 or 223. No 9mm option.
Hope this info helps.
Forgot to mention the Apex presses. No personal experience but again people seem to love them. Expensive!
Frankfort Arsenal should have the FX10 out soon. It is supposed to be a Dillon 1100-ish press but at a lower price point.
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