Berdan primed ammo

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jsmurd

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Just curious as to if any of you gentleman have any experience with Berdan primers?? I know RCBS makes a decapping tool, but can the cases than be drilled out ( or whatever ) and made to accomodate "standard" primers, or is it Berdan size only. thanks
 
Not worth it. Once you drill out the new, centre hole, you will have one hole with two ears, almost but not quite 3 separate holes. Since this could be considered an enlarged flash hole, and since enlarged flash holes generate erratic ignition, you will have to fill the 2 Berdan holes. How to do that and still retain pocket and cartridge base integrity?
Now, you could drill out an oversize hole in the base and turn down a plug for it, immerse the plug in Liquid N2 and push it in, and then mill out a new primer pocket and drill out a flash hole. Might work for a few firings.

See, wa-a-ay to much work.
 
Easier just to reload it as Berdan, so long as the sizes you are available.
Berdan can also give you a softer and smoother ignition.
 
Allright, so.... once the case has been successfully decapped... then it is merely a question of finding the correct Berdan primer size, and I would assume that is according to the correct outside diameter????? Always, of course, that you can find them in North America. cheers....
 
Thank you to everyone who replied. From perusing the websites attached above, it certainly seems that it would be a better ignition system than the boxer method. RWS Berdan primer small pistol 4521 would seem to fit the bill in the case of reloading 9mm Luger, but then of course, one would need to get the depriming tool, and search for ??? someone, anyone???? who could supply the caps.:)
 
jsmurd said:
RWS Berdan primer small pistol 4521 would seem to fit the bill in the case of reloading 9mm Luger
Click to expand...

Of course you would also have to check that your brass also shares your assumptions that they are supposed to be 4521 size primers ;)

You notice there are dozens of Berdan primer sizes, and manufacturers have mixed and matched those sizes over the years....

It was the biggest thing that discouraged me from reloading a bunch of old Berdan brass i have.
 
I've reloaded a fair bit of Berdan primed rifle ammunition, both with 1/4" and large rifle equivalent primers.
Given the amount of 9mm I shoot, I cannot imagine being bothered with reloading Bredan primed 9mm ammunition.
 
Are you just experimenting or have a real practical reason to try berdan?

9mm casings are easy to come by at my range so brass should be free. Small primers are cheap and plentiful. Reloading boxer is dead simple.

Ignition wise boxer is American std. from LE/MIL/casual users, works great.
jsmurd said:
Thank you to everyone who replied. From perusing the websites attached above, it certainly seems that it would be a better ignition system than the boxer method. RWS Berdan primer small pistol 4521 would seem to fit the bill in the case of reloading 9mm Luger, but then of course, one would need to get the depriming tool, and search for ??? someone, anyone???? who could supply the caps.:)
Click to expand...
 
"boxer is American std"

Oddly enough, Boxer was invented by a European and Berdan by an American. Not that it matters, unless you have a real need to reload a caliber that requires Berdan, don't bother. Way too much of a waste of time and energy. Your time and energy though, so fill your boots. - dan
 
Last fall I messed around with some berdan primed military brass, and it will work, but as others have said I wouldn't bother with it. It could have been unique to the lot I had, but I found the primer pockets to be deep, which ultimately lead to several misfires (my fault for seating the primers too deep). I'm currently pulling all of rounds I had loaded with that brass and starting over with commercial brass.
 
this is what i did with my berdan primed brass.
DSCF1366.jpg
 
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