Berden primed brass converted to boxer?

[William Watt]

6.5x55 brass converted, would this be safe to do?
It appears the whole of the primer pocket base is weakened by this procedure plus the pocket is too large.
Be safe.

 

[jamesharrison]

IIRC, the Berdan primers for 6.5x55 are 0.217". Given Boxer LR primers are 0.210", that doesn't leave a lot of room for a bushing [0.0035" per side]. The other problems you are going to run in to are the pressure limits of the copper, as well as trying to determine what size to use.

If you use 1/4", you'll wind up with an ID even larger than with Berdan primers [0.222"].
If you use 7/32" [OD 0.222"] you wind up with an ID of 0.191". Mill that out so 0.210" for a LR primer & you've only got 0.006" per side. Plus, it's too big to use SR primers in.

Perhaps by using 5/16" 4130 steel tubing [with a yield strength of 70k psi] with a 0.123" ID, requiring enlarging the existing primer pocket by ~0.1" & then enlarging the ID to 0.2095" it might work.

BUT, what a P.I.T.A.!

 

[bearhunter]

Make up a decapping rod with two pins, made from drill rod or drill stems that fit the holes, and with a small hammer, tap out the berdan primers. a hocky puck with two holes, one to fit the base of the cartridge and another in the center for the primer to fall.

Or, get an RCBS berdan primer decapping tool.

Then contact North Silva and purchase a couple thousand of the appropriate diameter primers.

Even this method is tedious.

I only do it if there is absolutely no other way.

 

[Deathrawt]

For something as common as 6.5x55 I wouldn’t even bother
Just get new boxer brass that’s readily available
If it was some obscure caliber that you can’t get brass for then it may be worthwhile to convert it

 

[kjohn]

Oh boy! I have concocted "boxer" brass from several different brass cases. The 7.62x51 CBC brass is the one I spent the most time on. Very nice brass. As above, 6.5x55 is available.

 

[Lifetime loader]

You can also deprime berdan cases using the hydraulic method by filling the case with water and using a rod that will just fit the neck ID. Set the case over a hole in a piece of steel and wack the rod with a hammer.

 

[Lifetime loader]

Also you can drill and ream the cases to use shotgun primers, but your loads would have to be worked up accordingly while watching for signs of excessive pressure and leakage. Probably not ideal for your situation, but can be used to keep old/hard to find cases in rotation.

 

[diemaco]

I saw that ad on GP. I wouldn't take it for free. You can buy ammo loaded with quality brass for around $2/round. If you're hard up for 6.5x55 brass I have some once fired I could spare for a reasonable price. He even states the pockets are loose.