Does anybody know a source of Berdan Primers?

[gandog56]

gandog; what you are looking for are 5.5 mm (.217 inch) diameter Berdan primers. The RWS 5620 is one type.
Zurihegel

I believe so. But I can't find a US source to buy any.

[Maxwell Smart]

Just buy an RCBS Berdan decapping tool. They work quickly and easily, that wet method doesn't usually work at all on military primers. I was just discussing this subject with another reloader on Friday, and we both agreed that most people that suggest using the wet method have probably never tried it!

Well, I have been using the wet method for decapping Berdan Primers for over 20 years. I also have an RCBS decapping tool.

In my experience, on Australian made .303 and 7.62 with military crimped primers, the RCBS tool is utterly defeated. The hydraulic method gives me a quick clean and reliable way of getting the military primers out. Trim the remaining crimp out of the primer pocket, and then it is a breeze to use the RCBS tool on subsequent reloads.

[gandog56]

gandog; what you are looking for are 5.5 mm (.217 inch) diameter Berdan primers. The RWS 5620 is one type.
Zurihegel

Good to know, but I still can't even find a source. Oh well, I found some boxer primed milsurp 7.62X54R. It weren't easy, but I done it.

[Ian Robertson]

Last time I checked North Sylva had Berdan primers.

[gandog56]

Last time I checked North Sylva had Berdan primers.

Got a web address? All I saw was like archery stuff.

[cimegloly]

Ellwood Epps Sporting Goods Web Sight
Have in stock
Good price for hard primer to find 30$ Can for 200
thanks
Cimegloly

[NuJudge]

If you are loading 7.62x54R, the only brass that uses .217 Berdan primers is Albanian. All the rest of it has primer pockets that take .254 Berdan primers.

There are a zillion Berdan primer pocket diameters and heights. The most common is .217, which fits all the 7.62x51, 8x57, 6.5x54, 7.62x39, and 7.92x33 I have come across. The .303 British takes mostly .250 primers, but some takes .217 (FN and late South African).

Extract some primers, and measure your primer pockets.

CDD

[dsmc1]

Hi Guys
I just dragged my old 577 Snider out of the Guncabinet after 20 years, and thought I'd put a few rounds thru it. Had some cases I'd bought 20 years ago and they were Berdan Primed, and lined with a cardboard tube to reduce the case volume, I assume.
Anyway I MADE a decapping tool by placing a 1/2 inch dowel into the case, then using a number 18 drill, one at a time, drilled out to enlarge the flash holes in each case, with the dowel clamped in a vise, and the cartridge over it. AFTER DRILLING EACH HOLE, I TOOK AN 18X 3/4 INCH FINISH NAIL, CUT OFF THE HEAD, AND TAPPED IT THRU THE FLASH HOLE, AND INTO THE PILOT HOLE DRILLED INTO THE END OF THE DOWEL. WITH THE FIRST NAIL IN PLACE, I DRILLED OUT THE SECOND HOLE (so it would be properly alligned), AND PLACED A DEHEADED NAIL IN THAT HOLE TOO. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE DRILLING straight, as the pins MUST be parallel to allign in the flash holes. AND do not drill too deeply into the dowel, as the nails need to be held firmly in place to work.

It will take a bit of patience to get the 2 pins to drop into the flash holes, but the tool will actually pop the primer out with hand pressure, holding the cartridge in one hand and the dowel in the other: no hammering required.

That being said, I found with the 577 snider cases, that if I placed them GENTLY in a vise, with the rim sitting on top of the jaws, I can place an AWL or ICE PICK at a 45 dergee angle into the indentation of the firing pin on the primer: one light tap with a light hammer to break the awl thru the thin foil of the primer, then press down on the handle of the awl and the primer pops out quick as grass thru a goose. (After all the work of drilling out 40 flash holes and making the tool.)

Fortunately I have a small supply of Berdan primers, that will last me a short while, but I need to find a source; did NOT see any on the website that one of you guys mentioned. May try calling them to see if they carry them.

Hope these ideas are helpful.
Dave

[Claven2]

The problem is, the sources quoted so far are in Canada. It won;t be much use to Americans.

Were I looking stateside, the two places I would look first are Buffalo Arms and Old Western Scrounger.

[dsmc1]

Thanks, Claven2
Hadn't noticed Berdan primers on their websites, but will try again. Will be traveling to the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine this aftrnoon and will check to see if they have them. They're one of the largest shooting retailers around our area.

will post what I find there.
Dave