I knew they looked different but was unaware of the functioning details. My Berdan experience has been shooting Blazer aluminum and South African 223 & 308. I collect all my brass for pals but do not give them Berdan-primed brass.
You are a good man and the recipients will appreciate that. Boxer is smaller and is easily reloaded ,bearden mixed in breaks decap pins Can be reloaded but it takes a claw thingy to remove and I don't know of any places to get fresh primers in this country right off hand.
Posts: 22422 | Location: Georgia | Registered: February 19, 2007
You can also decap Berdan brass hydraulically, using water pressure to force the old primer out. Potentially messy, but easier than using the claw tools to mechanically decap Berdan primers, and less likely to damage the case or anvil.
Wolf and Tula offer Berdan primers, but supply is sporadic, since demand is very low. There are a few other foreign companies producing Berdan primers, like RWS, CBC, and PPU, but they haven't bothered to try to bring them into the US yet, due to the aforementioned low demand.
You can occasionally see old stock Berdan primers for sale at gun shows or on Gunbroker.
Back about 40 years ago there was a discussion in one of the gun magazines about reloading Berdan-primed cases, and there was a concern that the primer would go off while being seated, since the anvil is in the case.
When Blazer aluminum cased ammo was introduced, CCI-Speer said they were using Berdan primers to discourage reloading, since the cases were weaker than brass cases.
Is it really worth the trouble?
-------------------------- Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -- H L Mencken
I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is. -- JALLEN 10/18/18
Posts: 9435 | Location: Illinois farm country | Registered: November 15, 2008
Many years ago a well-known writer (Ross Seyfried?) discussed a technique of depriming Berdan cases by driving a punch through one of the flash holes. It obviously must be done manually with a small punch, but it appeared to be relatively easy and effective, and is obviously much less time consuming and messy than the hydraulic method.
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Posts: 47951 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002
Its progress I guess but all the Blazer aluminum Ive seen has been Boxer primed. And just because it cant be done, Ive reloaded 9mm aluminum cases 4 times without any issues. I dont recommend it however since aluminum can fatigue with repeated stresse and fail catastrophically. Its silly 'cause 9mm brass is so cheap and plentiful.
Posts: 42 | Location: E.S. of MD. | Registered: June 09, 2007
Originally posted by Sigmund: a mix of one flash hole (Boxer?) and two (Berdan?).
As I recall, all Blazer aluminum cases had Berdan (two hole) flash holes at one time. In recent times, though, Boxer has become more common, and perhaps they only type used now. I’m no authority on ammunition case manufacture, but it’s always seemed that the Berdan system might be a little more complicated and therefore more expensive. It was obvious that it was originally intended to prevent the cases from being reloaded, but they probably just decided “If people want to do that, that’s their concern, not ours.”
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Posts: 47951 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002
Originally posted by Sigmund: I knew they looked different but was unaware of the functioning details. My Berdan experience has been shooting Blazer aluminum and South African 223 & 308. I collect all my brass for pals but do not give them Berdan-primed brass.
Yeah, a recent article in Shooting Times covered both types. I’ve only seen a few with the older, foreign cases. I just trash them, see no reason to fiddle around with the ‘Berdan’ type.
As I recall, the Boxer type was European, Berdan USA? There were ahead of us on this one.
Posts: 6539 | Location: WI | Registered: February 29, 2012
I can't imagine why you'd bother to reload cases that took Berdan primers. Easier to just get the Boxer primed cases.
Maybe there is some old oddball out there for which Boxer cases can't be had.
I don't think Berdan primed cases were designed to make reloading harder, it is just a by-product of the method. Berdan invented his system just a few years before Boxer invented his. They are just different designs. Berdan primers are easier to make because they don't have a separate anvil in the primer (and are essentially just like percussion caps). But Boxer cases are easier to make since you don't have to build the anvil into the case.
The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
Posts: 53411 | Location: Texas | Registered: February 10, 2004
Theoretically, Berdan primers offer a less obstructed path for the primer flame into the case than is true for the Boxer primers. I don't think anyone really thinks much about it, though.
If you fiddle around with old obsolete calibers, sometimes all you can get is berdan primed brass I have several rare European calibers and am happy to reload the berdan cases. I am talking about rifle calibers where you might only shoot 40 or so per range visit so slow reloading is no big deal
Posts: 3436 | Location: Finally free in AZ! | Registered: February 14, 2003
As discussed in various earlier posts, Berdan cases are certainly reloadable. They're just more difficult to reload than Boxer, and Berdan primers are harder to find since lower demand has caused lower supply.
