You are signed out. Sign in

RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo

Product #: 447022
| Manufacturer #: 9495
Status: Available
   Should Ship Next Business Day
Quantity
Our Price: $26.99
Add to Cart

Quickly removes primer pocket crimp from military cases. Unlike reaming, the Pocket Swager forms a perfectly round pocket correct in dimensions for American boxer-type primers. Comes with swaging heads for large and small primer pockets. Uses RCBS removable shellholders (sold separately). Not for use on progressive presses.

Technical Information

Kit Contains:

  • 2 Swager rods: (Smallest is for 223 only)
  • 1 Case stripper
  • 1 Large and 1 Small swager head (for primer pockets)
  • 1 Swager die body with locking ring that has standard 7/8"-14 threads for use with standard single stage presses.
    Notes:
  • This is a press mounted system for removing the military crimp from cases.
  • If you are using the RCBS Big Max press you will need the optional Case Stripper for the Big Max Press. (Available only through RCBS - part number 09489).
  • If you are using the RCBS Model A-2 Press, you will need the optional Case Stripper Washer for the A-2 Press. (Available only through RCBS - part number 09488).
  • Please note that this combo is not adatable for use with progressive reloading tools.

    For more information on RCBS Priming Tools and Accessories, please click the link below:

    Brushes, Boxes and More

  • Overall Rating:

    4.2 out of 5
    Used this Product?Rate It

    William Brown of Peterstown, WV
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    I liked the product just fine It works well on military brass.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    21 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Ed Barrett of St. Joseph, MO
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    Works great for taking the primer crimp out of Military brass very quickly.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    31 found it helpful |
    3 did not

    PAUL BLACK of AKRON, OH
    Date posted: 9/10/2008
    I have been using a deburring tool for years to rid myself of military crimps. Never again! This unit works like a charm. Just remember that you will need an "O"-style press as the case remover needs plenty of room to work properly.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    4 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Jerry McMains of Williamsburg, OH
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    I have swaged over 5000 primer pockets and the tool is still working great!
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    29 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Aaron Johnson of Wilson, NY
    Date posted: 2/11/2007
    The tool works as advertised with no problems whatsoever. I swaged well over 4000 cases so far without any issues at all. It seems well built and should last a lifetime using it on a RCBS aluminum frame single stage press
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    11 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Ed Delgado of Pembroke Pines, FL
    Date posted: 12/22/2003
    This thing works really well. The setup is a bit confusing at first; however, once you get going it is a breeze. I had 500 rounds of LC 308 brass to swage and once I was up to speed you can easily swage several hundred per hour. Align interior rod properly and check occasionally to ensure that it is tight and you can just crank away. Get a good swing going to pop the shell off the mandrel at the bottom of your stroke and make sure you are using a sturdy O type press.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    54 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    kevin m of ceres, ca
    Date posted: 12/25/2007
    Works great, it remover the primer crimp so you can reuse the brass. I have used it on .223 and 30-06, it is well worth the money.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    13 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    A C of Union city, NJ
    Date posted: 9/23/2008
    This is a must for any reloader. I'm new to reloading and have found out the hard way that you need to have this tool. Works great. I used this with my Lee Hand Press. Worked like a charm. Only thing is that you can’t use the case ejector due to clearance problems, but this isn't a problem all you have to do is rock the case back and forth.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    8 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Daniel Jaburg of Escondido, CA
    Date posted: 1/21/2009
    Following the enclosed directions CAREFULLY, setup was a easy. Making sure to feed the brass on to the rod and seating the primer pocket on the "holder" didn't add much time, but it did ensure that I didn't bend the rod as some have mentioned. Works great and easy to use.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    5 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    mark mccoy of charleston , wv
    Date posted: 4/16/2009
    Fella's if you've been cutting the crimps out with your chamfer tool or even the "military crimp removal" tool that goes on the RCBS case prep center, you've been wasting your time just like me. Adjusted right, this baby does a real good job. Looks like a factory "non crimped" case. Just remember, don't mash the crap out of it. Go slow. About 1/8 turn at a time, until you get the crimp out......no farther, and, separate your cases too.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    1 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Hank Bayles of Lakeside, Ca
    Date posted: 3/5/2007
    Great Product, I had the unit up and working within 5 minutes. Very good quality and price.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    11 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Dennis Thompson of Troy, IL
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    It works, it easy to use, and that's all I ask of it. I just sorry I sold my original set.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    17 found it helpful |
    3 did not

    Anonymous Anonymous of Heflin, AL
    Date posted: 12/3/2008
    This tool beats a reamer hands down in quality of result. It takes a little experimentation to get setup correctly w/o bending the rod on 223s. Not only does it remove the crimp, but if set up right it totally removes the little ring indentation left by the crimping tool. There's no trace afterwards as with reaming. Also, you don't have to worry about getting the pocket off-center or elliptical with this tool. It's a little slower than a reamer on a cordless drill perhaps. But, no more reamers for me!
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    9 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Paul Volovski of Jim Thorpe, PA
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    Easy to use and doesn't remove material from pocket. Well constructed and will last a lifetime.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    19 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Brian Dunn of Las Vegas, nv
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    Very unique tool works excelently and a great price.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    32 found it helpful |
    14 did not

    Bruce Baloh of Alpharetta, GA
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    It was relatively simple to setup, but it took reading the instructions twice, they are not explicit in some steps, assumptions are made, once I got it was very easy to knock out my batch of mil brass and the true test was that the commercial primer was a correct fit.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    13 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Bruce Layne of Lexington, KY
    Date posted: 2/23/2007
    There was confusion about whether this RCBS Primer Pocket Swager would work with the popular Lee Classic Cast Press. It does, for the most part. The case stripper does not work with the Classic Cast press because the press ram diameter is too large and the ram doesn't travel far enough down into the press. It doesn't seem practical to modify the case stripper to work with the Classic Cast press, but it wouldn't be difficult to make a new case stripper that did work. It should be a little taller and a little larger in diameter. But so far, I'm not having any trouble using it without the case stripper. I roll the top of the .223 cases around to free them from the swaging head that's mounted on top of the press ram. It's a lot easier than using a primer pocket tool like the very nice version from Hornady that does chamfer the primer pocket, and it does a better and more uniform job too. In practice, I use the button on top of the swaging head as a gage to see if the pocket needs to be swaged. If it doesn't fit into the primer pocket, I lift the case up onto the case rod (mounted in the swager body on the top of the press) and raise the swaging head to swage the primer pocket and then lower swaging head with the case pressed onto it, and then roll the case off the swaging button. It's not that difficult. I didn't knock off a star because it doesn't work 100% with the Lee press. I deducted a star for the instructions. The large instruction sheet is a multi-purpose document used with several different priming tools and accessories, so less space could be devoted to the pocket swager. There were a few pictures that were decent, but the text managed to complicate a simple process. One decent line drawing or an exploded view of the assembly would have made everything immediately obvious. You'd do better looking at the parts and guessing how they work, or randomly trying to assemble the parts in different arrangements, rather than reading the misleading directions. But the device itself is well made and works well. Midway should state which presses are compatible with the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager so we don't need to guess.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    37 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Earl M of Centreville, VA
    Date posted: 6/20/2003
    The RCBS primer pocket swager works well but the die must must be precisely aligned to ensure that primer pockets are properly swaged without bending the ram rod within the swaging die. I bent a rod and RCBS promply replaced it at no charge.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    15 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Gary Distefano of Greece, NY
    Date posted: 3/8/2006
    This die is made for RCBS presses. It's not necessarily compatible with other makes. The diameter of your ram must not be bigger than RCBS's, and the ram must retract into the frame as far as RCBS's. If not, the case remover will not fit or work properly. The case remover pops the swager pin out of the swaged pocket. If the remover is not used, it's very difficult to remove the case from the pin after swaging. This tool requires a very strong press. Progressive presses are not strong enough, and turret presses aren't, either, I found. I wouldn't try it with any aluminum press, either.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    25 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Raymond Lauffer of Oklahoma city, OK
    Date posted: 1/24/2008
    I like this. It's easy to use, except for the upstroke to remove the case. I have a Lee Classic Cast Press and I called RCBS about the larger ram on it. They sent me a new popper off thing to fit the LEE press, NO CHARGE, and everything works great !!!
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    9 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    N AC of Central , TX
    Date posted: 4/10/2008
    Typical RCBS quality. May not be the fastest system but it works and you only have to do it once to the case! When all else fails read directions. I'm using it on a 30 yr old Rock chucker and it works fine. Keep the rod aligned and as high in the die body as possible, use whole die body to adjust to proper swag depth, as per direction. Thanks RCBS for a cost effective way to solve this problem!
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    8 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Andrew Nakaishi of Rancho cordova, CA
    Date posted: 1/12/2009
    An incredibly useful tool for reloading crimped brass. Creates a very nice primer pocket when set up properly. My only drawback is trying to use this on a Lee Classic Turret press is difficult - the washer will not pop the case off the swager when the ram is lowered. This is due to how far the ram retracts into the base. On a different press with a smaller diameter ram, I have had excellent results.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    2 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Gregory Gauvin of Branford, CT
    Date posted: 10/1/2007
    Upon receiving this item, I noted that I was shipped a bent (possible used? swager rod (.223 rem). I was upset at first, having such great service with Midway. I contacted the customer service and within 2 minutes recieved an email showing that not only did Midway place another order for me at no cost, not even shipping, but sent me an entirely new combo set - not just the swager rod. Thumbs up to Midway! The combo set worked flawlessly for me swaging several .30-06 cases. The set-up directions are not highly detailed. I use this die with the cheapo lee press, and have had no trouble. The cast press does not take nearly a beating with this die as reforming 30-06 to 7.7 Jap, and has not shown any indications of breakage. I have not yet primed any .223 cases to see if it correctly sizes the primer pockets. Be sure to set up the die correctly!!! I have personally witnessed a friend bend his swager rod - and it can be done easily. Otherwise, great product and SUPERB customer service.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    10 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Chad G of LP, AZ
    Date posted: 5/4/2007
    It works but it is slow, took me well over 6 hours to 1500 .223 cases. You have to stick the case on the rod prior to raising the ram, the rod is not centered perfectly and does slow down progress quite a bit. Once you have the swager set for the particular caliber the task will role well. Be sure you have a sturdy bench/mounting point, in order to strip the case off the head you have to slam the handle forward, the larger the case the more force is required, maybe attaching the bench to the wall can solve the problem. It was a good buy and the out of pocket cost is low, when compared to other methods that are more complicated.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    16 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    T Anderson of Douglas, AZ
    Date posted: 9/30/2007
    This single stage tool works well. It's not very complicated in set up, and is easy to use. The extractor cap is one size only and is made to have a "loose" fit on the ram. Removing primer crimp is a one time only need for Military/LEO brass cases. Giving the price and ease of use this tool is a better choice. Shop around for it.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    5 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    CHRIS BELL of BUCHANAN, GA
    Date posted: 5/24/2009
    Let me start by saying this is by far the best method I've used to date. I haven't experienced any of the bent rods or any other malfunctions. I've used it on nickel .223 cases with fair results. It doesn't open the pocket enough on many cases. I suspect the nickel may be too hard for the unit to be entirely effective. That said, I would still buy it again without hesitation.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    0 found it helpful |
    0 did not

    Bill Brown of Gainesville, GA
    Date posted: 6/19/2003
    The swager works well but is a bit difficult to set up and once it is I wasn't sure that it was doing what it was supposed to until I loaded some rounds and felt how the primer seated. It was worth buying, as I had 1500 rounds of cases to swage. I could swage around 300 per hour, but caught my fingers between the swage and the press a couple times. You learn reall quick where to keep your fingers.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    41 found it helpful |
    2 did not

    Patrick Mccune of Meadowview, VA
    Date posted: 9/25/2008
    I read the rather vague instructions and thought I had it set up correctly but after 20 cases the rod bent. I may have been overdoing it but there's no way of telling how much pressure is needed to swage the primer pocket. The end of the rod also got smashed so that I had to grind it down to fit into the .223 cases. I straightened the rod in a vice and managed to get my 80+/- cases done with two that will need to be redone. It's a real pain guiding each case up onto the rod and guiding the case down onto the swager head. In retrospect I would have minimally swaged a case then tested for primer fit and repeated with a little more effort if needed. I'm sure RCBS will replace the rod. Also the brass set screw would not tighten the lock ring and I stripped it out. I'm not very found of RCBS lock ring system.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    3 found it helpful |
    1 did not

    Harley Hartl of crystal, mn
    Date posted: 12/27/2007
    I used it on 223 military cases. After about 300 the rod would not fit in the case. When I took it out the rod was bent.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    3 found it helpful |
    6 did not

    Gene Petruska of Gaylord, Mi
    Date posted: 5/3/2007
    The die doesn't open the primer pocket enough. I swaged 1,000 LC 05 once fired easily. The primers seated hard with deformities every 20-25 that had to be recapped. The primers that did seat were stressed with edge deformities. I used the RCBS strip primer system that has worked flawlessly otherwise with commercial brass.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    7 found it helpful |
    6 did not

    Steve W of Omaha, NE
    Date posted: 6/2/2008
    Moderately efficient. Makes crimped cases prime-able again, however the metal shell stripper bottoms out on the threaded die holder on my RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Press, making cam-over action impossible. This led to the bending of the small swage rod from all of the non-linear forces required to press the button into the primer pocket, I must say until I can machine the threaded die holder nut I'm not impressed.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    2 found it helpful |
    6 did not

    Ivan Ohara of North hollywood, CA
    Date posted: 12/29/2008
    I have to say that this tool will work. However, it is very difficult to get it just right. I swaged a little over 100 LC 05 brass before the rod bent. RCBS was kind enough and send me another rod under warranty, but that one bent shortly after another 50 LC brass. It seems that I am not the only one bending the rod, just read other reviews. Furthermore, the primer pocket is a tight fit with my Federal Gold primers. It may be inexpensive but be prepared for problems down the road.
    Was this review helpful?
    Yes |
    1 found it helpful |
    0 did not
    Have a question? Visit GunTec Dictionary Need a gunsmith? Visit Gunsmith Locator
    NOTE: Prices, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.