What brand of brass is it?

 

Probably Norma 9mm brass. They're a real pain. I had one sneak in an pull the decapping pin out of my sizer. Press tried to index, but would not. Was a pain to remove the pin before I could remove the case and dispose in a cylinder container.

 

I've started seeing Norma cases with teensy flashholes.
They bring my D550 to a halt like a Berdan but I haven't bent a decapping pin yet.
A decapping die with Squirrel Daddy pin will swage them out.

 

Squirrel Daddy hardened pins: punch right thru the SOB.

 

I ran across a couple 9mm that did that, and upon examining them, I noticed the tiny hole, but I didn’t keep track of the brand, just pitched them in the trash can!

 

Yah like the others said probably Norma brass. I hate the stuff, it kept pulling my de-capping pins out. I fixed it by knurling the top of the pin so it would stay in the collet. Depending on you die, if you have the headed pin Dillon sent me a bunch of smaller headed pins, think they were RCBS, they measure .074".
The first time I ran into this was with Speer 357Sig brass and they had holes so small it would break my pins.

 

I think that the small holes are made for a reason, for example S&B has small holes on their 9mm non tox brass but normal holes on their other 9mm brass.

It could be as easy as trying to standardize on something that will work well with both non tox primers and standard primers.

Lee decapping pins will push them out and as the pin is slightly conical it will resize the holes to work with in the Dillon decapping pin the next time.

 

I use the FW Arms decapper. That heady duty pin just swages them to a normal size.

 

I have noticed the primers in Norma 9mm brass take more effort to remove on my 550. But to be honest, I have not looked at the brass since decapping. I will remember to check. I actually sorted them all out after several because I did not want to risk breaking a pin. These are late model carbide dies if that makes a difference.
Thanks for the heads up!

 

Instead of trash. Ain't much, but it might pay for gas on a trip to the city. I have a big old bucket I toss bad brass into. When it gets close to full, I'll take it to the scrap yard. Getting close.

 

I just noticed the extra effort deacapping Norma... really like the brass though. My pins do fine- like Kent, I just power through and they are normal sized after my deacapping is done.

 

Do the undersized flash holes in the Norma seem to be found in their other cartridges other than 9mm ?


During the BLM riots & covid era Norma was one fo the few ammo companies whose stuff could found in stock.

I picked up some of their .223, .45acp, .308Win, .243Win over the last couple years....with the plan of having some decent brass to reload afterwards.


Good to know the SD pins & FW Arms decapper will work and make it user friendly brass.

 

Do the undersized flash holes in the Norma seem to be found in their other cartridges other than 9mm ?

I have only encountered it in 9mm but now that you ask- I don't recall picking up any other calibers... and it's all the newer style headstamp with the updated font.

It's good brass though... a little elbow grease on the 1st decap and it's ready to go.

 

I've run into a few pieces of 9mm brass that hung up on my depriming pins. I believe I've run across more than a few 5.56 as well. I don't remember the brands though. From time to time I'll deprime brass while watching movies I've previously seen. And I usually use the Frankford hand held deprimer. I believe it uses the Lee pins but haven't broken any yet. Unlike in the presses. I've "found" a couple pieces of Berdan brass the hard way.

Jon.

 

Norma brass is what had the undersize flash hole. I drilled out the flash hole with a #47 drill and put them in with the rest.

 

Ahhhh, so now, we not only have small primed 45 brass as a commie plot, the bastards are jacking with already small primed brass! Pardon me while I go and sharpen some of my pins…….😡

 

Sometimes it really does look like the world is out to get you!! 🤣

 

I had the same problem with small primer holes in some Blazer SPP 45acp cases. No broken decap pins, but they pulled the pin out a couple of times. Danny

 

@Nitro.45, while it is possible the manufacturer changed the flash hole on purpose, I would guess it has more to do with worn tooling. But if I have to start checking the flash hole size in very piece of brass, that adds another step I don’t need! Danny

 

The new Norma 9mm brass has a notably, smaller flash hole. However, a stout decapping pin takes care of them pretty easily.
More likely it’s being made by a [new?] “third-party “manufacturer

@Nitro.45, while it is possible the manufacturer changed the flash hole on purpose, I would guess it has more to do with worn tooling.

 

Small diameter flash holes are common with rifle calibers associated with the more accurate calibers for benchrest.

Why Norma decided that 9x19 was a candidate for them I have zero idea...

 

Why Norma decided that 9x19 was a candidate for them I have zero idea...

They should change the name of the headstamp to "Abnorma"

 

I think they have zero idea as well!!
Fletch is on the right track, if we need to install massive punch capable decappers, someone will make them! I think Longarm posted one of the hardened versions a while back, and that may work. If not….bigger is better! 😆

 

we need to install massive punch capable decappers, someone will make them!

I don't think mine is anything special- I just have a squirrel daddy pin in the Lee Univ. Decap die... it's pretty tough- it even brakes up rocks in the ETTS brass that I miss. ...lol

Another benefit to decapping ahead of wet tumble. I think the Norma's would cause you to stop down on a progressive press, if nothing else, but to investigate the resistance.

 

Dillon rep tells me that those primer flash holes are not to SAAMI specs. While I have not had a problem yet Dillon rep says "would not be a bad thing to have spares" So I'm gonna order a few and then run 100 Norma cases and find out. What I am curious about is whether or not the hole ends up a clean punch through or not. I will look very closely after a couple are decapped. Any one with any insite on the finished flash hole?

 

The metal displaced has to go somewhere and most likely flare out. As long as the flare out does not mess with the anvil in the primer, it should work.
Having converted Berdan to Boxer by drilling a new flash hole, I used a #47 drill to fix the small flash hole. Hole stamping dies use heat treated D-2 for the stamping pins.

 

I have encountered this within the last couple years with some factory 9MM RUAG 124 grain FMJ "SX" ammo that came in a white box. The case head is stamped with a T and 9X19 SX. LOT number is T-20-013. Don't know what the "SX" part means. Tiny flash holes that seemed to raise pressures, i.e., leaking primers, etc. Box is marked Switzerland.
Nevermore.

 

USPS brought the FW Arms weaponry this afternoon.

Mamma Mia this thang is a monsta.

I may just leave it in the truck in case I need to fight my way out of a KFC drive thru.


Gonna give it a go on the pesky Norma 9mm brass ASAP.

 

😆 Does it include the 2 pound sledge or is that extra?? Good lord…….

 

Or those trying to smash primers in the wrong sized pocket!!

 

Got home from work this morning......parked my butt in the recliner with the dog laying on my knees....had the news on, trying to catch up on the goings on in the world....I've been oblivious the past three days.



Screwed in this new porn star decapper into the Lee handheld press that lives on the chair side table and got into some .45 acp range brass.

Decapped ~250 rounds and was astounded to find 25% of it was small primer pocketed freakshow brass. Dangitman......who knows....perhaps this spp transgender .45acp stuff will accumulate enough in my stash to make it feasible to make SPP runs on occasion.

The timing of having suitable accumulation to run a spp batch will likely coincide with LPP hitting the market again....story of my life.

 

Ahhh yessss……kinda like “buy today, sale tomorrow”……
But as long as it’s working, keep decapping……Fletch needs more large! 😆

 

At least until I have a lifetime supply for my son!

As for SP/LP brass on this trip- not real keen on dropping the good stuff out of state. However, I'm even less keen on getting hit with your sorting hammer so I packed a few boxes of LPP 45 in case you and I shoot next to each other on the line...

 

I planned to bring some of the smashed stuff to toss into your ejection pattern! You’d have your gun torn down trying to figure out what was happening. 😆

 

You must be referring to your buddy Butthead who loves his plastic toys.