223 HEADSTAMP ??
- Thread starter gaintwist
- Start date
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
You want spoiled buy some Lapua, I've found Remington or even PMC astounded me over Lake City.
TheCZKid
Silver $$ Contributor
Lake City is my go-to brass for 5.56 / .223, because it's so consistent, and well made, even though I have to swage it. I use it to make my 20 VarTarg and 20 Practical brass also. In my local area people shoot at gravel pits and leave the Lake City on the ground, but it's becoming harder to pick up. First because a BUNCH of people are now picking brass also, plus my knees are not what they used to be! 
IIRC, that's the outfit that went into recreational shooting as PMC many years back. At first it sold Korean made cartridges and components (bar PMC brand primers which were Russian), but later set up manufacturing facilities in the US (which have long since closed). I seem to remember seeing somewhere, that the Korean parent company went back to purely military cartridges and if PMC still exists as a US corporate entity, it's solely an importer these days.
Relevant information
Gave all mine up for Norma brass.
I have to ask because I don't know. Is Norma better than lake city brass, and if so, what have you found that makes it better?
A couple of years ago I did an unscientific test with 20pcs. each of LC, GFC, PMC, FC and Norma brass all preped the same way at the same time with the same tools. Then loaded it all the same with the same components. Then shot it all at the same time, each one at 4 separate targets and then compared groups. Of the 5 headstamp samples the Norma produced the most consistent groups followed by the PMC. Been using the Norma 223 ever since partially because I am too cheap to spring for Lapua brass. Plus I don't have to swag it.
I've had good luck with Norma brass as well.
Liven The Dream
Gold $$ Contributor
In a time long long ago TC .223 was great Service Rifle Brass
Twin Cities Min. Early Contractor .
Twin Cities Min. Early Contractor .
TheCZKid
Silver $$ Contributor
Norma brass is impressive!
For a while, someone was shooting Norma 223 out at the place I used to hunt brass. I found a few thousand pieces over a few months. When I went to process it for my rifle, the brass was always the same exact length, after sizing it I barely trimmed the rim, and always the same amount. The primer pockets were already uniformed and nicely formed. It even feels good in the hand. It was just amazing to find such nice brass on the ground.
At the time, Sportsman's Warehouse was selling Norma 223 boxes of 20 for $6.99, it was the cheapest ammo in the store, and I realized that's where the brass was coming from.
I looked at ordering Norma reloading brass online, and it was 3x the cost of loaded ammo! So, I purchased 15 boxes of ammo instead, while it was still available!
That day has passed, back to LC as my "go to" for making VarTarg and 20 Practical.
Twin City has always been TW as far as everything I have had. Just sold 1000 rounds of M2 ball in clips and bandos
Liven The Dream
Gold $$ Contributor
Thanks get old
COLT45SA
Silver $$ Contributor
Good to hear since I just bought 300 Norma .223 cases~!
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
I've been using Norma brass for a while now in a couple of my F-TR rifles, meaning 90+ gr bullets and very stout loads. It shoots every bit as precisely as Lapua, although the flasholes of the Norma brass need a bit more work at the outset. The primer pockets of the Norma brass do not withstand stout F-TR load pressures any better than Lapua, perhaps even slightly less well, but that pretty much goes with the territory of trying to push heavy bullets out of the small .223 Rem case.
FWIW - there appears to be different types of Norma brass, or at least large variation between Lot#s. Apparently, the pre-primed Norma brass is much heavier than Lapua, with an attendant reduction in case volume:
Norma 223 Brass Cases Compared to Lapua, PPU and Lake City
I couldn’t find any data on Norma brass cases recently entering the USA market as primed cases. So I evaluated the cases compared to Lapua, PPU and Lake City brass that I had on hand. Several of the data graphs from the study are posted below. The full study draft is posted at...
forum.accurateshooter.com
I recently purchased some of the pre-primed Norma brass, but haven't done anything with it as yet. If you can actually find it, the unprimed Norma brass that I have been using over the last couple years is really quite good, and costs less than half as much as Lapua, so even if the case life is about the same or slightly less, it's a very good bargain.
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