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Lake city 5.56 brass question

Wolfdog91

Silver $$ Contributor
So quick question on LC 5.56 brass. Like 90% of all the brass I reload for my AR is range pick up and I've stuck to lake city for the most part. Noticed a while ago all the different dates head stamps but never really cared much till about two months ago when I was doing some stuff with cast bullets and I strictly used 18 head stamps and the same load seems to tighten up a good bit. My question is about how important do y'all think it it's to sort by the head stamp date with lack city ? I've read conflicting things about this just want to see y'all's opinions
Thanks !
 
Many years can be grouped, but you'll have to determine whether they're "the same." Major changes can happen when a new contractor takes over operation of the plant. Strictly speaking, matching headstamps may not be the same: brass runs through the plant and is warehoused prior to the last step, and the headstamp is applied (bunting) when the case is loaded. Over the years procedures at Lake City have been increasingly standardized, so there SHOULD be less variability than there was in the past. If you want precision, you'll have to measure and determine what fits your needs.
 
I just sorted by gn weight in 1 grain increments for a batch. Paid no attention to date on the headstamp.

David
 
I usually separate by years, I have one large lot of the same year so I keep them all together. Makes it a little easier sometimes when shooting the AR and the person next to me is as well. Easy to know which brass is mine. Those that are mixed, i mainly use for informal shooting, and ensure they will function in several different rifles.

Tim
 
Be very careful picking up unknown range brass.

If you know who is shooting it, and say for example it is the local PD leaving once fired brass on the range, then you know what you are gathering.

If you detect a crimped primer, then you have far less risk.

If you don't detect a crimped primer, or know who is leaving it, then you have no way to know if some SR shooter is dumping his spent brass that gives you the risk of case head separation.

This is one place where careful inspection is absolutely required.
 
Watch for LC brass without the NATO + in a circle stamp on it. I had a few lots that have LC XX ( xx is the year number ) that had primer pockets get loose in two firings with not real heavy loads. NATO stamped I have had up to 10 reloads but this lot of LC 10 without the stamp sucked.
In general I do not sort years except for 600 yard plus ammo. It makes a difference in the 6” between my ears so I do it.
 
If you really want accuracy, buy some good, single lot brass. Lapua is a good one. Lake City has multiple case lines running and will go through many sets of tooling during a year. The bunting die with the headstamp is in the middle of the case forming process. So sorting by year is a total waste of time. If you start sectioning a bunch of cases the differences will quickly appear. Even variences in the extractor groove cut can cause the weight to change so weight sorting is no guarantee the internal capacity is the same. I dumped close to a thousand cases into the brass can at the local range, a guy was digging it out bragging it would be good enough to kill a pd. Two months later he was chewing me out because the head seperations and primer blowby had about wrecked his high dollar custom rifle. New 223 brass is pretty cheap and not hard to find.
 
I have been using Starline .223 brass for service rifle 600yd loads for a few seasons, thick and strong cases. Working up from starting charges is a must due to the reduced capacity but makes for great accuracy and case life. I'm using roughly 1gn less powder than Lake City loads for similar velocities.
 
The Starline 5.56 brass is very good, and priced well compared to Lapua. I've been running it in my 223 FTR rifle and the brass has 6 stout firings on it and havent lost a case yet to loose primer pockets. Lapua I start loosing a few cases every firing at 3 firings.
 
OK.
Weight variance caused by extractor groove?
Weigh a .223 case.
Try and cut the groove deeper.
File, hacksaw blade, drill motor.
Remove ONE GRAIN.
(cut, weigh, cut, until you remove one grain)
Noticeable?
Don't get it mixed up with your other cases
:)
Well, guess I was wrong. I took off 1 grain from groove and rim (sorry for the rough cut).
Smoothed out, this much could probably go unnoticed between brands.
2 grains? Probably not. I could try another smoother cut but sorting to 1 grain, same brand/lot and visual should eliminate weight differences due to groove depth.
Minus-1-Grain.jpg
 
Last edited:
redrockranger said:
L C. brass is made strict U S government standards for one time use.
Click to expand...
not so "strict"
rules yes, but not competitive or even commercial quality
it can be reused..but that is work...best used for blasting not accuracy.
buy quality if you are a target shooter
 
Personally I think LC brass made in the last 10 years is not so "Match" grade.

If you are looking for accuracy do not look down on the ground to find it, go buy some good brass.
 
6bra1k said:
not so "strict"
rules yes, but not competitive or even commercial quality
it can be reused..but that is work...best used for blasting not accuracy.
buy quality if you are a target shooter
Click to expand...
Depends on what accuracy is needed. Many of us get well less than a MOA out of 223 LC, with many/most groups less than 3/4 MOA.
 
6bra1k said:
not so "strict"
rules yes, but not competitive or even commercial quality
it can be reused..but that is work...best used for blasting not accuracy.
buy quality if you are a target shooter
Click to expand...
?????????. Spray and pray or one shot one kill. It was not intended to be target ammo. Decent for a dog town tho.
 
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