Since most of my brass was collected on rifle ranges, I've managed to avoid 7.62 that's been run through a pig. Sizing, trimming and annealing should sort out most of the issues.
Lake City Brass
- Thread starter Hippy
- Start date
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
+1. Also depends on the intended use of the brass. I've done some extensive LC Brass testing and found that sorting by year matters, but also sorting by model (LC Match, LC National Match or standard LC brass ) makes a difference in consistent accuracy. Bottom line though, if you are looking for best accuracy and/or competitive use, the best groups of LC brass could NOT keep up with Lapua brass. If you are looking for reasonably good and strong brass that lasts, LC will fit that bill.
Alex
My own experiences with LC brass lead me to examine closely, but ignore things like the year as largely irrelevant as compared to other considerations.
To clarify, I speak mainly of the 7.62 brass. Unless you can source the LR variant, what you get will 99% of the time have been fired in machine guns. Anything of reasonably recent vintage will have come from an M240B. It'll in general be quite long, as at that cyclic rate they are certainly coming out hot, but they won't be excessively enlarged in diameter. That is, while things like a small base die tend to be recommended, I personally haven't seen the need for one -- a standard die is fine. You're going to need a quality trimmer, though; you're going to be doing a lot of trimming.
That being the case, the one thing I strongly recommend is an easy way to test for incipient head separation, as it can be present on the first firing. The case can look absolutely great externally, no ring present at all, but an internal examination shows just the degree of chasm present; some of these have really surprised me in this regard.
The tool I found that makes this extremely quick and easy to find is a 'Dr Mom' brand otoscope that I bought inexpensively on Amazon. This device makes it simple to examine the interior of a case; you can easily examine 30 to 40 per minute.
I really, really hate case head separations. Easily one of my favorite tools.
To clarify, I speak mainly of the 7.62 brass. Unless you can source the LR variant, what you get will 99% of the time have been fired in machine guns. Anything of reasonably recent vintage will have come from an M240B. It'll in general be quite long, as at that cyclic rate they are certainly coming out hot, but they won't be excessively enlarged in diameter. That is, while things like a small base die tend to be recommended, I personally haven't seen the need for one -- a standard die is fine. You're going to need a quality trimmer, though; you're going to be doing a lot of trimming.
That being the case, the one thing I strongly recommend is an easy way to test for incipient head separation, as it can be present on the first firing. The case can look absolutely great externally, no ring present at all, but an internal examination shows just the degree of chasm present; some of these have really surprised me in this regard.
The tool I found that makes this extremely quick and easy to find is a 'Dr Mom' brand otoscope that I bought inexpensively on Amazon. This device makes it simple to examine the interior of a case; you can easily examine 30 to 40 per minute.
I really, really hate case head separations. Easily one of my favorite tools.
You must be watching out for these new millennial zombies cause the ones i grew up with, it was always a head shot. Heres what i got when i googled "How to kill a Zombie"No, head shots don't kill zombies. You just have to chop them up with quantity of fire. Speaking of zombies and "quantity of fire", flame throwers work well too.
If i remeber correctly, the head shot didn't actually kill them, it just prevented them from eating your brains 
fguffey
Banned
I do not expect you to keep up, I'm like you I am purchasing cases that have been fired by someone else, when someone else fires my cases I want them to have trashy old chambers, I want cases that are long from the shoulder to the case head. One more time; I have one rifle that has a chamber that is .011" longer than a go-gage length chamber, if I chamber a full length sized/minimum length round in that rifle reloaders believe I will have case head separation because they believe the case stretches between the case head and case body. Problem: They also believe the firing pin drives the case forward until the shoulder of the case hits the chamber shoulder. (TMI) ?, this stuff does not drive me to the curb, I have said over and over my shoulders do not move, I have said I find it impossible to move the shoulder back but reloaders insist they move the shoulder back and they are so good at it they can bump the shoulder back. And I ask: HOW? All I get for my efforts when asking are snarky answers. And there just has to be something wrong with armed citizens on a public shooting forum talking snarky ands acting like children.
"You have no ideal": I understand that, I have rifles with long chambers, I did not build the rifles, I purchased them, there was a pile of rifles that went through an Arsenal and came out with long chambers. These rifles are not uncommon. To cut down on case travel with that one rifle I form cases that are .014" longer than a full length sized case, the .014" gives me the magic .002" clearance. Meaning the chamber is .11" longer than a go-gage length chamber.
Back to the manufacturer: they do not make cases for reloaders that know what they are doing. That leaves me to being creative when purchasing cases. I find it easy to control the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head when the case is too long from the shoulder to the case head. I believe it is mindless to full length size a case for a chamber that is longer than a go-gage length chamber. I understand this is TMI but the difference in length between a go gage length chamber and a minimum length/full length sized case is .005" for the 30/06 chamber.
F. Guffey
Purchased 500 once fired mostly lake city 5.56 brass for forming to 20VT and 17 FB. About 5% WCC and varying years of LC.
Also purchased 500 cases of once fired LC14 and formed to 20 VT and 17 FB.
If I randomly select from the mixed lot, my groups range from .4-.7 for 10 shot groups and the WCC were culled early on. The single lot groups are all .2-.3
If I go through the mixed lot and select all the same years, my groups shrink to .2-.3
These results have been repeated hundred-fold in two rifles. Accurate and repeatable, but both lots serve my purposes very well.
Also purchased 500 cases of once fired LC14 and formed to 20 VT and 17 FB.
If I randomly select from the mixed lot, my groups range from .4-.7 for 10 shot groups and the WCC were culled early on. The single lot groups are all .2-.3
If I go through the mixed lot and select all the same years, my groups shrink to .2-.3
These results have been repeated hundred-fold in two rifles. Accurate and repeatable, but both lots serve my purposes very well.
Jdne5b
Gold $$ Contributor
You aren't the only one. Put him on ignore or just don't feed the troll. One day maybe we'll all be as good of a reloader as Guff.. until then we knuckle draggers will just have to keep bumping shoulders and setting headspace on cases.
msinc
Banned
I get both sides, although I don't personally keep in existence or make it a practice to fire rifles that are .015" longer than zero headspace whether I can get brass to "fit" them or not.
"Don't keep in existence" meaning yes, I have had a few but they were/are always rebarreled or set back and otherwise corrected. Do they have to be??? No, it's just me...there are two kinds of guns I own...those that are right and those that are "about to be set right".
I totally get not bothering with brass that has been stretched too far. My question is; what do you consider "too far" in thousandths over minimum headspace????? This is all considering we intend to return it to minimum headspace length.
the fact that he always talks about 8 30/06 military surplus rifles with long chamber is a dead giveaway. over the hill and senile.
who shoots an 06 these days? lots better cartridges out there
as for forming brass for his screwed up chambers. forming brass is pretty common these day. Not difficult at all
you notice he will never answer a direct question. just starts his babbling
who shoots an 06 these days? lots better cartridges out there
as for forming brass for his screwed up chambers. forming brass is pretty common these day. Not difficult at all
you notice he will never answer a direct question. just starts his babbling
Cecil S.
Gold $$ Contributor
I just started reloading this year. I wanted to learn the "old school" LC 308 to 6.5 Creedmoor. I purchased 500 LC cases and started learning. LC is tough stuff. Many people on this site helped me with great advice. You can tell who is just running off at the mouth. The people with the real experience are very willing to help and want to help you. That is what makes this site the best! Just my opinion. Ken Sommerville
That's a good deal
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