Sizing die for 223 gas gun

[ftrrookie]

Just bought my first AR (223/5.56) and was wondering which sizing die to buy for it. What do you think of a small base sizer and a taper crimp seater? I picked up 1k LC once fired brass to reload for it.
I have a bolt gun in .223 and use a Redding competition bushing die for it but to be honest I think I would prefer to use a separate die for the AR and just use the Redding for my bolt gun.

I'm open to suggestions and opinions.

 

[gaboon]

A redding or a Forster F/L die set is my vote.

 

[kombayotch]

Using this for Canadian Service Rifle matches? Definitely FL size your cases!

I have both Redding neck and FL bushing dies, but I've ended up using the FL die from my Lee set or the Dillon trim die mostly. Far more important is the crimp die, and the best one is the Lee factory crimp.

You need to either crimp or have a good amount of neck tension. Otherwise, the bullet may get pushed back into the case during feeding and cause high pressures. In an AR, if the primers fall out, they can fall under your trigger and prevent you from firing, they can fall into the barrel extension and prevent the bolt from closing, they can fall onto the mag lip and bend it down causing your rounds to crash into the front of the mag, or my personal favorite is the primer going into the bolt carrier key and turning the rifle into a boltgun.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I use a small base die for my AR. No crimp and no problems

 

[jonbearman]

I am using the Dillon carbide sizing die and it works quite well.

 

[mac86951]

Small base dies aren't needed for the AR if you have a standard chamber. Both of my rifles have been doing just fine with the standard 223 RCBS dies.

I'd recommend a different seater, which I finally went for an RCBS competition style only for the better VLD bullet handling (and the easier port for putting the bullet into the case).

I understand the thought of keeping the dies separate for your bolt gun, but the AR would do just fine with them too. Clean the brass well before you resize, I have a universal decapper and decap and clean before sizing.

Crimping not needed unless you want to seal the case from water. I don't crimp my 3-gun rounds which saves me a step and a lot of time. Shoots just fine.

-Mac

 

[bigedp51]

The top small base die below are for sizing once fired Lake City brass to bring the cases back to minimum dimensions. Of the two RCBS dies the small base die only makes the case diameter .0005 smaller than the standard die, "BUT" the small base die sizes further down the case than the standard die.

The RCBS dies are for my AR15 rifles and the Forster dies are for my .223 bolt action Savage.

Having a set of small base dies is a good investment, the majority of .223 cases are not as hard in the base as Lake City cases and the extra little squeeze at the base doesn't hurt anything on rifles that throw perfectly good brass away when you pull the trigger.

 

[Rustystud]

When using range brass I full length and roll size (with Case Pro 100) to insure the entire case is sized and reconditioned. I then trim, chamfer and anneal.
Nat Lambeth

 

[ftrrookie]

Nat, not sure if you suggested the Case Pro 100 as a joke or not but I did laugh out loud when I googled it and saw the price. $718 and there's a 6 month waiting list. Guess I'll just have to settle for a $40 die set.

 

[akajun]

With an ar , it's more important to push your shoulder back .005 than worry about the base dimensions. If your going to load single load ammo, like for offhand or slow fire prone, you can get away with . 002 but I don't feel you will gain anything.
I size all my xtc ammo, and also a junior rifle teams with either a Dillon trim die or a rcbs full length die, both standard dimension, and both for a large amount of rifles. This is for range pick up brass or my personal brass. I feel that a small base die works the brass to much.
Fwiw, lc brass will give you about 12-15 loads, it generally dies from a split neck or the primer pocket won't hold a primer any longer
Commercial brass dies about 10 for the same reason
Federal brass lasts about 5-6 before the primer pocket opens up

 

[DukeDuke]

RCBS x dies

 

[brian427cobra]

I use plano RCBS FL die, plano RCBS seating die, and for insurance I crimp with a Lee FCD, my 1/7 twist DD barrel AR will do sub 1inch at 100 all day long with my hand loads.

 

[stool]

if you own an ar and use used brass you should own a small base die..just in case.

i crimp 55 and 62 grain mil equivalent ammo but not crimp any of my match ammo.

i do not push shoulders back more than is required to get reliable bolt closure...seldom more than .002".

in my testing .003 of neck tension stopped bullet movement in my ar's.

 

[Bayou]

I use RCBS small base for all auto loaders. No crimp.

Never yet had a hang-up....