sorting 5.56 Nato from 223?

[Homerange]

Safety is #1 concern and I have had a few blown primers in my Handi-rifle and wasn't really sure why?

I am looking to fix that before i load more. so i sorted off all my mixed brass to 223 Marked , F C 223 marked cases that is, and definitely different lots ,to FL size to SAAMI bump and trim to Length. 200 plus pieced are plenty till next loading . safe for all
I will deal with load development after i get the brass issue resolved so i don't blow more primers.

Likely the mixed lot brass and different case capacities with the smaller producing excess pressures.
Set them aside and check if they all look from the same lot with identical headstamps.

Can you list your loads so we can check they're not right on the edge ?

 

[Rem06]

Likely the mixed lot brass and different case capacities with the smaller producing excess pressures.
Set them aside and check if they all look from the same lot with identical headstamps.

Can you list your loads so we can check they're not right on the edge ?

it was mixed 5.56/223 brass and too late now, just don't want it to happen again.
Hense blaming unsorted brass?

i'll do a better job this time

 

[EOD Rob]

I found a good page to bookmark

Reloading: Handloading the 5.56 NATO— or is it the .223 Remington? - TheGunMag - The Official Gun Magazine of the Second Amendment FoundationTheGunMag – The Official Gun Magazine of the Second Amendment Foundation

This would be a great link to post under the 223 info page.

we are also talking about $100-@200 Handi-rifles, 3x9x40 Buckmaster and equivalent optics also.
45-50-55gr SP not long match BT mostly FB

Safety is #1 concern and I have had a few blown primers in my Handi-rifle and wasn't really sure why?

I am looking to fix that before i load more. so i sorted off all my mixed brass to 223 Marked , F C 223 marked cases that is, and definitely different lots ,to FL size to SAAMI bump and trim to Length. 200 plus pieced are plenty till next loading . safe for all
I will deal with load development after i get the brass issue resolved so i don't blow more primers.

Explain what happened with the blown primer, we might be able to help.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

I sort .223 from 5.56 because the 5.56 cases have been annealed. I then sort by head stamp. So far, this has shown to keep batches performing uniformly.

On the initial case prep for all of my brass, I ream every primer pocket after sizing and trimming. This keeps me from having any issues when it comes time to prime cases. Before this became a ritual, I would occasionally damage a primer because of a tight primer pocket that was overlooked because it wasn't crimped.

 

[KRP]

follow up question..

these are 223 FC sorted with different head stamp markings, can they be loaded together or do they have to be sorted farther because of possible internal dimensions?

remember , not for matches....single shot kid safe, go bang on deer and groundhogs. but that little sucker has a GH at 360yds and a near miss at 600 lol.

If you're looking to avoid the crimp those aren't the cases I'd choose. Those cases all look crimped to me, even the one with the silver colored primer which someone maybe removed the crimp and reloaded? Crimping might be the only way to get Federal brass to hold a primer for more than one firing though.

 

[Rem06]

WOW, Very interesting!

If you're looking to avoid the crimp those aren't the cases I'd choose. Those cases all look crimped to me, even the one with the silver colored primer which someone maybe removed the crimp and reloaded? Crimping might be the only way to get Federal brass to hold a primer for more than one firing though.

so even they are marked 223?


So , when FL size these 223 FC marked brass (Forster FL Die, Co_Ax-Press) imperial wax

Forster Headspace/Gauge .223 Rem Go 1.464

Forster Headspace/Gauge .223 Rem No Go 1.467

I have a Body die for my Wilson trimmer for after FL sizing.

I will trim to proper SAAMI length 1.740. Max is 1.760.

I would then seat a primer? or do what to pockets?

1 have 225 plus and not afraid to toss bad cases.

 

[Rem06]

I did another scan of this pic and did notice a 223 top row with pierced primer.

no idea what the load was at the time as i used up small batches of bullets and powders and primers. all I "Thought" to be safe and not loaded near max. powder would have been Varget, BL-C2- H335 under 26gr with 50gr sp

just to note my wife went through "my" sort looking for 223 stamp and cull non FC 223 marked, and pulled a few i missed like the one I see in pic, so disregard that for getting loaded again

 

[nicholst55]

As some mentioned, Federal .223 brass has a miserable reputation for case life due to primer pockets expanding quickly. A lot of folks shoot new factory Federal .223 ammo and just leave the brass for that very reason. Most/many High Power shooters sort LC brass by year, and let it go at that. That's typically for use on the 'short-line' (200-300 yards), and practice. For the 'long line.' (600 yards) most get a bit more picky on their brass. If you look closely at the LC brass case head, you'll note a series of round marks. This indicates which machine in the production line made that particular case. Many sort by this marking, although I also know folks who only use Lapua brass, and one time only, on the 600-yard line.