Trouble loading 223 with range brass

[kwarw1]

Hello all, my first post here.

I've been reloading along time,like 40+ years. I've run into a problem reloading for my AR-15. My neighbor brings me brass in buckets from the range he shoots at. Here is how I processed it.

Dry tumble,resize and deprime. Separate the military and swage those. Then reload with 24.5 grains of H335 with Hornady 55 grain soft points. Drop into a case gauge and about 10% don't pass! I have took the decapping rod out and resized some of these loaded rounds and they barely pass.

At the range I'm having some issues as well. with failure to fire and stuck in the chamber. This requires me to mortar to remove them! They are stuck good. I am thinking it is the neck thickness. Has anybody else had these kind of problems with thier 223 AR-15?

 

[drop_point]

You need to figure out what part of the brass isn't being sized enough. Cover the round with sharpie and chamber it. It will rub where it isn't being sized and the sharpie will come off. Likely it is spring-back on the shoulders. I bet the brass was fired in a gun with more headspace than yours.

 

[GLShooter]

Chances are you are getting inconsistent shoulder bump. Take some measurements and run it in about 0.002 more.. You want about 0.003 to 0.005 smaller then the fired case from YOUR rifle.

Greg

 

[Chaotik]

In my experience when rounds like this are difficult to extract, the problem is often at the .200 case datum line.

 

[kwarw1]

Thanks, I failed to mention I check OAL deburr and chamfer.
I have 2 AR'S 1 is 223 Wylde the other is 556 had this problem in both. I have a couple hundred loaded and about 200 primed cases. So i'm trying to figure out how to salvage this mess LOL. I'm rechecking everything for the forth time.

 

[Medic505]

Are you using a Small Base Die for resizing?

 

[6MMsteve]

use a standard 223 rem die I think, that way all cases will fit both rifles, with .006 bump on shoulders, I had the 5.56 nato ar and used standard 223 rem die, that worked for me

 

[JohnD]

A small base die is your friend. And even at that, some will not size down properly and should be scrapped. That’s how it works in my bolt gun and I would think more so in an AR.

John

 

[6MMsteve]

I only use the rifles chamber only to check sizing, case gauges I have never used, I resize by feel and function, use the chamber as your case gauge

 

[kwarw1]

I've used Hornady and LEE dies The Hornady was crap and I threw it out.
I just rechecked my primed brass. Out of about 100 I had 23 that are about 20 Thousands from flush. I have resized these twice already with my die as far down as it will go.Touching the shell holder!
I will do it again and report back.
My case gauge is a Lyman by the way.

 

[jelenko]

You need to figure out what part of the brass isn't being sized enough. Cover the round with sharpie and chamber it. It will rub where it isn't being sized and the sharpie will come off. Likely it is spring-back on the shoulders. I bet the brass was fired in a gun with more headspace than yours.

Do this^^^.
You need to first identify what the actual problem is.

 

[hogpatrol]

I use R-P range brass for three .20 Practicals, one of which is an AR platform. All of that brass goes through a small base die starting with Redding +.010 shell holder for the AR. I then try and chamber it with the lower removed. If it goes in easy and comes out easy, I load it. If not, I go to the +.006 shell holder and so on until the bolt closes without resistance. This covers the .200 line and the shoulder. After that, I use the standard Redding full length "S" die and a whatever shell holder needed for the bump.

 

[kwarw1]

Okay, I colored a case with a sharpie and it appears to be touching about .295 from the base of the cartridge

 

[Medic505]

You need a Small Base Die.

 

[Bill K]

This has been hashed and re-hased thousands of times. Range brass, like you obtained, or any military style brass shot in another semi-auto, needs to be sized with a small base FL die, or 99% of the time it will not fully chamber and if it does, then it will stick, tightly, upon trying to eject.
Get yourself a small base die and be happy, with that brass.

 

[jelenko]

Voila!

 

[drop_point]

Okay, I colored a case with a sharpie and it appears to be touching about .295 from the base of the cartridge

Small base die is your answer, then.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Almost all of the 223 range brass has been fired from an AR type rifle. The AR type rifle chambers do not support the base of the cartridge. This causes a slight bulge about 3/16 inch from the base of the cartridge.

In order to insure a factory sized case, you will need a Small Based die. This will insure the case is formed to SAMMI specifications and your chambering problems sill disappear.

 

[hogpatrol]

Yep,

 

[TheOtherZilla]

That was me for a while. Not only range brass but store brass once fired. Small base die is all I use for my AR ammo now. Problem solved.