.223 primer crimp advice please

[Hunterjohnb]

Hope your wife makes a full recovery from her illness.For you please keep a positive outlook as it will help you overcome your present difficulties.Best wishes to you both.

 

[Sheprador1973]

Hope your wife makes a full recovery from her illness.For you please keep a positive outlook as it will help you overcome your present difficulties.Best wishes to you both.

That's very kind & much appreciated. Yes, my mission for now is to try to stay positive..sincerely thank you

 

[Sheprador1973]

I bought a .223 case length gauge from the same guy who sold the 126 cases. It wasn't serviceable and I wasn't best pleased with how he handled this. Not much money involved but ended up spending more than if I'd bought a new one.

Sheprador, I've got a range day on 10th June - Will see if I can get hold of some once fired PPU cases.

Sorry to hear that mate If you do get some PPU I'll happily buy them from you if I can raise the cash...and they don't have primer crimps

 

[Sheprador1973]

The sale ad said they were Remington brand. Let's be polite, and say the wording was devious. SD can be a channel like any other to unload tat.

Sold: .223 Brass

You need to know how to remove primer crimps properly to avoid gas leakage. All the Lee tools are useless. Most of the once-fired .223/5.56 cases now have crimped primers, but commercial Remington brand or Rel-Com (R-P) does not. "Rem 223" headstamp is crimped, and actually Federal FCC made for Lake City.

If there's a date on the case ("WCC 99" = Winchester Cartridge Company 1999) then they are usually crimped AR15 fodder, no matter what the headstamp is.

If you need genuine Remington non-crimped once-fired I've got hundreds.

Thank you Maybe pm me when you have time with your prices. Many thanks...P

 

[Sheprador1973]

They're here for you foc if anyone can use them. Also a couple of pics to clarify Charlie-hunter's question in the ad thread. No expert. Have they been annealed?

 

[Highlandsjohn]

They're here for you foc if anyone can use them. Also a couple of pics to clarify Charlie-hunter's question in the ad thread. No expert. Have they been annealed?

View attachment 83688

View attachment 83689

Looking at the sellers advert and pics,this should be resolved with a full refund,in the circumstances,end of..

 

[Sheprador1973]

Maybe you should keep these cases, sort them by headstamp, and get familiar with dealing with the crimp. Think of it as a lesson in reloading.

Many really good 223 cases can be had for a song because they are once fired military. I have a couple of five-gallon buckets full that I use in my 223's. A friend uses them in his 20 Practical. I have used a small screwdriver with the edge flats stoned to cut, I have used chamfer-deburring tools, and RCBS primer pocket swage and the Dillon Super Swage 600. All got the job done with varying degrees of difficulty. ~Muir

Thank you Muir. I had thought of experienenting with them...had no knowledge of primer crimps st all tbh so am learning! In this instance on reflection I think I'll pass em on to someone who knows what they're doing and start again.

Also, thank you for all your advice and input on SD. I'm new but have already benefitted loads from your past posts. Beginning to understand why you are so well respected and valued on here. Thanks

 

[Muir]

Thank you Muir. I had thought of experienenting with them...had no knowledge of primer crimps st all tbh so am learning! In this instance on reflection I think I'll pass em on to someone who knows what they're doing and start again.

Also, thank you for all your advice and input on SD. I'm new but have already benefitted loads from your past posts. Beginning to understand why you are so well respected and valued on here. Thanks

Thanks, but I'm just a hill billy with too many guns and internet access. I do love reloading though. I've got to feed the flock, as it were...

Crimped primers are not that big a problem and when someone offers you a pile of one fired Federal/Lake City brass for next to nothing, they are worth dealing with. I have about two lifetimes worth of 223 brass I got in just that way, and every trrip to the range nets another handful of brass. If you are sticking with 223 you should learn to deal with a crimp. Maybe keep a couple crimped cases back and experiment.

Last year I bought the Dillon Super Swage because I had 1000's of military 308/223 cases and the RCBS pocket swaging die i have used for years is finicky. Last week I was given 4 large metal ammo cans full of 9mm military brass that is also crimped. The Dillon unit is smooth and effortless and makes quick work of it. FWIW, the reaming tools that I've used from Lyman and others just give you blisters. Swaging is the best route I've found.~Muir

 

[25 Sharps]

For the benefit of others searching this subject and the OP I bought one of these from my RFD

Smartreloader Primer Reamer [Small] with Handle [VBSR016-02] - 16.99

£8.95, the end removes and can be put into a battery powered drill, makes crimp removal quick and easy (and avoids blisters).

Having said that I tend to avoid crimped brass now and have given all the GGG away and sold the fed! Case prep is the one part of reloading I really don't like and if you keep an eye out decent once fired brass can be had for sensible money, I bought 200 remington (RP) for £35 posted and it's lasted me 3 years of quarry shooting or invest in some lapua.

I too think the seller should refund the OP!

 

[Sinistral]

I too think the seller should refund the OP!

I didn’t think this one was still running but it’s politics free so I’ll post on it. Although none of my business, the OP has been refunded so it turned out okay. Everyone tries to do their best so it’s just one of those things.

It’s not true to say that all Federal brass is crimped, but in each brand a lot of the FMJ loadings are. Whether .223 or 5.56 it often ends up in the scrap bin, which is a pity as it is better brass than most brands…Hornady for one. It will stand more reloads. I chose to de-crimp & use Federal law enforcement contract brass because I was told by a police instructor it was made to a set standard, HSE & all. Also if it’s crimped you do know it’s genuine ‘once-fired’. My mum taught me to keep records, so as it matters in reloading I’ve cut & pasted the case brands, weight variation, etc. which have turned up which might help someone.

It bears saying that the majority of casual shooters (it’s hard to believe) cannot be arsed to reload. The .223 has to be the most common calibre in UK use now, and range ammo is cheap. Of those who load it only a few want to bother salvaging industrial brass. I’m not sure what started me off, but think the reason was that Cambridgeshire TFU used to discard bucketfuls of cases practicing at the range so I had to tool up to claw back some money for the ratepayer. If allowed AR15’s we would all be more interested in this stuff & benefit more from the saving.

I’m sure Muir won’t mind my disagreeing with him on this. I did think about swaging but use a powered (star nose) reamer instead, which is more directional & happens to bevel the primer shoulder radius to give the ‘Lapua effect’. Most crimps are offset rather than elliptical (eccentric?) around the circular pocket so a reamer cleans everything up & makes the end result look a bit neater to me.

[TABLE="class: MsoTableGrid"]
[TR]
[TD] .223 [/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] F C 223*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

91​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp ** Federal e.g. American Eagle[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Hornady Superformance[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

91​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] dull gold RP primers [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] PMC*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

91​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp **[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Remington R P (UMC)[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

91​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] gold primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] IK (yy)*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

92​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp **[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] L C (yy)*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

92​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp ** (blue annulus)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Rem-P [/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

93​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] gold primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Norma[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

93​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Winchester[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

93​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Lapua Match[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

93​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Hornady Varmint Express[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

93​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] dull gold RP primers - [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Federal[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

95​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] IMI*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

95​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp** – hits max OAL on 1[SUP]st[/SUP] firing[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] GGG*[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

95​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp** – very consistent[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] WW (Nickel)[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

95​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Prvi-Partisan-‘PPU’or’nny’[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

96​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] bright gold primers[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] Hornady #2[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

97​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] dull gold RP primers [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] FNM[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

97​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers- weight variable – soft & stretch easy [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] GECO .223 56gr Express[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

98​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] not crimped[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] HP [/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

98​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] silver primers - stretch soon – hard to resize[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] L21A1 07 T* (07=yr)[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

98​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] staked crimp** – v. consistent[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] HSM [/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

98​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] (Hunting Shack Munitions)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] GECO FMJ .223*
[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

99​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] staked crimp** – consistent & clean[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] DAG[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

99​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] Green lacquered annulus- very consistent[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] RG L17A2 (yy)[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

100​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] eccentric crimp** (purple annulus)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 55"][/TD]
[TD="width: 207"] CBC[/TD]
[TD="width: 72"]

104​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 350"] v. heavy cases – gold primers
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[schaafman]

A countersink in a drill can be used with care or the Lee chamfer tool is cheap. FC (Federal) brass is a pain but you only need to do it once.

if you're reloading to save money then don't worry about the nth degree but I generally don't mix cases for each batch.

+1 I made a quick video about it a few months ago



James