differences in LC and WCC brass for service rifle?

[mtlucas0311]

Hi guys, I'm starting to get the reloading press going and am currently sorting 2,000 rounds of brass I bought. Its about an even split between LC and WCC, but is spread across 04 to 08 years of manufacture. Also, not 100% has the NATO cross. Is there a significant difference between years of manufacture given the same manufacturer? How about between the brass that does and does not have the nato cross? It's all "LC" or "WCC", which I believe means it's all military. I'm trying to determine how picky I should be when sorting. Thanks, Mike.

[USSR]

Is there a significant difference between years of manufacture given the same manufacturer?

Nope.

How about between the brass that does and does not have the nato cross? It's all "LC" or "WCC", which I believe means it's all military.

Weigh your LC and WCC brass. The WCC brass may be quite a bit lighter (atleast it is in .30-06). I wouldn't worry about it for short range, but for mid-range I would sort it by manufacturer.

Don

[MutinousDoug]

I'm not clear if you are shooting 7.62 or 5.56 brass but let me observe:
My 5.56 Winchester commercial brass is softer and lighter in weight than my LC brass ( I don't happen to have WWC brass in that caliber). For that reason, I would segregate LC from Win. Then I would weigh a sample of each year headstamp to verify that there is no significant difference in weight and if not, go ahead and mix the year date headstamps and not worry about it. That being said, if I had enough of a single headstamp to load 22 rounds for the 600 yd line or 88 rounds for across the course, I'd run them that way.
HTH

[mtlucas0311]

I can"t believe I didn't specify 5.56, sorry. I've already segregated LC and WCC. I'm going to say that of the 2,000 pieces I bought it's about a 50/50 split between LC and WCC. Thanks for the info, I'll weigh some of the LC across the range of years and see what I come up with then repeat for the WCC. It was sold as "once fired", but none of it has a crimp around the primer; it does have slight ring around the primer as if a tool or reamer of some type was used to clean up the primer pocket and remove the crimp. I paid $70 per thousand, did I get spanked for brass that has been reloaded? The primers are still in the brass and are "gold", and fired.

[MutinousDoug]

If the primer crimp has been removed and there is a primer in the fired case, my first guess is that your brass has been fired at least twice. Additionally, military primers are sealed with a lacquer (sometimes red or blue) that, if absent on your cases, indicates a non military reload.
I bought my last GI brass a few years ago and I can't seem to find the receipt so I can't comment on component prices these days. If you are afraid of using the brass, take a paperclip and bend a 90 degree tip on the end and feel around the inside of the brass for evidence of case head separation.
It will feel like a radial groove or some roughness above the web of the case head. If you feel nothing, your cases are in good shape.
Sucks that your supplier mis-represented his product if such is the case.

[Howard B]

Always sort by headstamp. Likely it is not critical at 2/300, but could be at 6. Mostly,it becomes one less thing to bother you between the ears. Be exceptionally careful about mixing commercial and GI cases. I have the wrecked remains of an AR upper in which a lone FC case got mixed with WCC at 600. At least that was the only difference post kaboom investigation could determine.

[mtlucas0311]

Thanks for the input guys. In a typical twist of fate, the local police department just did a bunch of training with their M4's, and one of the guys hunts my dads property, so I was just given 3,000 rounds of once fired 5.56 brass for free. Figures, since I just bought a bunch of brass. It's headstamped "PPU 08 5.56x45" no NATO cross, but it weighed 6 grains more than the Lake City I just bought. I'm going to give some of that a try also. Thanks again, Mike