My Federal American Eagle .223 shipment has LC '05 NATO 5.56 in the boxes. Huh?

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nitesite

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Last week I placed an order for American Eagle 55-gr boat tail FMJ and 62-gr boat tail FMJ ammunition.

It arrived today, and lo and behold inside each fresh box are Lake City 05 NATO headstamped cartridges! Not the usual FC 223 REM headstamp.

Should I be surprised? Has anyone else experienced this? The catalog order source is above reproach IMO.

A call today to ATK to give them the lot #s revealed that they are closed till after the 4th.
 
sounds cool to me. i've been shopping for a deal on a load of 55gr. lake city stuff. i'm thinking,if you paid for american eagle and got lake city,i'd like to know what it cost and where it came from.;)
 
They were probably just using up some brass they had laying around. I'm sure it doesn't have the powder charge of XM193.
 
They were probably just using up some brass they had laying around. I'm sure it doesn't have the powder charge of XM193.
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I'm more than a bit skeptical about your statement.:confused:

MIL-DOT~

Once I speak to ATK and the retail source, I will probably reveal where it came from unless they want me to squash it until it is fixed. I've got a pretty good customer history with them over the years and I do not want to spoil that relationship. Can you imagine ATK or the seller trying in vain to recall a packaging mistake and I got caught up right in the middle of it? :(
 
Thank you, MIL-DOT, for understanding my predicament. Some guns are chambered for .223 Remington and pressures can get too high if someone attempts to shoot 5.56mm thru their particular rifle. I am fully aware that you already know that but I needed to say it anyway.

If it's OK after speaking with ATK then I will PM you the source. It's a great company, and the price is pretty good! :)
 
No.

Just read that there are cautions that it isn't recommended, especially with 68-gr and heavier bullets.

But this isn't the subject of this thread.

I am wondering if anyone else has recieved Lake City 5.56 NATO rounds in American Eagle boxes.

That is my original question.
 
They were probably just using up some brass they had laying around. I'm sure it doesn't have the powder charge of XM193.
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This is probably the most likely explanation. I also doubt they loaded it to M193 specs. That would give their lawyers serious ulcers. Still I'd love to see someone crono it.

Since ATK makes both the American Eagle and Federal lines. And since Federal got all the LC brass to make M193 under military contract. They are probably just using unused brass they have available for the cheap plinking ammo.

All this is conjecture of course. I've never got any LC brass that I've noticed in American Eagle boxes.
 
My neighbor bought a case of American Eagle earlier this year and it was LC04 headstamp. My understanding is that LC shipped a bunch of brass over to one of Federal's plants so they could help catch up on M193 production for the military. I'm guessing that once they caught up they merely used what they had left in their normal production. (at "non-5.56" pressure)

Regards,
Dave
 
Bought 1k rounds of Fed .223 for a tactical shooting instructor course I took earlier this year. All the brass was marked "LC"
 
I got a box of American Eagles with Lake City cases. Didn't notice a difference when firing though.
 
Thank you, MIL-DOT, for understanding my predicament. Some guns are chambered for .223 Remington and pressures can get too high if someone attempts to shoot 5.56mm thru their particular rifle. I am fully aware that you already know that but I needed to say it anyway.

If it's OK after speaking with ATK then I will PM you the source. It's a great company, and the price is pretty good!
Click to expand...

I am with DMK on this. I am certain that what you've got is the AE load in "surplus" (as in leftover but still fully to spec) cases marked LC. Remember that Federal is making the "LC" loads for the armed forces. If they shipped it as AE, either it is sized and loaded to the AE spec or they have a massive manufacturing problem. I would be cash money on the first option.
 
I have gotten some of this stuff too. I buy my AE ammo from two different stores. One must be selling from an older lot because one is marked as FC 223 and the other is marked with a LC headstamp. Both seem to shoot the same.
I WISH the LC marked stuff was loaded like M193 though.
 
You lucked out, IMO. The LC brass is heavier than FC brass and better for reloading in many folks' opinion.
 
Yep, if it shoots well (and I am sure that it will) then it was a stroke of luck.

What confounds me, tho', is that the primers are sealed.

A call to them later today should clear this up! :)
 
Just got a call from Federal Cartridge Product Support a few moments ago.

They say it's perfectly normal to sometimes receive LC brass in their American Eagle ammo and even in their Premium lines of Federal ammo as well.

They stated that it's loaded with commercial powders, primers and bullets to commercial specs.

dmckean44, I owe you an apology. :eek:
 
I bought 3 boxes of American Eagle .223 55gr fjm from Sportsman's Warehouse over the weekend. All brass is marked LC 05. $3.99 a box didn't seem bad, seeing as how Wolf was going for the same price.
 
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