Help starting to reload .223 for AR-15

Most any 223/5.56 brass is "good" brass as long as it is Boxer primed and not steel. The military/crimped examples require the removal of crimp the first time to reprime. I have used a #2 Phillips screw driver, a pocket knife, a countersink, a chamfer/deburr tool, and a couple types of swagers to remove the primer crimp. All will work OK but I now feel putting the brass back in place with a swager "might" increase case life as opposed to removing some of it mechanically "might" weaken the primer pocket. The advantage of getting all the same head stamp brass for someone starting to reload will reduce one variable over getting "assorted range brass" and having to sort it by headstamp to work up accurate loads. Only shoot 5.56 ammo (higher pressure) in a firearm rated for it. You can shoot 223 ammo in it as well. Only use 223 in a 223 rated rifle to keep from beating it up. What you are going to be reloading is actually 223 rated loads no matter what the headstamp on the brass says. For an AR style semi auto rifle I would defiantly use the military primers to reduce the chances of a slam fire.

Load On

I like Lake City brass myself. As stated, once primer crimp removed, I use a RCBS Swage tool 2, the brass lasts a long time. If you check around, you can pick up the brass as once fired for fairly cheap. My favorite bullet is the Hornady 55 gr SP, both accurate and inexpensive. I only load to 223 specs since my shooting is all for fun and don't need a 5.56 round. You will want to full length size and use a good lube. Lubes are like trucks and underwear, everyone has their favorite and mine is Ballistol. I've used both CCI 41 and S&B small rifle primers and can't tell the difference between the two. I'm not a benchrest shooter, so someone who is may disagree with me, especially when it comes to ball verses stick powders. No matter what primer I use, I only charge my gun with barrel pointed down range and this applies to all guns, not just my rifle.

This is only my opinion and by no means the only answers...

Federal brass is just fine as is Lake City brass. Both are made by the same company. If you buy new LC brass you won't have to deal with the crimp in the primer pocket. That covers the tools needed to remove the crimp. Just do the ones you come across with a hand tool.

I use CCI#41 primers because I can get them but the CCI-450 primers are almost the same at a reduced price. I have also use CCI-400 primers without a problem but if course they are not a problem until they are. Required, probably not but I feel safer with a NATO rated primer or Magnum primer.

The only difference between 5.56mm ammo and .22 ammo is pressure. If you get a good deal on 5.56 ammo buy it but IMO there is no reason to seek it out or shy away from it. When you reload either brass it's all the same but for the possibility of a crimp in the primer.

I hope I helped a little...

I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds of 223 for AR rifles with regular small rifle primers, not mil-spec. No slam fires.

I use CCI #41 or Rem 7 1/5 primers for 223R.

I have had one slam fire on my 458 SOCOM, using CCI LPM (350). This is the only time I've had this happen. With the 458 SOCOM it gets your attention. If you do have a choice use the Mag or Mil spec primer for insurance. If you do decide to load to 5.56 pressure you will like the extra insurance of not blowing/piercing a primer.

As far as dealing with crimp primer pockets I prefer doing the swaging. This method does not remove any material from the pocket. I feel it keeps the primer pockets tight longer when you don't remove any brass.

1) Is Federal/American Eagle a good commercial brand to start with if I will be saving and reloading the brass?

2) I plan on low volume target shooting. Should I use a hand swager or hand drill to swage primers and whose tool is reliable, easy and efficient?

3) Should I use mil spec primers like CCI 41 to avoid slam fires, and if that is not required, do I use any small rifle primers?

4) Should I consider shooting 5.56, and if so, whose?

5) Should I consider 5.56 Lake City Unprimed Bagged Brass 250 Count as brass?

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I think the answers to your questions will depend on what you are intending to shoot at and at what ranges. If you are going to be one of the people who goes for precision, wanting to shoot five times and end up with one hole, then the manufacturer of the case, primer, bullet and powder are all going to be relevant. On the other hand, if you are like me and just want to be able to make a milk jug "dance" at 200 meters or create a "splash" by shooting a full soda can at 100 meters, then my experience is that pretty much any boxer primed brass case in good condition ignited by any primer using a combination of bullet and powder from published load data is going to be satisfactory.

I reload in comparatively low volumes (50 to 100 cases at a time) so I have found any of the primer pocket reamers (not uniformers) adequate to removing the crimp from military brass.

So long as you seat your primers fully into the primer pocket (flush with the case head or slightly recessed), I would not be concerned about slam-fires.

sbwaters said:

Thanks for the insights.

I did find this informative article about .223/5.56 reloading. Especially liked the info on primers:

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/

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That is a great site with a lot of good information.

You are going to hear "I have loaded 1000s with standard primers without a slamfire" and I'm sure it's true. Like I said above, it's not a problem until is happens to you. It may never happen but why take the chance?

In this order I use: CCI #41, CCI-450, Rem 7 1/2, CCI-400 and that works for me. When I load .223 ammo for my bolt action rifle I use CCI-400 primers. This is just what I do and I'm perfectly fine using the CCI-450 primers if the #41s are unavailable or too highly priced. The #41s are magnum strength primers.

Your question about primers is probably the most controversial one. If you ask one hundred people, I'm guessing that about 60 will say that they use CCI41 or magnum primers and 40 will say that they've always used standard small rifle primers without incident. It's really your choice. Personally, I use CCI41 & CCI34 NATO primers for my ARs, M1 Garand and soon my M1A. I use standard primers on my M1 Carbine. The NATO (milspec) primers offer a bit more resistance to slam fires and were developed by CCI at the behest of the US Army. You'll also run into some people who feel they're a marketing gimmick and a "scam" perpetrated on reloaders by CCI. After having read the report in which the development of these primers was requested I disagree vehemently with this viewpoint and feel there are always some people who don't let facts stand in the way of their agenda.
There are other more common reasons for slam fires but IMO an extra measure of protection never hurts.

1) Is Federal/American Eagle a good commercial brand to start with if I will be saving and reloading the brass?
I've found some 1x used Federal brass to be at or below minimum trim length after resizing. It shoots just fine.

2) I plan on low volume target shooting. Should I use a hand swager or hand drill to swage primers and whose tool is reliable, easy and efficient?
From watching videos, the Dillon looks about the easiest. The RCBS one looks about the same for a few bucks less (made in China vs US most likely).
I use the CH4D one. The swager kit alone is $35 + S&H. It doesn't support the base of the case the way the Dillon does, so I bent a few rims during the learning curve/setup. I practiced on Federal cases.
https://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/case-tools/psk
Since you plan on low volume, you may consider springing for the extra $10 for their on-press priming tool that can come bundled with the swager. It looks like a precision bit of kit.
I also have the Lyman reamer and still use it occasionally.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/case-prep/primer-pocket-reamer.php

3) Should I use mil spec primers like CCI 41 to avoid slam fires, and if that is not required, do I use any small rifle primers?
I've used CCI 400s with no problems for a while, in 223 and 300 BLK. YMMV. It was less than half of a penny a round more for the CCI 41s at the last gun show I went to, so if it weren't for stocking up during the last craze/shortage, I'd have just bought them.

4) Should I consider shooting 5.56, and if so, whose?
As long as your chamber & throat/leade is 5.56, yes. Which it likely is on an 16" AR-15, but look at the stamp on the barrel.

5) Should I consider 5.56 Lake City Unprimed Bagged Brass 250 Count as brass?
Yes, it's good stuff.