Federal American eagle 5.56

M855, no steel core. Lead core and steel tip. As far as crimping goes, it seems some are some are not. If you can't see a crimp there is likely not one.

Crimps are easy to remove.

If it's marketed as M855 it "should" have a crimp . I've came across a lot of Federal commercial 223 brass that has a crimp . So many in fact that I now treat all Federal 223/5.56 brass as if it has a crimp and go through the crimp removal process no matter what on Federal brass . I don't even look to see if it has a crimp . It takes just about as long to identify the crimp as it does to remove it so I just swage all Federal 223 cases regardless . FWIW because of that , generally I won't go out of my way to get Fed brass . In fact unless it's a large lot ( 500+ ) I'll refuse to pick it up or take it if offered .

If it’s FC ,F-C or Fed and .223; no crimp.
If it has 0 with + (NATO stamp) or FC 11 5.56, (# is year of mfg) then most likely it is crimped.

It’s really good brass. I use it (ofb) to load my match ammo for CMP service rifle ammo. 75gr Hornady BTHP FOR 200-300yds, Sierra 80gr MK for 600yds.

I prefer to use an RCBS primer pocket swager to remove them.

Stevie-Ray said:

M855, no steel core. Lead core and steel tip.

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Well... sorta, and I had to research this to make sure I wasn't missing something. The steel 'tip' is actually in front of the lead core, but is still buried under the copper of the bullet. I never realized that... I thought it was a solid steel core, not the lead core/steel 'tip' combo. Learn something new everyday.

LC usually uses a circular primer crimp, it can be hard to spot sometimes. If you use a hand primer you'll know right off if it's crimped or not, and the fact that it's LC and M855 I would say probably yes. Winchester is taking over the LC plant, and I wonder if they aren't already implementing changes... the last bulk lot of 5.56mm I bought, marked LC, had a 4-stake primer crimp.

GooseGestapo said:

If it’s FC ,F-C or Fed and .223; no crimp.
If it has 0 with + (NATO stamp) or FC 11 5.56, (# is year of mfg) then most likely it is crimped.

It’s really good brass. I use it (ofb) to load my match ammo for CMP service rifle ammo. 75gr Hornady BTHP FOR 200-300yds, Sierra 80gr MK for 600yds.

I prefer to use an RCBS primer pocket swager to remove them.

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I agree real good brass.

Waterboy3313 said:

I just got home and looked and noticed the primer pockets have a round mark around the outside of the primer. Very hard to see so I am assuming that is how they are crimped. I was expecting to see something more obvious I guess.

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Yes that is the crimp. Easier to see after depriming.

Federal brass is notorious for the primer pockets getting loose prematurely. My feeling is that it is a lot of trouble to swage, or otherwise remove the crimp, and then get only 2 or 3 loadings before the primers are too loose.

One theory being that Federal brass has a thinner web than other headstamps. Another is that it is softer brass. Somebody gave me 150 once fired FC brass that was crimped. It broke my heart because it was really nice brass, but it ended up in the scrap bucket.

The easiest and most inexpensive way to be rid of primer crimps is to chuck a counter sink bit into a drill and just touch the primer pocket edge with it. Since the factory got a primer in it the first time, I just take for granted the pocket is big enough and all I need is to be rid of the staking, or as you saw, a circular stamp.

I have seen this over done to the extreme. While I warned against it, it still provided much use, with lower power rounds.

I have an RCBS Swage die II with only six hundred rounds on it.
And that is all that will ever be on it if I have my way!
Oil, sizing wax, graphite, OneShot, even spit and blood, nothing makes that thing easy!
I have no idea why swaging pockets is so popular. I had zero fun doing it and find the small cut exponentially easier and faster, and much less stressful on me and my press arm.

There is, of course, one, even more easy way to be rid of primer pocket processing.

Only buy brass without a crimp!

I, too, wouldn’t just be tossing out perfectly useful brass. But when it comes to nicer rifles and precision loading, there’s nothing like nice, new and non-crimped.
(Doesn’t have to say Norma or Lapua, but that would be nice. I have gotten many worry free loads from Peters Brass, but, man, is Lapua worth it!)

I've got the C&H tool, and it works reasonably well. I have about 1000 7.62mm and 5-6000 5.56mm cases waiting for it...

Dillon makes a bench-mount tool that is the Cadillac, but it's $100+.

When the military rejects a shipment of M855, it gets repackaged in American Eagle 5.56 and sold as sporting ammunition. Not to worry, though. The testing procedure the military uses isn't very good.

I usey champher tool. Slow but works well.

Waterboy3313 said:

My plan was to eventually reload for everything I shoot.

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Just be aware, factory 5.56mm ammos is pretty cheap, and unless you buy components in serious bulk, you won't save much reloading it over just buying a case of it... and I'm talking 55grn or 62grn FMJ, not other specialized ammos, that's different. I'm not saying you shouldn't prepare and learn about loading .223/5.56mm, or not have some components stashed, but I don't waste what little time I have carved out for reloading on 5.56mm blasting ammos. Just my .02 worth.

Waterboy3313 said:

see good deals in my emails every day but can't have it shipped. If you do order online you have to ship it to an FFL and pay more. Ther

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I've got the same issue with loaded ammo here in NY. Lbs usually has loaded 223, and 5.56 in stock but at higher than internet. Best way to shoot cheap, accurate ammo is to reload.

I only reload Lake City casings, and I use the RCBS II swage tool on my single stage press.

Average Joe said:

I only reload Lake City casings, and I use the RCBS II swage tool on my single stage press.

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When you are swaging pockets does it take a lot of force to get them back off the pin? Does it need to go deeply in the brass?
I like having multiple ways to do things, but feel like I’m doing this one wrong...

It was just way too much banging around to get it to work, for me.

Waterboy3313 said:

Living in California makes it a little harder to obtain cheap ammo.

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I always forget to see where people are at. I'm pretty used to the freedom to buy what I want like a Free American.

Dumb question... and I don't know the specifics of the CA laws, now... but can't you road trip to Reno or somewhere?

Demi-human said:

When you are swaging pockets does it take a lot of force to get them back off the pin? Does it need to go deeply in the brass?
I like having multiple ways to do things, but feel like I’m doing this one wrong...

It was just way too much banging around to get it to work, for me.

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All you are doing is knocking down the lip of the primer pocket, you aren't swaging out the whole recess. It should be no more difficult than seating a primer.