Dudedog
Contributing Member
Some are ok and some are way off, the ones that are way off are hard on decap pins....
Had that issue with GFL brass (same maker?)
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gfl-223-brass-bent-decap-pin.748343/
Questions on 223 mixed brass
- Thread starter AR. Hillbilly
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Some are ok and some are way off, the ones that are way off are hard on decap pins....
Had that issue with GFL brass (same maker?)
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/gfl-223-brass-bent-decap-pin.748343/
entropy
Member
Yes, Perfecta is a Fiocchi brand.
A USA has been just as good as any other factory brass in my experience. I agree with you on the Perfecta. It's absolute trash.
RainDodger
Member
I ran into a strange (to me) piece of 5.56 brass at the range the other day. It was relatively new, so I dropped it in my range box. When it cycled through my de-priming process it felt strange, so I took a look at it. The main flash hole appeared normal (albeit slightly smaller in diameter), and there were 2 pinhole sized flash holes directly across from each other, on either side of the main flash hole. I could not read the head stamp.
I'm a retired guy now, but I volunteer at a state-run range facility... I see lots and lots of brass and I process a lot for loading, but I've never seen brass with flash holes like that.
I'm a retired guy now, but I volunteer at a state-run range facility... I see lots and lots of brass and I process a lot for loading, but I've never seen brass with flash holes like that.
Another Perfecta hater here. Also G.F.I. (?) Has off center flash holes, sometimes worse than Perfecta. Perfectas get cut down and sized for 300 Blk here, for the ones I don't care if I lose them.
A USA (Armscor) can have shallow primer pockets, or misfitting. Primers have to be flattened on some, if not all seatings. But those may vary lot to lot.
A USA (Armscor) can have shallow primer pockets, or misfitting. Primers have to be flattened on some, if not all seatings. But those may vary lot to lot.
AR. Hillbilly
Member
What bothers me is all the time I put in to all this. If I ever do this again I’ll sure enough sort first. I broke 2 pins doing this and now I know why.
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lightman
Member
I sort all of my 223 by headstamp and prep all of it the same way. Then I keep the RP, FC, Win, Hornady, Norma and LC separate and load the rest of it together. The Perfecta does have a lot of off centered flash holes. I shoot this odd stuff in my AR or my H&K when there is a change of loosing it. A random selection of this odd ball stuff will group right around 5/8in in my heavy barrel bolt gun! The last 1000 round batch that I loaded had one headstamp with primer pockets loose enough that I junked all of it. I don't remember the headstamp, it was some odd military stuff that I never heard of. I recently picked up some RWS brass! Thats about as expensive as it gets! I'm also seeing more and more stuff with crimped primers.
kmw1954
Member
Funny, I just finished processing 900pcs of GFL and I didn't see any of that. 500 of those were from the same lot of new factory loads the other 400 was range pickup.
kmw1954
Member
These are all marked 223Rem... Some the stamp is GFL and another batch I have is stamped G.F.L.
I have been using this brass and PMC brass so as not to have to deal with removing crimps and so far all has been pretty consistent.
I have been using this brass and PMC brass so as not to have to deal with removing crimps and so far all has been pretty consistent.
gifbohane
Member
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- Nov 7, 2016
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Berdan Primed?
Sounds like. I don't have a ton of experience, but I was fortunate to find all my Berdan primed brass while using the hand depriming tool, so I felt the difference. Those I couldn't read the headstamp, either, because it was in Hebrew or Crylic, or some other alphabet. I think I've read that you can convert Berdan to Boxer, but I can't believe it would be worth the effort, unless the cartridge was no longer produced.
bluetopper
Member
A USA brass is Armscor brass. No way would I toss it.
The best, quickest fix for crimped primers that I have found is a countersink bit in a hand drill for just a second, It cuts the crimp right out and chamfers the primer pocket.
The best, quickest fix for crimped primers that I have found is a countersink bit in a hand drill for just a second, It cuts the crimp right out and chamfers the primer pocket.
RainDodger
Member
No, they were not Berdan primed. Center hole was nearly normal Boxer, and the the two additional flash holes were tiny.
Bcwitt
Member
You should # least sort by brand. Very often causes enough variation to require die adjustment. It saves You from ending up w loose neck crimps or smashed bullets.
James Fonteneaux
Member
I've had multiple issues with Perfecta brass, it goes right in the scrap bucket now.
sparkyv
Member
.223/5.56 brass has been plentiful enough for me, so I cull out all but LC, FC, and WIN. The culls I trade or sell for scrap. But for all intents and purposes, most of those other headstamps are just fine.
CMB
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- Aug 8, 2020
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I noticed when decapping the USA stuff with the Frankford hand unit the A USA cases would get stuck, real stuck on the decapping pin. It wasn't because of off center holes, there is something else going on in there. They got separated for closer investigation.
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FROGO207
Member
From what I have seen the flash holes are smaller diameter on the Armscore ammo
n2omike
Member
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- Feb 19, 2021
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Exactly. I bought a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 Carbine a while back... the cheapest one they make. Still a really nice gun for the price. I had loaded up some 55 grain Hornady FMJ with 27.0 grains of CFE 223 tossed straight out of the measure in various 5.56 and .223 brass and two different kinds of primers. (magnum and regular) On the very first mag ever shot out of the gun, I went from 25 to 50 to 100 yards sighting it in... and these are first five shots at 100 yards... Not complaining. lol
The reason I used all the various primers and brass, was that I was using up my OLD stash of primers from the 90's, and the brass came out of a 5 gallon bucket of cheap range brass I traded a guy out of. We were just going to the range to check out the gun and give it a 'test drive'. After seeing how it performed, I went back and bought another gun just like it. lol
With some of the brass, the primers just fell in almost loose, while others still had remnants of the military crimp. I cringed a little while seating the loose ones, but they all shot just fine with zero issues. Only problem was one dud primer out of around 200 rounds. No surprise, as they had been sitting around for over 20 years. lol
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crestoncowboy
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- Feb 22, 2011
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I bought a 50 dollar lot of reloading crap from an estate auction. Got me a set of rcbs swaging dies. (Probably 300 pieces of primed 5.56, several hundred primed 45 acp.... and a few hundred unprimed 300 mag brass too. Nugent brass.... not very good. Lol plus some manuals) I actually prefer to just use a cutting head on my case prep station. The dies work great but no better than just grinding it out and far slower IMO.
As far as brass I sort my competition and varmint/predator hunting brass. My AR blasting brass i dont.
CMB
Member
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That's nice shooting from a budget rifle. I too have a PSA upper that easily shoots MOA and better with hand loads - mixed brass. One thing I noticed about that upper when accuracy started to degrade I pulled the muzzle device and seen a crazy amount of buildup. Cleaned that up gently and she was right back to shooting like new. Just giving a little credit to Budget units.
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