.223 cases with shoulder dings.. usable?

[HiccaBurp]

I'm new to reloading rifle cartridges. I just cleaned my first batch of 223 and found some cases with shoulder dings. How about body dings that come up to the shoulder? Can I reload these? I'm shooting out of a DD M4. Should I reload these but use for practice ammo only?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Body dings that don't compromise the case don't bother me but I do not like the looks of most of those shoulders. I might be wrong but I would not use them out of an overabundance of caution.

 

[Tim the student]

Some look ok to me, some don't.

A good rule of thumb is that dings are ok, creases are not.

 

[30Cal]

Shoot them.

 

[fdashes]

The dings that have to sharp deep edges are not worth the chance. The smooth dents are ok. Whoever reloaded those cartridges use too much sizing lube. Pull the trigger and the dents will go away

 

[NWcityguy2]

Every single one of those is reloadable.

 

[HiccaBurp]

The dings that have to sharp deep edges are not worth the chance. The smooth dents are ok. Whoever reloaded those cartridges use too much sizing lube. Pull the trigger and the dents will go away

I've heard the mini-14 tends to put the dings in the shoulder?? I don't have a mini(yet .. so I don't know.

 

[dirtengineer]

I'd shoot most of them.

 

[Fisherdave10]

Use them all. Shoulder dents are usually caused by excessive lubricant when resizing. Body dings are usually caused by the casing hitting a shell deflector upon ejection when firing.

They'll both pop right out next time they're fired.

 

[gamestalker]

A good deal of those don't even look like they would chamber even after resizing.

I've lube dented my fair share of shoulders over the years, and those have always ironed out without incident. But with sharp creases, you have to be concerned with the case actually letting go as it flattens out, or more appropriately termed, slaps against the shoulder of the chamber before the crease actually rips open? If it does hold together, it will very likely be good to go for future loadings, its just getting them there without incident that concerns me.

GS

 

[GT1]

I don't see any creases, just dents. I'd load 'em up.

 

[GLOOB]

Dents, dings, gouges, and creases don't bother me a bit. I've loaded way worse than that for my 223 rifle.

If it holds a bullet and primer with good tension and the case head is intact, I'll load it.

 

[BADUNAME37]

ABSOLUTELY, good brass!
That ding will get ironed out in no time.

 

[rondog]

I'd reload 'em without a second thought. Those will pop right out.

 

[FROGO207]

If there is an actual crease (sharp bend/gouge 1/2 way through) I would not reload that casing. Your casings all look OK to reload to me. My mini 14's do not ding the casings any more than any other 223/5.56 that I have had the occasion to use. I have one older one from the early 70's and 2 newer SS Ranch rifles (they DO shoot better). After you have reloaded for this rifle a bit and notice that the brass fails at a certain point on the body then not loading to that point will be prudent. Most of mine fail at the primer pocket now but I anneal/trim them after every 5 loads and now have few neck splits. Without the annealing there often will be neck split failures between 6 and 9 reloads in my rifles on average.

 

[Walkalong]

Very interesting dents.

I have never seen dents like that in factory .223 fresh rounds fired from an AR. Not my Mini 14 either.

Were they reloads?

If so, and fired, unsized cases, it looks like very low pressure reloads that dented the cases. If those are cases you sized, they were not clean enough, and those are lube dents.

 

[Jhass]

Use less lube on those cases next time. Loadem and shoot em this time.

As long as the case is under max length it will chamber just fine

 

[clutch]

The necks look like they have been scratched by the barrel extension. If it is your rifle, I'd attend to that, as far as the dents, I'd not be too worried. Load up a few and try them out.

Clutch

 

[dodge]

As far as I can tell they are only dents, load them and you're good to go. If you are worried that the brass will let go and cause a rupture then I wouldn't use them as brass is far cheaper that having to lose an eye.

 

[Ky Larry]

Of the ones shown, load 'em and fire away. Also, take a few minutes and clean your resizing die.

 

[James2]

Those dents do not look like any lube dents I ever saw. I wonder what caused them?
The question was, "Should I load them?". My answer; I would as long as they are not cracked. Those dents will be gone after firing. Of course if the dents were caused by the firearm they were fired in, and it is your firearm, any brass fired in it may have the same dents. I would have a gunsmith look at the gun. If its range pickups, use it.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

Mini 14's do not dent cases, excessive case lube does.

 

[HiccaBurp]

This was all range brass. I have not reloaded 223.. working on my first test batch now. Luckily, been saving brass, and stocking up supplies before the "craze".

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If those are lube dents they are the worst I have ever seen, especially the first case in the first picture. I can't see how lube would put such a deep dent in a shoulder like that. I have seen plenty of dents on the side approaching the shoulder but to dent the shoulder itself, that's hard to do IMO.

 

[Hondo 60]

I'd shoot 'em.
Almost all of them will lose the dent when fired.

Perhaps over lubing caused those????