Can you identify this 223 ammo?

[mkl]

This is an unusual one. If anyone can tell me who made it, it would be appreciated.

The bullet is a 55 grain FMJ.

The unusual part is the flash hole is undersized. It is Boxer primed, but a standard decapping pin is too large to fit through the flash hole.

I have a manual decapping pin & base set with which I can drive into the flash hole with a hammer and eject the primer. I then have to use a bench vise to hold the case while I lock on a set of vice grips to the decapper and tap it back out. Only did this once.

I can fix the flash hole problem using a 5/64 drill bit in my drill press and then decap as usual, but I' still curious as to who made these durn things.

I'm unable to find this head stamp using my regular sources, and am not sure if the numeral one is part of the manufacturer's code or a date code.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ants]

Some guys over at The Firing Line were talking about it last year, but I don't remember anyone offering answers. And another time on glocktalk or xdtalk.

Did you pick it up at a range, or buy it somewhere?

 

[mkl]

Did you pick it up at a range, or buy it somewhere?

I bought a case of around 1000 rounds at a gun show about 10 years ago.

Dug it out of the "stash" a couple of months ago and shot some for the first time. It was one of the most accurate mil-surp ammo I've found.

Problem is with the small flash holes.

I'll probably just toss the brass, since it is a lot of trouble to deprime.

I was just curious as to who made the ammo with undersized flash holes.

 

[Gage]

http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm

According to this link, it is one of these :

Hirtenberger Patronen-, Zündhütchen-und Metallwarenfabrik A.-G., Hirtenberg, Niederdonau, Austria

Rheinische Metallwaren und Maschinenfabrik, Dusseldorf, Germany

Winchester Repeating Arms Co., New Haven, CT

 

[243winxb]

this might help http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=422109

 

[bullseye308]

I'll probably just toss the brass, since it is a lot of trouble to deprime.

If you toss it my way, I'll gladly pay for shipping and throw in a little extra. I have the time and desire to deal with this pesky brass.

 

[Sport45]

Can you spin a decapping rod in a drill and stone it down to a little smaller diameter to make it work?

Seems like it would be easier to modify one decapper than 1000 pieces of brass.

 

[crawfobj]

Sport45, I like the way you think. I don't have this problem, but your solution is a great example of why I hang out on this site.

 

[243winxb]

Lee Decapper

Something like this might work.

 

[mkl]

Thanks for the info and ideas guys.

I'll just save the brass in a separate cache from all my others and when I get enough to make it worthwhile will probably process it using some of the ideas you have given me.

I've saved this thread and will print out a copy and stick it in the same container in which I save the brass.

Thanks again

mkl

 

[bullseye308]

Oh well, I tried. What I have done is get an extra Lee decapper and base and chuck the decapper in a drill and reduce the diameter of the pin to where it goes through the flash hole without getting stuck. I have posted this before, and it helped others, but if you don't wanna fool with it, well, you know....