Good Brass or scrap metal??

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geophysicishooter

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Hey there reloaders..

I have a question about some brass I found. I found a good deal on new S&B .223 ammo. My pops has a dillon press (I think he still has it) and I was thinking about getting into the reloading business.

My question has to do with how good is this czech brass for reloading? What should I be on the look out for?
 
It's good brass. Some people complain that it has tight primer pockets, but I don't find this a problem at all. In fact, I like snug primer pockets a whole lot better than loose ones.........

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Both have tighter than normal primer pockets... when the normal is Federal...

Bust decent brass especially S&B
 
Does the tight primer pocket pose any particular challenges to the noob.novice reloader? i.e. is that something that only the experienced reloader should tackle or is it just a matter or a bit more elbow grease?

any advice on which primer to get that's a better match to these casings than other primers?
 
Both have tighter than normal primer pockets... when the normal is Federal...
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Federal 223 brass with the FC headstamp is crap. Primer pockets are incredibly loose even after 1 firing (the original factory load). I'm pissed because I bought 1K rounds of value pack federal from Walmart and am stuck with junk brass. I tried loading 100 rounds of it and I will not even sell this stuff to another reloader.

Tight primer pockets should not be a problem for a novice. They'll just require a bit more pressure to seat. Be sure you seat your primers below the case head otherwise you risk a slamfire.

Swaging or *lightly* chamfering a tight pocket can help with abnormally tight pockets.

Do not confuse tight pockets with military crimp. Military crimp must be swaged or chamfered/reamed away for safe loading.

If you are loading for an autoloader like an AR-15, I'd recommend CCI Arsenal Primers (Military primers). They have a harder cup and are less sensitive, reducing chances of a slam fire in guns with floating firing pins (AR, AK, M1 Garand, etc). They use magnum loading data, so adjust powder charges accordingly.

That said, I've used regular CCI Small Rifle primers in my AR and I still have all my fingers and eyes.
 
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