Misfires with 223 Handloads

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mire3212

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Hello,

I've got myself the Lee Classic Loader for 223 and just started getting into it. I've reloaded for some time now, but just in pistol calibers. I've been able to pick up brass from the range for free and have well over 800 pieces of mixed brass from lake city (NATO and non-NATO), Remington, RORG (british made), Winchester and some Federal. I've got them cleaned and de-primed.

I don't have a Dillon Swager for the military crimp nor do I have any de-crimp magic device and Have been using a combination of an 11/64" drill bit and an 82-degree countersink bit. I'm not sure if it's completing the de-crimping process or not, but I'm not really running into problems with seating the primers. I'm loading with 22.5 grains of Reloader-15 with 55Gr FMJ Remington bullets. All cases have been sized using the lee case trimmer to be at or below 1.755" and OAL is about 2.20" or less.

When I use factory ammo in my new AR I have no problems with any of them, but when I switch to using my reloads I'm not getting them to fire. It appears as though the firing pin is making an extremely light touch on the primer but doesn't make an actual dimple, but fires just fine with the right dimple depth on the factory loads. I'm using CCI #450 Magnum Small Rifle primers. Not all reloads misfire, and it appears, though I'm not 100% certain, that the military NATO spec rounds are mostly the culprits. My guess is I'm not quite seating the primers correctly due to an inadequate de-crimp process. I just don't know. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Andrew
 
make sure you seat the primers all the way, otherwise, when the FP hits it, some of the energy is expended finishing your seating job, and there's not enough left to go boom

(if you're getting the primers in the primer pocket, then the crimp isn't your problem.)
 
Sizing too deep will make the case too short in the chamber. Reset your sizing die to just touch the shoulder of once fired brass from your rifle.
 
So that's something that I though could be happening, however I feel that If I were to re-cock the hammer and try to fire the round again, it'd go boom right? I tried that 2-3 times on the same round and it never went off. On top of that the primer looks perfectly flush.
 
Is it possible to post a few pictures? If I'm understanding you right it sounds like your primer is set too far in but if it's flush then that's not the issue.... Do you have a caliper and are all the measurements correct?
 
mire3212 said:
I'm actually not using a sizing die, I haven't gotten my press set up for 223 yet. I'm using the Lee case trimmer.

http://bit.ly/gYPvXD
http://bit.ly/i8ss1H
Click to expand...
I'm using the classic lee loader with the lee case trimmer. the 'sizing' die would be part of the lee loader kit which make sure the neck and case are properly sized, it's not a die in terms of a progressive press.

Links to my reloading equipment.
http://bit.ly/fZd3s1
http://bit.ly/gYPvXD
http://bit.ly/i8ss1H

links to pictures (there not high res and one is upside down?)
http://bit.ly/ehOeHg

The RORG case is my reload and has a very fine ring on the primer. The other two are both factory ammo, the one with the dimple was a fired factory round.
 
your not resizing? i would not recommend doing that. the only time i don't re size is for my .308 target i trim to length but if you do that you can not use that ammo in any other rifle and your brass is range brass witch means it could have been fired in a .223 chamber could have been fired in a 5.56 chamber like i said i would not do that
 
HOLY DIVER said:
your not resizing? i would not recommend doing that. the only time i don't re size is for my .308 target i trim to length but if you do that you can not use that ammo in any other rifle and your brass is range brass witch means it could have been fired in a .223 chamber could have been fired in a 5.56 chamber like i said i would not do that
Click to expand...
I am resizing, just not with a progressive press. I'm trimming the cartridge and I'm using the Lee Classic Loader (which contains a form of a resizing die) as part of the process. It sizes the neck and the body of the case. I've also measured the case in every aspect and the sizes are spot on.

Regardless, I'm still not sure why I'm getting misfires.
 
You cannot use that Lee Loader for an AR. It is not going to size the case properly. Can't be done. If you want to load for the AR, get a press and and a set of Full Length dies. You do not need a progressive, just a real press. Oh, and don't forget to get a manual or three.
 
interesting idea. now the the casing will go almost all the way in, so it might be tricky to not 'whack' it very hard. is there anything i can put to prevent it from going to deep? or a different sizing 'die'?
 
steve4102 said:
You cannot use that Lee Loader for an AR. It is not going to size the case properly. Can't be done. If you want to load for the AR, get a press and and a set of Full Length dies. You do not need a progressive, just a real press. Oh, and don't forget to get a manual or three.
Click to expand...
So what is it that the lee classic loader does that prevents it from working in the AR?
 
Ok so why does a neck sized case vs a full length sized case change whether I misfire? Is the bullet seated too deep in the chamber? Would that explain why it can take a lot of force to pull the round out if it doesn't fire?
 
It takes extra force because the bottom of the case is still in a similar condition as when it was ejected. The use of the classic is just sizing the neck and pushing the shoulder down.
A full length sizer will put all the diameters back to standard and when set correctly will keep the shoulder where it needs to be for correct headspace.
 
On a side note, neck sizing would work for reloading brass fired from my rifle and not range stuff right? So if i full length resize and then only neck size after firing it, that could work too right?
 
Those are great. Extra handy for load development at the range.
And yes lube will be necessary. Imperial Sizing Die Wax is cheap and a can will last a very long time.
 
Any tips for removing bullets from completed 223 rounds? I've got a standard bullet puller hammer that works For pistol cals but I doubt it will work on these rifle rounds. Thanks for the help and clarification!
 
On a side note, neck sizing would work for reloading brass fired from my rifle and not range stuff right? So if i full length resize and then only neck size after firing it, that could work too right?
Click to expand...

No. Not in an a AR or any other semi-auto. They must be Full Length sized every time. Neck sizing is not an option.
 
steve4102 said:
No. Not in an a AR or any other semi-auto. They must be Full Length sized every time. Neck sizing is not an option.
Click to expand...
Damn. Ok we ll I'm gonna cruise midway to get what I need. And I would go with a single stage press but being in a small condo makes it kind of tricky to mount somewhere. It was tough getting the progressive set up for pistol cals :p
 
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