new 223 loader couple questions.

[JBrady555]

Hey folks I just loaded my first 100 223 rounds this week in two runs of 50. I've been loading 9 mm for about a year but a few things are not going good for me so far with 223.

Equipment dillon 550
Lee dies
lee o frame press for sizing

1. I am getting a lot of tore up primers when priming more so on the dillon but the lee does it too. The primers that get messed up seat very violently with one side of the primer being deformed and mashed into the brass. I'm using mixed brass but I use the hornady pocket reamer on my drill for every piece. Shouldn't the reamer ensure that primers seat correctly or all my brass regardless of headstamp? Wcc brass does it the worst but other headstamp have had the same issues. My 9 mm primers go in like butter every time so I don't think it's my press, but my case prep.

2. Not really a reloading question, but a 223 ar15 question. I built a ar with a vltor mur upper. My brass ejects to the 5 o clock position and it's hitting the part of the upper that houses the forward assist. It hits so hard that it leaves a gold streak on the upper and a nice dent in the brass, it's enough of a dent that the whole thing doesn't come out when sized. My other two ar's eject to 2 o'clock and don't have this problem. Anyone else ever experience this?

Thanks for any help.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a feeling you are not removing the military primer crimp before trying to seat a new primer. You need to do that the first time you load brass with a primer crimp.

As for the brass problem, what are the load specs for the ammo you're shooting?

 

[flashhole]

That was my first thought too. Does the brass have crimps in the primer pocket?

 

[Reloadron]

I have a feeling you are not removing the military primer crimp before trying to seat a new primer. You need to do that the first time you load brass with a primer crimp.

As for the brass problem, what are the load specs for the ammo you're shooting?

That would also be my best guess. I see you are using the Hornady reamer. Your primer pockets should be nice and clean and uniform. Your cases should align with your primer feed. Personally I hand prime but when I did use the press the alignment was critical to getting the primers started flush into clean primer pockets. Run things slowly, very slowly and look at the alignment. Those cases need to be reamed clean and centered. The WCC headstamp lends me to believe military brass which has a crimp.

Ron

 

[oldpapps]

Two questions and two.... maybe answers.

First - I agree with military primer crimps being the probable problem. Check them. I'll bet that pesky ring is still present.

Second - two weapons toss to 2 o'clock and (hoping the same ammo) one to 5 o'clock. That would be a balancing between gassing and buffer weight. I'll guess the one you built is new/er. If you are having no other problems, I would not mess with it for now. But, go to the dollar store and buy a packet of Velcro patches. They come in a box of a hundred or so, the little round ones. Stick one on the ejection bumper that has the brass smear, that is what it was put on the side for. This will save your brass and the cost is so low... Sooner or later the sticky spot will wear thin, just replace it. It matters not if it is the 'hooks' or 'pile', they both do the job.

 

[JBrady555]

Thanks for the info. So should the hornady reame be enough to remove the military crimp if that is indeed still the problem. That's what I thought it did when I bought it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Thanks for the info. So should the hornady reame be enough to remove the military crimp if that is indeed still the problem. That's what I thought it did when I bought it.

I have never used one but the info on it says it should remove the crimp.

You forgot to answer my other question, what are the load specs on your ammo, everything...

 

[rcmodel]

This one does:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Reamer-Kit-Sm-1-Each/

This one doesn't:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Cleaner-Kit-Sm-1-Each/

This one doesn't:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Uniformer-Small/

rc

 

[JBrady555]

The gun has a bcm 11.5" barrel with carbine length gas, standard carbine buffer and spring. Bcm bcg also. Ammo I've been shooting is usually winchester 5.56 from wally world, but last range trip I shot my first reloads, 23.7gr h4895 with 55gr fmj bt at around 2.220 oal.

 

[JBrady555]

This one does:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Reamer-Kit-Sm-1-Each/

This one doesn't:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Cleaner-Kit-Sm-1-Each/

This one doesn't:
http://www.hornady.com/store/Primer-Pocket-Uniformer-Small/

rc

I've got the first one you show.

 

[Blue68f100]

Most of these reamers are set to min spec (dia). Which may not be large enough to remove all of the crimp. Best to use a swager. They do not remove material but moves it back out of the way.

 

[chris in va]

23.7gr of 4895 is a bit mild. I would step it up to 25 at least.

As for primers, I seat everything by hand with a hand press and Ram Prime. That way I can 'feel' what the primer is doing to assure a good depth and fit. I also buzz off the crimps with a drill and chamfer bit. Cheap and effective.

 

[oldpapps]

To get rid of the crimp ring is accomplished in so many ways.
I have a unit made by 4D/C&H that is great. But for the user that doesn't have the volume just a 1/2 metal drill bit will do, just don't get carried away. Better is always better. Cheap may do but is not always the best.

 

[JBrady555]

23.7gr of 4895 is a bit mild. I would step it up to 25 at least.

As for primers, I seat everything by hand with a hand press and Ram Prime. That way I can 'feel' what the primer is doing to assure a good depth and fit. I also buzz off the crimps with a drill and chamfer bit. Cheap and effective.

I did. The second 50 I ran yesterday at 24.7. I would have ran hotter the first 50 but all I had was wsr primers and I heard they can puncture when ran hotter. I actually punctured one at 23.7. The second 50 have cci br4 primers in them. No 7 1/2 or #41 primers to be had locally here in panama city.

 

[gamestalker]

I would also check to see if anything, build up, or misc. debris is interfering. This is why I always give my primer pockets a quick clean, so nothing, carbon, media, or other can get in the way of the primer or pocket, or on the ram tip, which can certainly cause problems.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You can't run charge weights 5.2% below the starting charge weight and try to figure out why you are having a problem. Hodgdon lists a starting charge weight of 25.0gr H4895 under a 55gr bullet and that's where you should start. You might be hitting the rifle with brass because the bolt isn't traveling back fast enough for the brass to clear the rifle.

Why are you using H4895 when you have H335? I suggest you try 25.0gr H335 under that 55gr FMJ bullet and see how that works. That is my standard .223 round when loading a 55gr bullet.

 

[243winxb]

dillon 550- Primers-Alignment tool.

 

[alientrainwreck]

You need to clean that primer pocket up. Id bet its federal or lake city brass probly some others out there im sure that do the military primer crimp thing. Just a little more work and they'll be fine..

 

[edfardos]

The hornady reamer by itself wasn't enough for me on a progressive press. 1 in 12 primers would seat sideways as you described. I now use both the hornady cutter and the rcbs bench swager. Combined these make military brass look and feel just like uncrimped commercial ammo. People will tell you that a deburr tool removes the crimp just fine for them, but then ask if they use a progressive reloader. I bet they don't.

Edfardos

 

[Dudedog]

I use the Hornaday reamer and it works for me but I prime with a Lee hand priming tool. How much you ream with the tool is up to you the user.

Take the problem cases and ream them some more.(or throw them out) At least once it is done you don't have to do it again. I mark the bottom of cases I have done with a Sharpie so I can tell which ones are mine when I pick them up at the range. I like the wide Sharpies. I bought the pack of about 7 different colors. Green=first reload after crimp removal, Black = mine crimp removed but more than 1 reload etc. Also handy for things like Light Blue = 24.5 gr, Orange = 25gr of powder etc. That way I can put them in plastic ammo boxes instead of individual zip lock bags. (label box with color code and post it note with color key inside box)

AR throws them maybe 6', MiniI 14 same load throws them 15-25' not kidding here, it throws them! POSITIVE EJECTION) So it makes it lots easier to tell they are mine. Of course there might be other range brass marked with a sharpie but chances are not real high. Sharpie ink comes of in vibratory cleaner when cleaning/polishing.

 

[Greg Mercurio]

If you're going to be doing 5.56 reloading in bulk, look seriously at the Dillon primer pocket swager. Spendy but worth every penny. Very fast when you learn how to use it.

 

[balderclev]

Yep, had that problem on military LC .556 brass even with a hand primer. Reamed the pockets but there was still a tiny bit of crimp left. A countersink on a drill works great. Just a touch is enough.