Sizing Military Brass

[ironhat]

I have just finished depriming, decrimping, sizing and trimming to length 500 rounds of 5.56 and noticed that it doesn't appear taht the case is sized down to the web. I've noticed this in other hunting rounds in the past but a friend stopped by and said that I should have used a special die since I'm planning on using these rounds in an AR. Is he right? If he is I'm selling the lot since has been such a pain in the but thus far. Well, I'm probably exaggerating since I have so much time wrapped up in them.

 

[WNTFW]

You can load a dummy round- no powder or primer & try it.
I like a case gauge better on AR's. Don't jump to small base dies unless you have to. I just got 3k of Lake City range pickup & it almost fits a case gauge with no sizing.

 

[rg1]

The case is either solid or very thick near the web or base and doesn't expand in that area to where the die will actually size it. Normal that the sizing appears to stop about a quarter inch from the extractor groove. Check it in your rifle. A case gage would be nice so you know how much you're pushing back the shoulder. A special die such as a small base sizer is very seldom ever needed for a AR.

 

[fguffey]

Ironhat, you are correct, the deck height of the shell holder is .125, the .125 plus the radius on the opening of the die prevents as much as .225 of the case from being sized, for the few that keep up with head space and adjust dies to control shoulder set-back can add head space to this number, I sized 121 308 Winchester cases yesterday, the bottom .225 of the case was not sized, 20 were RA NATO the rest were Federal , and one was a Browning.

F. Guffey

 

[X-Men]

Your freind was talking about a small base die. With my AR I have not found a need to use one, a full lenth die works fine. If you find that they will not feed you will need a small base die but its not likely. With my AR the primer pockets usally go before any other problems show up.

 

[ants]

For me...

Just what Xmen said, but my necks split or I lose the brass before the primer pockets crap out.

 

[mallc]

XMEN

Any thought on why your primer pockets go? Hot loads? Reaming? Just curious.

Scott

 

[X-Men]

I shoot xtc high power, load 77gr MK's for 200 and 300 yds and 80 gr MK's and Berger's for 600 and 1000yds. The 1000 yd loads are HOT!!!, something has to give, but I had winchester cases with primers falling out on the second loading with standard loads, seems to be a common problem. Just received a bunch of surplus Lake City brass and I am hopeing it will last a little longer, 4 or 5 loadings would be good. I think the problem is that the 223 rem cartridge was not designed to be pushing 77-80 gr bullet.