Split 223/5.56 brass, can you use it for anything?

[G.A.Pster]

Once 223/5.56 brass has been shot enough times that the necks where out and split, is there any kind of cartridge you can make out of it by cutting it down reforming it etc?

Or is it completely worthless for reloading?

 

[bullseye308]

I believe you can cut it down for 30 carbine, but if it has been fired that many times it may only be good for taking up space in the scrap bucket.

 

[rcmodel]

Not even close to .30 carbine.
The rim is .018" larger, and I doubt it would even fit the bolt-face of a carbine.

No, there is no common caliber you can make out of it except .221 Remington Fireball.

It is very close to .380 ACP headsize, but the wall thickness that far back is to great to use them for that.

Anyway, by the time the necks split, case stretching has already got them about ready to come apart in the middle too.

rcmodel

 

[MMCSRET]

Ear rings?

 

[Walkalong]

That ones good. LOL

Good for the scrap bucket is about all, unless you like the ear ring suggestion.

 

[taliv]

if you anneal them before they split, they will last a good bit longer

 

[bullseye308]

Somewhere I thought I heard you could make 30 carbine from 223, but maybe I was wrong. That's the third time this year.:banghead:

 

[Birdhunter1]

I have used split cases to make "dummies" for my case trimmer, dummie loads to adjust my seater die and 1 to adjust my full lenth die to a particular gun. I trim my brass to the same length for each of the 2 .223's I have so I have one dummy for that, but I load 2 different bullets so I have 2 cartrdige dummies to adjust my seater die. For my AR I full length size everything so to adjust the seater die I simply make sure the ram bottoms out on the die, but the bolt gun I bump the shoulder back so to adjust the full ength die to only partially adjust the cases for that rifle I made a collar to sit on it to set the die when the ram is fully up.

So in all I have 4 old/flawed cases to:
1 for a 52 grain bullet dummie
1 for a 40 grain bullet dummy
1 trimmer dummie
1 resize dummie for the bolt gun

 

[Dean Williams]

I don't know what else they would be good for, but a long time ago I used a few 5.56 cases for making up small powder dippers. It was before I even had a powder scale, and I wanted a few sizes that fit between the capacities of the Lee dippers I used at the time.
I had to go to a friend that owned a scale. I took the cases with me, cut them off about half way, then used his scale to weigh out a charge I wanted. Put the charge in one of the cases, cut off a little more, and kept at it until I had a case that held a given charge. Then start over again with another case for a different charge.
I marked them all with a scribe, and when I got home I soldered a handle to each little measuring cup.

Took me all day to make five of them, and now I don't even know where they are.

 

[rcmodel]

Well, come to think of it,
I have used them to make .380 ACP shotshells!



rcmodel

 

[Mal H]

Another possibility is the old .221 Rem Fireball that the Remington XP-100 was chambered in. They are nearly 3/10" shorter, so if the necks aren't split badly, you could get away with it.

There is an added advantage to using them also - you would have to shop around and find an older XP-100 to add to your collection!