torture testing the 223 brass

[Clark]

Ruger #1, CCI 400 small rifle primers, LC brass once fired processed from Scharch and prepped by me, 55 gr Vmax moly, H335, Quickload velocity and pressure at 24" barrel


charge/ case head/extr cut/ primer/ extraction/ Qpressure Qvelocity
unfired .365" .329................... na..................... na ... na ...... na
28 gr .369" .329"................ flat tiny cratering .... easy 55.6 kpsi 3370 fps
29 gr .368" .329"................ flat tiny cratering..... easy 63.3 kpsi 3488 fps
30 gr .371" .3295"............... cratered ............... easy 72.0 kpsi 3604 fps
31 gr .3725 .3320"............... leaked, cratered..... easy 82.0 kpsi 3718 fps

 

[Clark]

Pic of the brass

The max load at the Hodgdon web site is:
55 GR. SPR SP

COL: 2.200" H335, 25.3 gr, 3203 fps, 49,300 CUP




pic of case heads is left to right

 

[Clark]

this time for sure

 

[griz]

Intersting pictures. I would have thought the primers would look much worse with that much of an overload. Was there any problem getting the lever down on the Number 1?

 

[Clark]

No, the cases popped right out with no change in lever feel.
I just got the rifle, so I am not sure, but I think the force may be from a cocked spring, and there is no way to feel the difference.

Quickload thinks the SAAMI max of 55 kpsi is at 27.9 gr of H335. That is 2.6 [10%] more than Hodgdon's published max.

This is typical of Hodgdon: The best powders and customer communication, but sometimes mild to medium published loads.

I am not advocating 31 gr as a useful hunting or target load, just showing this data so people would see what happens to Lake City brass when pushed.

I don't like any extractor cut expansion in a useful load. I would find the threshold of charge that makes any growth to the extractor cut, and then reduce the load for safety margin over the varibles of air temperature, chamber temperature, powder measurement accuracy, brass weight, etc. The extractor cut diameter change causes the primer pocket to grow and that makes it time to throw away my carefully prepped brass.

 

[Gewehr98]

Good choice of brass for pressure tests...

Since the Lake City stuff is military thickness. But it's a royal pain in the tookus to swage out the military crimp in the primer pockets, you have my sympathy!

 

[Clark]

These came processed from Scharch and I have never had a problem inserting a primer.

In other military 223 brass, I have noticed the problem.