Brass quality

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kelbro

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We always talk about how good stuff was back in the old days but oftentimes, our memories are clouded.

Yesterday I went through 200 pieces of LC 5.56 from 1975. Once fired, still had the crimps. Could still make out the annealing coloring. Knocked out the primers and swaged the pockets. Ran the pocket uniformer through each piece and it just barely touched the bottom of every last piece. Sized them and took them over to the Possum Hollow trimmer. Again, it just barely touched the mouth of each piece. Chamfered them up and figured I would weigh them. 190 of them went from 90.5gr to 91.5gr. The worst were 90gr and 93gr. Ran the Forster outside neck turner over each one and they all cleaned up with the lightest cut. Really didn't even need it. Finished up with the Lee collet die. After all of that, I measured runout and the worst was .002. There was one thing that I was surprised to see. 5 or 6 of the flash holes were off-center enough to notice. Didn't cause any decapping problems but I saw it when uniforming the primer pockets.

Blew them all out to 223AI today and did not have a crack or split. I'll probably go ahead and anneal them for good measure.

Man, I was amazed. Government contracts must have been very strict back then to maintain that kind of QC.
 
Yet another example of the cheapening of America. Why should the current crop of employees bother to do their best if they can coast along and do well. The everybody gets a prize for competing and no hurt feelings allowed shows painfully to me.:banghead: I do not want to get started:fire: but suffice it to say that inferior materials, lower QC, poor work ethnic, and apathy by those that should know better are a recipie for impending disaster if the current trend continues. No wonder older brass demands a premium.
 
After going through over 5k of both virgin and once-fired cases, I'd say today's crop of '09-'11 LC 5.56 is of the same quality. They're just as you've described in your OP.
 
Good to know. I'm glad they are keeping a close eye on it.

I have not purchased any of the LC stuff since Federal took over the contract based on my previous experience with Federal 223. I was making my comparisons on commercial brass like Remington, Winchester, Hornady and Federal brass.

I also have a smaller batch of TW (Twin Cities) from the same timeframe and it appears to be about the same.
 
I haven't had any problems with any LC brass, including 11 headstamp. Consistently good. Actually I've got lots of different makes and it's all good.

The beginning of your post sounded like the brass was going to be bad, but it turned out OK.
 
I shoot high volume 3006. Have a large inventory of LC, LC Match, LN Nat'l Match, other US GI, HXP, IMI, and of course lots of commercial. Of the LC and LC Match, all of it was virgin when I got it. After going through about 3000 rounds over a few months time, over a group of about 400 pieces of brass, the ones that split the necks first was LC Match. I think I lost about 10 rounds. The only others that had split necks were Winchester. I think there might be some aging issues with the LC. I think I had a coupe loose primer pockets on Norma. I'd say HXP and IWI are the toughest brass - I check everything with a Wilson gauge, and the HXP and IWI hardly ever need trimming or necks set back. This is shooting with a Garand and various hunting rifles. Full length sizing. So, in my opinion, the Israelis and Greeks made some of the best '06 brass.
 
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