Lake City 223/556 brass??

[Reloadron]

Northrop Grumman-operated Lake City facility prior to Winchester taking it over in 2020. That's it and all there is to it, a division of Northrup Grumman. The ammunition was stamped LC 19 for 2019 manufactured at the Lake City plant. Orbital ATK (Federal) also figured in at least during 2018.

Ron

 

[Vettepilot555]

Well, here's why I'm curious. My brother came to visit a short time back, and we went out to try out an AR of his that we had built. We had some ammo that he had loaded into magazines, and he had thrown the boxes away. We also had some Wolf Gold that I had on hand. We went shooting, and his gun performed great. The "mystery ammo" that he had loaded into mags a long time ago, then thrown the boxes away, shot exceptionally well. Accuracy was superb, and terminal ballistics on water jugs, water melons, etc., was actually amazing for FMJ ammo. It was far superior in all ways to the Wolf Gold I brought. (Well, probably no big surprise there...)

I reload, so like always, I gathered up the brass. When I sat down at home to start processing the brass, I found that it was head stamped Lake City 2019. I pressed him on what brand ammo it had been, curious because it had performed so well, and he cannot remember.

Also, I've made two range brass buys recently, and both times lucked into getting a good bit more of this LC-19 brass.

Anyway, this is why I'm curious what company loaded LC-19 brass, as the ammo was stellar performing. It grouped under MOA, and absolutely exploded things we shot with it, while the Wolf Gold did not.

I generally do not load FMJ myself; I load expanding projectiles. This FMJ 55 grain mystery ammo, factory loaded into LC-19 brass, shot like my reloads do with hollow point match or good hunting projectiles. Hence my curiosity about it.

Final notes: It had crimped and sealed primers, and annealing discoloration.

Thanks guys,
Vettepilot

 

[DustyGmt]

Well, here's why I'm curious. My brother came to visit a short time back, and we went out to try out an AR of his that we had built. We had some ammo that he had loaded into magazines, and he had thrown the boxes away. We also had some Wolf Gold that I had on hand. We went shooting, and his gun performed great. The "mystery ammo" that he had loaded into mags a long time ago, then thrown the boxes away, shot exceptionally well. Accuracy was superb, and terminal ballistics on water jugs, water melons, etc., was actually amazing for FMJ ammo. It was far superior in all ways to the Wolf Gold I brought. (Well, probably no big surprise there...)

I reload, so like always, I gathered up the brass. When I sat down at home to start processing the brass, I found that it was head stamped Lake City 2019. I pressed him on what brand ammo it had been, curious because it had performed so well, and he cannot remember.

Also, I've made two range brass buys recently, and both times lucked into getting a good bit more of this LC-19 brass.

Anyway, this is why I'm curious what company loaded LC-19 brass, as the ammo was stellar performing. It grouped under MOA, and absolutely exploded things we shot with it, while the Wolf Gold did not.

I generally do not load FMJ myself; I load expanding projectiles. This FMJ 55 grain mystery ammo, factory loaded into LC-19 brass, shot like my reloads do with hollow point match or good hunting projectiles. Hence my curiosity about it.

Final notes: It had crimped and sealed primers, and annealing discoloration.

Thanks guys,
Vettepilot

LC is pretty hot stuff. I never got what I would call superb accuracy from it but maybe for that particular gun it was the ticket. Wolf Gold is actually pretty good stuff too. I've heard it's good brass and is pretty hot. I haven't shot alot of Wolf Gold but what lil I have I thought was excellent. It actually performed better accuracy wise than LC M193 that I've shot 'alot of.

 

[Ru4real]

I reload, so like always, I gathered up the brass. When I sat down at home to start processing the brass, I found that it was head stamped Lake City 2019. I pressed him on what brand ammo it had been, curious because it had performed so well, and he cannot remember.

Also, I've made two range brass buys recently, and both times lucked into getting a good bit more of this LC-19 brass.

Anyway, this is why I'm curious what company loaded LC-19 brass

It was Federal American Eagle 55gr FMJ

 

[Dale Alan]

@Vettepilot555 It could be Winchester , w/ M193 bullets .

 

[IALoder]

It was Federal American Eagle 55gr FMJ

This is what my guess is as well. I'm pretty sure I have a couple boxes of American Eagle 55gr fmj's with a LC '19 headstamp.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Hornady Frontier ammo comes in LC brass as well.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

......

 

[Airborne Falcon]

Well, here's why I'm curious. My brother came to visit a short time back, and we went out to try out an AR of his that we had built. We had some ammo that he had loaded into magazines, and he had thrown the boxes away. We also had some Wolf Gold that I had on hand. We went shooting, and his gun performed great. The "mystery ammo" that he had loaded into mags a long time ago, then thrown the boxes away, shot exceptionally well. Accuracy was superb, and terminal ballistics on water jugs, water melons, etc., was actually amazing for FMJ ammo. It was far superior in all ways to the Wolf Gold I brought. (Well, probably no big surprise there...)

I reload, so like always, I gathered up the brass. When I sat down at home to start processing the brass, I found that it was head stamped Lake City 2019. I pressed him on what brand ammo it had been, curious because it had performed so well, and he cannot remember.

Also, I've made two range brass buys recently, and both times lucked into getting a good bit more of this LC-19 brass.

Anyway, this is why I'm curious what company loaded LC-19 brass, as the ammo was stellar performing. It grouped under MOA, and absolutely exploded things we shot with it, while the Wolf Gold did not.

I generally do not load FMJ myself; I load expanding projectiles. This FMJ 55 grain mystery ammo, factory loaded into LC-19 brass, shot like my reloads do with hollow point match or good hunting projectiles. Hence my curiosity about it.

Final notes: It had crimped and sealed primers, and annealing discoloration.

Thanks guys,
Vettepilot

Ok ... that definitely would seem to be Fed AE 55 gr FMJ.

Although I have never really thought it was that accurate, it is decent. I mean your brother cannot remember if the boxes were plain cardboard, or red maybe? Red and black?

Once fired milsurp brass often appears to be annealed. I'm just not sure that LC was producing any 55 grain loads for the military in 2019 ... so if you're sure they are 55 grain pills ... then it would almost have to be Federal AE production.

 

[Vettepilot555]

Thanks for the input guys! I too am leaning towards them probably being Federal American Eagle...

He seems to recall the ammo boxes being white with some blue on them. Possibly a little red as well, but mostly white with blue???

Vettepilot

 

[Vettepilot555]

"Hornady Frontier ammo comes in LC brass as well."

Really? 'Cause I have some "Frontier" head stamped brass here. About a hundred of them.

Vettepilot

 

[Airborne Falcon]

Thanks for the input guys! I too am leaning towards them probably being Federal American Eagle...

He seems to recall the ammo boxes being white with some blue on them. Possibly a little red as well, but mostly white with blue???

Vettepilot

I had no idea that they had a new box ... apparently this is it I guess?



I'm more familiar with the old red and black boxes ...



Either way, that's probably what you shot.

 

[ballman6711]

I know it's of no help, but I just checked a box of Winchester ammo I bought a month or so ago.

It's .223 55gr fmj, with an LC headstamp, no date stamped in.

chris

 

[Vettepilot555]

I bet that's them Airborne Falcon. Interesting. They're 556; not 223. That might explain the better terminal performance...

Vettepilot

 

[length_of_pull_1]

Don't hold me to this too tight, but I think Ventura Munitions sold boxes of 5.56 with their logo on the box but the brass was LC. If I remember correctly I was surprised that I didn't need to swage it when I cleaned it up. I got exactly 100 of those cases from a guy a the range a couple years ago and haven't seen anything like that since.

 

[Dale Alan]

Don't hold me to this too tight, but I think Ventura Munitions sold boxes of 5.56 with their logo on the box but the brass was LC. If I remember correctly I was surprised that I didn't need to swage it when I cleaned it up. I got exactly 100 of those cases from a guy a the range a couple years ago and haven't seen anything like that since.

That is very possible, as recent as last year I was buying uncrimped LC loaded ammo from Target Sport USA . It came loose in bags , 1000 rounds per case.

 

[TxWolf]

Um... I'm the OP here, and the question wasn't about the quality, usefulness, nor anything like that

Yeah. Guess I shoulda posted in the reloading section. Wasn’t trying to hijack your thread. My bad.

 

[Vettepilot555]

No worries! Just wanted to get more feedback on my question.

Vettepilot

 

[denton]

When the Army rejects a lot of military ammunition, it gets packaged and sold as American Eagle. Of course, they also manufacture ammunition directly for the sporting market.

 

[Nature Boy]

When the Army rejects a lot of military ammunition, it gets packaged and sold as American Eagle.

Are you sure about that?

 

[Vettepilot555]

Well, I think so too. If I recall, the rejects go from being called M-193 to XM-193, and are then sold commercially. They claim it's still excellent ammo...

I thought they were rejected by the in house QC though.

???

Vettepilot

 

[Zahn]

Olin and Federal have their own ammunition facilities, with their own equipment and QC teams and they set the standards for the specifications for the ammo they produce. Of course they follow SAMMI standards, but we all know there's a lot of variation between ammo brands, and they all meet SAMMI standards.

At different times, Olin and Federal and ATK have operated the Lake City facility. But, the plant is not theirs, the specifications are not for them to set. This is a facility owned by the US Government, produced on US Gov't equipment and the US Gov't. sets the standards. To make any correlation between Federal commercial ammo and LC ammo - even if Federal was the contractor running Lake City, is a faulty way of thinking about it.

Federal is Federal, Olin is Olin and Lake City is Lake City.

Now, is there excess capacity. and can the operating company take LC ammo and badge it as their own? I have no idea. But if they do, it would be Lake City ammo in a Winchester box, or a Federal box.

 

[Reloadron]

Something interesting about the plant is yes, the plant and machinery, as mentioned, are owned by the US government. The plant also includes about 2,000 workers. When the plant changes contractors those 2,000 employees can stay or go and if the new contractor wants they can readjust the pay scales. They can also adjust benefits.

Ron

 

[AJC1]

Yes

No. My lake city match cases are not.

 

[denton]

Are you sure about that?

Yup. ATK hired me as a consultant to resolve a problem with the M855. Learned about that while I was there.