loose primer pockets - MKE headstamp 5.56

[hardheart]

In case anyone gets similar brass -

Among the range brass I've picked up, I have 83 pieces of MKE NATO 5.56 brass - mostly '17. The primers were crimped and had a green sealant. After decapping, tumbling, sizing, reaming, and trimming - I pulled 30 out to trash while priming, because 7 of them primed so easily I was able to remove the new primers (CCI 400) by holding the universal decapping die in my hand and pushing the primer out with finger pressure against the base of the brass. The other 23 were culled after those 7 because I tested all the MKEs and these were also able to snag a new primer in the pocket with slight hand pressure, anvil facing up.

The rest of the MKE primed with enough effort (but still fairly minor) that I'm willing to use them for one single firing each and then they go in the trash.

Haven't had problems yet with 700 other pieces so far in 8 other headstamps, but now I want a primer pocket gauge.

 

[edwardware]

. . . reaming, and trimming - I pulled 30 out to trash while priming, because 7 of them primed so easily. . .

You probably overreamed.

I prefer crimped brass, because I can set initial pockets very tight while swaging and they last longer.

 

[hardheart]

You can still see the crimp ring on them and the sealant, I just cut a slight bevel to remove a minimum of the crimp. I even have to "kiss" 10-15% or so with the reamer when priming because I don't take off enough the first time and I can tell it isn't starting without smashing the primer.

I got about 100 pieces of LC that were all reloads, obvious because the reaming was so wide that it actually started to cut into the headstamp. I don't do anything near that much, including many hundreds of others at the same time I processed these MKE. None of which have had these loose pockets. Even those LC reloads that look like they were reamed with a countersink took more effort to prime than the MKEs I am choosing to shoot.

 

[Charlie98]

MKE is Turkish, I believe... I wouldn't waste my time on it. Scrap it and move on....

 

[lightman]

I just finished loading 1000 rounds of 223/5.56 using range brass. I had to prep 1150 cases to get 1000 that I was satisfied with. I had one headstamp, not MKE, that were all too loose to prime and the original primers were still showing the crimp. It happens sometimes when using range brass.

A few years ago I posted about prepping 1000 223 cases and getting frustrated over loose primer pockets and scrapping the whole bunch of them. Range brass, gotta love it!

 

[Bfh_auto]

A dab of the wife's clear nail polish holds a primer on nicely
Learned that when I had a case of ammo with the primers rattled out after driving 5 hours. Then driving an unknown amount of miles down the the roughest gravel road I've seen.
I didn't pick that brass up after firing.

 

[hardheart]

Found a couple threads on this headstamp, one on m4carbine taking about loose primers on 5.56, another older one from here saying the 308 mke brass has the same issue. At least the 308 had a lower fault rate, that poster had to toss 20% of the brass.

Think I have some clear polish from tinkering with coloring and sealing a front sight on a revolver.

 

[DeltaDave]

In case anyone gets similar brass -

Among the range brass I've picked up, I have 83 pieces of MKE NATO 5.56 brass - mostly '17. The primers were crimped and had a green sealant. After decapping, tumbling, sizing, reaming, and trimming - I pulled 30 out to trash while priming, because 7 of them primed so easily I was able to remove the new primers (CCI 400) by holding the universal decapping die in my hand and pushing the primer out with finger pressure against the base of the brass. The other 23 were culled after those 7 because I tested all the MKEs and these were also able to snag a new primer in the pocket with slight hand pressure, anvil facing up.

The rest of the MKE primed with enough effort (but still fairly minor) that I'm willing to use them for one single firing each and then they go in the trash.

Haven't had problems yet with 700 other pieces so far in 8 other headstamps, but now I want a primer pocket gauge.

I'm new to this forum, but I came looking for an answer to my problem....and found it.
My son & I were reloading 5.56/ .233 on my Dillon 550B and noticed powder spilling all over the Shell plate. We noticed one of the loaded rounds was missing a primer: headstamp MKE. We ruled out the primer feeder and started paying close attention to other MKE stamped cases. Almost every MKE case had primers so loose that we could tap them out with our fingers. This brass was once fired and swaged with a Dillon swager.
I'll be putting all future MKE cases in my "salvage" brass container. Thanks for the corroborating information.

 

[Demi-human]

This place is cool like that.

Welcome aboard, @DeltaDave!

 

[lordpaxman]

Welcome to THR! I’ll have to keep a lookout for that HS, I’ve got a lot of 5.56/.223 being processed now.