I bought 1000 223 cases from Rocky Mountain Reloading, They are said to be salvaged new cases, primed, with the bullets and powder pulled. My question is on Neck sizing. They say to neck size first, but since they are primed I have removed the rod from the Lee Neck Collet Sizing Die. Before any sizing attempt, a flat based bullet will hardly even fit into the neck, and the neck collet die makes them really too small. Should I just load and go? Plan to shoot in a S&W M&P 15.
Neck size 223 Military "pulled" cases with primer
- Thread starter wbstx11
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jwrowland77
Member
May be best to go with a BT style bullet if that's a viable option. If you have a VLD chamfer tool, hit the neck again with that, it may just help
Jesse Heywood
Member
Did you remove the sizing mandrel or just the decapping pin? The mandrel sizes the inner neck when pulled out of the case. Without it, you will have problems getting the bullet to fit.
Lafitte
Member
If "load and go" gets proper neck tension and good chambering, I would load and go. Your mileage may vary.
Lafitte
Lafitte
As posted, the collet die won't work without the rod, and will squeeze them way to tight.
You could neck size them with a bushing die.
If they have enough neck tension after seating a bullet using the brass the way it came, just load them up.
You could neck size them with a bushing die.
I am not sure how to read that, but they should not go into the neck.
If they have enough neck tension after seating a bullet using the brass the way it came, just load them up.
FROGO207
Member
With a Lee die you can back off the neck sizing mandrel enough to not pop out the primer and it will work as intended to size the necks. OR you can put the mandrel in a vice carefully so as not to scrape the rod and use a set of Vise Grips to pull the decapping pin out. It can be put back in the same way after you are done with those brass.
FWIW I have a Lee neck size rod that had a broken decapping pin that I use for just that reason.
FWIW I have a Lee neck size rod that had a broken decapping pin that I use for just that reason.wbstx
Member
Thanks all for all your comments and suggestions. Especially FROGO207 - but I feel knda dumb . . . duhhhhhh, . . . why didn't I think of that?
Sunray
Member
A S&W M&P 15 will require FL resizing every time. Neck sizing only is for bolt actions and only brass that was fired out of that rifle.
Primed brass can be sized by just tasking out the decapping pin. Not really a big deal.
Primed brass can be sized by just tasking out the decapping pin. Not really a big deal.
From what I can determine the sizing collet and decapping stem is one piece and the pin cannot be removed. So sizing primed brass with a collet sizing die prolly won't work. I think I would just get a standard FL sizing for this project; remove stem and size .http://leeprecision.com/parts/reloa...ecksizing-die-only/collet-die-only-223-parts/
Jesse Heywood
Member
You could also buy another decapper for your collet die and cut off the decap pin.
FROGO207
Member
All you need to do with a collet die is to remove the cap. The stem will ride up when the brass is inserted and not push the primer out but the mandrel will still be in there for the collet to crush against when sizing. It will be up a little further on the rod but will still work. As stated above the brass will need to be full length sized after it is fired the first time to be able to chamber reliably in anything semiauto.
MDI the pin is a needle bearing that is force fit in the rod. It can be pulled out with a set of vise grips. All Lee dies have this setup. The first time I found this out I was decapping 357 SIG brass and the primer hole was smaller than the decapping pin and I pulled it out of the die while decapping brass.
MDI the pin is a needle bearing that is force fit in the rod. It can be pulled out with a set of vise grips. All Lee dies have this setup. The first time I found this out I was decapping 357 SIG brass and the primer hole was smaller than the decapping pin and I pulled it out of the die while decapping brass.
Because if you HAD thought about it, you would have worked it out on your own and you wouldn't have posted the question so that the rest of us could learn from the reply. Thanks to both of you.
Glad to be of help to everyone (even if I look a little dumb). Here's my solution that has worked just fine: Set up the sizing die on a decapped piece of brass, backed off the nut so the pin could slide freely and raised the brass fully into the die. The pin pushed up, I marked it, then raised it another 1/8 inch and tightened down on the retaining nut. I ran another piece of brass (with primer) which worked fine. Measurements showed the neck sized properly (but not too small as previously). I've loaded 10 rounds depending on the neck tension to hold and will fire these in the M&P 15 from a mag on next range visit. By the way, I have been neck-sizing only for reloading my previously fired 223 and 556 brass from this M&P 15 with no problems - I don't see need to FL size.
witchhunter
Member
You will see the need to FL size soon. Your cases will start growing and they will not function after a few loadings. Shoulders will get too long to fit in the chamber. Even if your rifle has a large chamber, (as most do), it will get larger when it gets hot. You neck size brass that has been shot in a very large chamber, and you will soon stretch out the cases so they are just a little too big for it, especially when it is cold.
FROGO207
Member
Sounds like he is using a Lee full length sizing die anyway. Might be partial resizing or shoulder bumping things as it is anyway. That is why it is working OK possibly.
That is why it is working OK possibly.Yep, if he is bumping the shoulder with a FL sizer then yes, he should be fine. If he is neck sizing only, he'll get burnt sooner or later.
I took him literally, assuming he knows that one cannot neck size only with a FL sizer.
I hear you guys. When I said I was not FL sizing, I meant I was not specifically looking at the headspace. None of these cases have been fired in my rifle, so as long as they "plunk" and give me bolt closure I plan to load and go. Next reload I will FL for headspace, trim to length, and probably anneal. Thoughts on the latter? Oh yeah, and have the primer pocket ordeal - and I find the RCBS PPSwager a pain in the ***. Even with lube it's a ---- to get the case off. I studied the Rock Chucker geometry, and pulling the round off occurs at the lest leverage part of the swing.
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