Pre nato stamp LC 5.56 brass

[Viking painter]

So I stopped by a garage sale today because there was a sign that said “ garage sale/guns/reloading components “, and needless to say stuffed on the brakes and turned around like a f22 engaging the enemy. As I walked in the garage I was greeted by some of the nicest people I could have encountered and the man had a buttload of brass, dies, projectiles, presses, you name it, looked like he was a oem ammunition manufacturer (turns out he was). I’ve been buying up all the lc 5.56 nato brass I can get my hands on lately and asked him if he had any. He pointed to 4x 5 gallon buckets and said” if you don’t take those, they’re going to the scrap yard tomorrow, give me thirty bucks”. I popped the lids to take a quick look and it was like I just found a 100 lb gold nugget! I quickly gave him the money and he asked if I loaded any other calibers and of course I named off all the calibers I loaded for so he started filling another bucket with .308, 300 blk, 38 spcl,357 mag, 6.5 cm, 9mm, ect and said take this with you too, along with all the dies for all of them! I was walking on clouds to say the least and thanked him numerous times and quickly went home to check out and take stock of my loot. First bucket I opened had all LC NATO cases, mostly lc14 and lc 84. I noticed almost all the 80s cases do not have the NATO cross or scamp machine bubbles on them. My question is, when did they start marking them with the cross and bubbles and is pre cross lc brass better, same, or worse quality? I figure if all 4 buckets have the same ratio of lc NATO brass in them, I will end up with about 15k-16k cases!

 

[MarshallDodge]

My experience is that LC brass is probably the toughest of the once fired brass category. I've never noticed a big difference in lots until recently when I weighed a batch with '22 headstamps. They were very consistent but I have not had a chance to shoot them yet.

 

[Walkalong]

stuffed on the brakes and turned around like a f22 engaging the enemy

Love it, sounds like you hit the jackpot.

 

[Howland937]

So I stopped by a garage sale today because there was a sign that said “ garage sale/guns/reloading components

Why I stop at a lot of yard/garage sales. I've bought a bunch of stuff over the years that wasn't in the sale because I casually asked if I saw hunting or fishing related items.

Quite a score!

 

[Soonerpesek]

I have not yet been to, or have seen, a garage/yard sale that has offered reloading items…….
I do not frequent them however….

NICE SCORE…….!!!!

 

[Ironicaintit]

Awesome score! I have some LC from all the way back to the 60s that have the NATO cross.

WAG, but maybe they were LC created for a civilian contract

 

[243winxb]

I dont like brass that has been sitting around in buckets, of unknow origin.

Only takes 1 bad case. Like Here. OP- One conclusion I’ve come to is, I’m only buying new brass going forward. Fired brass is false economy.

I learned in the1970 not to buy once fired brass. Ordered some 44 mag brass out of Shotgun News. It was once fired for sure. Proof Loads.

 

[bullseye308]

You hit it big time, congrats. I’d be taking that man out for a steak real soon after that haul.

 

[Viking painter]

You hit it big time, congrats. I’d be taking that man out for a steak real soon after that haul.

No kidding! He invited me back over to get whatever reloading stuff I needed and gave me 2 more buckets mixed with 5.56,.308,9mm,257 Robert’s,30-06, I’m set for life and have made a lifelong friend in the process, just amazing people! Most of the lc brass is of 18,19, and 20 years. He told me they were his personal stash of cases of rounds he fired( mostly from a bolt gun) and assured me they were once fired and mostly m193. I’m a residential painting contractor and going to paint his house for him, almost brought his wife to tears when I told them that but it’s the least I could do for the stuff he gave me for next to nothing!

 

[Viking painter]

Awesome score! I have some LC from all the way back to the 60s that have the NATO cross.

WAG, but maybe they were LC created for a civilian contract

I actually asked him and they were civilian rounds just like you said.

 

[Viking painter]

I have not yet been to, or have seen, a garage/yard sale that has offered reloading items…….
I do not frequent them however….

NICE SCORE…….!!!!

It was a score of a lifetime! There’s a lot of garage sales in our city and this is the first one with reloading stuff I’ve ever seen. I’ve lost count at 19,000 cases and probably have 5000 to go!

 

[Viking painter]

My experience is that LC brass is probably the toughest of the once fired brass category. I've never noticed a big difference in lots until recently when I weighed a batch with '22 headstamps. They were very consistent but I have not had a chance to shoot them yet.

I have been loading with 22 headstamps lately for the same reason, very consistent! 23 seems to be the same as 22. Lake city must have stepped up there equipment that has better toolings, more advanced perhaps?

 

[Viking painter]

Love it, sounds like you hit the jackpot.

Yes sir, I was like a pig in slop lol. Looks like I’ll be prepping brass and making blackout brass for a few months. The best part is most of it was shot in a bolt gun and doesn’t even have a scratch on it! The older stuff I’m going to prep and just hang on to it for a rainy day or possibly pass it down to someone someday. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of lake city in the civilian market after the Biden administration. That’s the reason I’ve been buying and collecting as much as I can get, not sure how long it’ll be till we see it on the shelves again like the last 60-70 years. Maybe after this election and the bullsh*t wars cool down over seas we’ll get it back on the civilian market. I actually only have bought it in the past for the brass because the ammo is only mediocre at best for accuracy but xtac psd headstamps I’ve found are nearly as good of brass but the pmc ammo is much more accurate and better sd #s. Anyhow, have a good one walkalong, have learned a lot from you and dellet over the years, you’re a legend on this forum!

 

[Random 8]

Our Sheriff's department recently liquidated their old stock ammunition at our local club. They police ( ) their brass nowadays due to some misguided policy which trades expensive man hours for cheap scrap value, but never find it all. A significant quantity of WCC and LC marked 5.56 and 7.62 brass from the 80s and early 90s was present. Also some LC 7.62 from the '60s which I was told was AP ammunition. The 60's and more modern 7.62 was Nato cross or Winchester commercial LE marked, the 80s and 90s 5.56 were about 50/50 Nato stamped vs not. I can only speculate that some LE contracts were loaded, perhaps to lower pressures for .223 spec, without the NATO cross in that timeframe.

Their present practice ammunition store is from early to mid 2Ks government surplus or civilian contract, so all modern brass I've located after LE days has been NATO or commercial marked.

 

[Viking painter]

Our Sheriff's department recently liquidated their old stock ammunition at our local club. They police ( ) their brass nowadays due to some misguided policy which trades expensive man hours for cheap scrap value, but never find it all. A significant quantity of WCC and LC marked 5.56 and 7.62 brass from the 80s and early 90s was present. Also some LC 7.62 from the '60s which I was told was AP ammunition. The 60's and more modern 7.62 was Nato cross or Winchester commercial LE marked, the 80s and 90s 5.56 were about 50/50 Nato stamped vs not. I can only speculate that some LE contracts were loaded, perhaps to lower pressures for .223 spec, without the NATO cross in that timeframe.

Their present practice ammunition store is from early to mid 2Ks government surplus or civilian contract, so all modern brass I've located after LE days has been NATO or commercial marked.

That makes sense and that was kinda my assumption that the non nato marked brass was for le training/service. I have been taking a close look at the older brass and noticed that the opening on the neck is slightly smaller than the nato brass which would also make sense that it was loaded to lower pressures. I bet this stuff has incredible neck tension and doesn’t require a crimp on the bullet, not even with some hot, hard recoiling loads in a AR. I might try some of my 75 and 77 gr loads, might be the best stuff ever??

 

[Random 8]

That makes sense and that was kinda my assumption that the non nato marked brass was for le training/service. I have been taking a close look at the older brass and noticed that the opening on the neck is slightly smaller than the nato brass which would also make sense that it was loaded to lower pressures. I bet this stuff has incredible neck tension and doesn’t require a crimp on the bullet, not even with some hot, hard recoiling loads in a AR. I might try some of my 75 and 77 gr loads, might be the best stuff ever??

I do prefer the pre-2K military/LC brass I've encountered whether NATO marked or not. The metallurgy seems better. I have a pretty good fleet of 89 WCC non-NATO and 94LC NATO and 91non-NATO in my present match ammunition loadings for NRA/CMP High power. Got these before the Sheriffs dept picked up their brass and I pulled observer duty for the club. I'm running a relatively stout, but not red-line load with the 75 Hor HPBT and they seem to hold up longer without splitting a neck than the more modern LC. It also seems (unscientifically) to react to firing more consistently. The fired cartridge OAL is all pretty ballpark close compared to more modern LC or commercial brass in my experience, and the feel on bullet seating seems more consistent. The '60s 7.62 is amazing stuff. I had some previously from a CMP match, and now I have a bit more for the wife's hunting rifle.

 

[Viking painter]

I do prefer the pre-2K military/LC brass I've encountered whether NATO marked or not. The metallurgy seems better. I have a pretty good fleet of 89 WCC non-NATO and 94LC NATO and 91non-NATO in my present match ammunition loadings for NRA/CMP High power. Got these before the Sheriffs dept picked up their brass and I pulled observer duty for the club. I'm running a relatively stout, but not red-line load with the 75 Hor HPBT and they seem to hold up longer without splitting a neck than the more modern LC. It also seems (unscientifically) to react to firing more consistently. The fired cartridge OAL is all pretty ballpark close compared to more modern LC or commercial brass in my experience, and the feel on bullet seating seems more consistent. The '60s 7.62 is amazing stuff. I had some previously from a CMP match, and now I have a bit more for the wife's hunting rifle.

I’m ,as well, going to be loading 75 gr bthp loads with the older lc brass. Mk262 equivalent/ clone that shoots .5-.3” groups in my rifles. I’m just now building a high power rifle and want to soon join a club to start competing as my children are at the age that I can do it now. I fully prepped 15 tonight and I can feel the difference in the brass and seating the bullets, I can feel the great neck tension in the press handle. I haven’t loaded a lot of precision cartridges in 5.56 but enough to know the difference in feel such as using lapua brass compared to run of the mill stuff for .308 and 6.5 cm. Pretty excited to get started in super precision loading and competition. I weighed the brass I loaded to, of course, get it narrowed down to as close as possible and the older stuff seems to be pretty darn consistent. I picked only lc84 cases and only had to weigh 35 to get 15 within .2 gr so pretty good. Going to go out tomorrow and see what it does on target.

 

[Wildbillz]

Sounds like you hit the Jack Pot. I have never found anything gun wise at a Garage sale. Everyone near me seems to think their old T shirts are made of spun gold.

WB

 

[Viking painter]

Sounds like you hit the Jack Pot. I have never found anything gun wise at a Garage sale. Everyone near me seems to think their old T shirts are made of spun gold.

WB

It was like getting the big bonus on the buffalo machine! I’m in Arizona and in our town guns and ammo are as available and common as water but this was the ultimate score for me, the gentleman I met is just a absolute Jem! I’m in my mid 40s and he is nearly 80 and he told me I reminded him of his son but he wasn’t interested in his dads reloading business/addiction,lol! I’ve been tumbling and prepping brass for days, my wife had to come check on me to make sure I was still breathing. She comes out in the shop and I have a headlamp on, in my skivies cutting primer pockets and all 4 tumblers rolling, she said I’m a lunatic,lmao!!!

 

[Viking painter]

I’m ,as well, going to be loading 75 gr bthp loads with the older lc brass. Mk262 equivalent/ clone that shoots .5-.3” groups in my rifles. I’m just now building a high power rifle and want to soon join a club to start competing as my children are at the age that I can do it now. I fully prepped 15 tonight and I can feel the difference in the brass and seating the bullets, I can feel the great neck tension in the press handle. I haven’t loaded a lot of precision cartridges in 5.56 but enough to know the difference in feel such as using lapua brass compared to run of the mill stuff for .308 and 6.5 cm. Pretty excited to get started in super precision loading and competition. I weighed the brass I loaded to, of course, get it narrowed down to as close as possible and the older stuff seems to be pretty darn consistent. I picked only lc84 cases and only had to weigh 35 to get 15 within .2 gr so pretty good. Going to go out tomorrow and see what it does on target.

Tried the old lc 84 cases today with 24 gr tac at 2.247 75 gr bthp cci 41 and got 2758 fps avg 11 es/7 sd. .64” group at 100 yds. 16” mid gas carbine 1:7 twist suppressed. When I primed them, they felt like new brass, hopefully I will get 7-8 loadings out of them. Pretty consistent, off to a good start!