Qualitative differences in .223 brass ?

[BENELLIMONTE]

Hello,

I have come in to 2000 previously fired .223/5.56 brass.
I have deprimed, tumbled and am starting to seperate into the different manufacturers. My question, is there any significant quality difference between LC (Lake City?), Winchester, Remington.

Thank you,
'MONTE

 

[RustyFN]

Lake City and Win are both good. I have heard the primer pockets get loose on the Rem quick and I don't know about the Black Hills. I would reload all of them if it was me. Check to make sure none of them have crimped primers, that will take an extra step to remove them.
Rusty

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

Rusty,

Thanks for the advice. What is a crimped primer?

 

[kingpin008]

It's when the primer is crimped into the primer pocket, rather than just seated in there with a pres like other cartridges. Lots of military brass has a crimp. I'm not a reloader, but I do know that it can be removed, and the cases reloaded. Just takes a little extra work is all.

 

[fourrobert13]

Military brass(LC) will have a small ring around the primer. The crimp is there to keep the primer from blowing out. Military ammo is loaded to higher pressures. I have never had any issues with loose primer pockets with Remington brass, and I have some cases on their 5th loading. The only brass I stay away from is Federal(FC), it has loose primer pockets, and Adcom brass. Every thing you listed is good stuff IMO, load it up.

 

[Slamfire]

I will second the opinion that LC and Winchester are excellent. I use Winchester brass for my long range brass (600 Yards), it has given consistent and excellent performance. Winchester brass in .223 is a favorite of many of my shooting buds.

LC brass is very good stuff. Lasts a long time, and I have shot many cleans with the stuff out to 300 yards. The service rifle teams used LC, at long range, but they typically were sorting their brass by weight, or something. They did some very tedious stuff with their long range ammunition.

The AMU used new crimped LC cases. I have picked up enough of that stuff at 600 yards to observe that their loads are hotter than heck. One set of twenty had 17 leaking or completely blown primers!. Still, they were shooting perfect scores with the stuff.

I have only used Remington 308 brass. But I am confident that any caliber of R-P brass is excellent stuff.

And if you come across IMI, that is real good stuff too.

The only stuff I do not recommend buying is Federal. Of any caliber. The case heads are soft. I can take Federal maybe five reloads before the primers start falling out.

 

[Howard Roark]

Black Hills brass is made by Winchester.

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for all the info. Any words of wisdom on what bullets in the 50-60grain range to load?

 

[RustyFN]

fourrobert13:
I have never had any issues with loose primer pockets with Remington brass, and I have some cases on their 5th loading. The only brass I stay away from is Federal(FC), it has loose primer pockets, and Adcom brass. Every thing you listed is good stuff IMO, load it up.

Thanks fourrobert13, I was thinking Rem but now that you mention it I think it was Fed that I heard about. That's what I get for counting on my memory.
Rusty

 

[stubbicatt]

FC is not good brass for reloading. LC is good brass, and lasts a long time, as does WCC.

YMMV.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Unless you plan on sorting it, Bulk winchester brass is GARBAGE! The last batch I sorted through had a weight variance of 4.5 grains high to low.

http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

A quarter way down this page is a Chart showing the variance in different brands of .223 cases