The book says 1.76 for the .223 but!...?

[gun'sRgood]

Most all the cases' I have, field brass, are shorter than the books 1.76. To seat the projectiles per manufacture spec., I'm going to have short COL's. After sizing, I run them through a sizing block. They sit just slightly higher than the lower mark. Just proud enough to feel the difference. There are numerous .223/5.56's that these will be shot out of.

And I'm sure I'm not the first here with this, so to not fill space, if ya would, please direct me to the conversation. Thanks guys.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

How short are they?They will ''grow'' as you continue to load them. I like to seat to the canalure. But sometimes a case is a little shy of it. I don't adjust the seating die to match it. The rounds still perform well.

 

[gun'sRgood]

How short are they?They will ''grow'' as you continue to load them. I like to seat to the canalure. But sometimes a case is a little shy of it. I don't adjust the seating die to match it. The rounds still perform well.

Some are around 1.45, pretty short. Don't know the head stamp off hand.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Hornady brass i find is short often. 1st time i came across it was 44 mag brass.

 

[EricBu]

Some are around 1.45, pretty short. Don't know the head stamp off hand.

That's too short, toss those. I trim to 1.74. 1.45...waaaayyyyy to short. I think that short, depending on the powder you use a lot of .223 loads, to seat the bullet properly, you'll be running a compressed load when it shouldn't be. You'd be ok down to 1.72 or so.....but 1.45? No, that needs to go in the garbage.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

That's too short, toss those. I trim to 1.74. 1.45...waaaayyyyy to short. I think that short, depending on the powder you use a lot of .223 loads, to seat the bullet properly, you'll be running a compressed load when it shouldn't be. You'd be ok down to 1.72 or so.....but 1.45? No, that needs to go in the garbage.

Surely someone can use it for a spin-off load like .300BK?

 

[.308 Norma]

Most all the cases' I have, field brass, are shorter than the books 1.76.

Some are around 1.45, pretty short.

1.76" - 1.45" = .31". Wow! That's a lot!

 

[n2omike]

Might want to double check that measurement... That short, and there is no case neck.
Also, make sure it's actually .223.
Good Luck

 

[Another_Kelley]

I've loaded and shot many batches of mix-match brass with case variances of 1.74-1.77 without issues. You simply need enough neck on your cases to hold the bullet securely, and said neck can't reach its way into the lands... which is a lot of 'wiggle room' honestly. Are we trying to hit tiny targets at great distances? If so, that's when you'll want to be more OCD about similar neck lengths which will translate to a more consistent squeeze/hold on your projectile.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've loaded and shot many batches of mix-match brass with case variances of 1.74-1.77 without issues. You simply need enough neck on your cases to hold the bullet securely, and said neck can't reach its way into the lands... which is a lot of 'wiggle room' honestly. Are we trying to hit tiny targets at great distances? If so, that's when you'll want to be more OCD about similar neck lengths which will translate to consistent squeeze/hold on your projectile.

He’s saying they’re 0.310” short. Over a 1/3”. Sounds to me like maybe they’re not .223.

 

[EricBu]

Surely someone can use it for a spin-off load like .300BK?

That's what I personally would do with it. Any short 5.56/.223 or any mil surplus with a heavy collet crimp that has britilized goes in the 300 BLK bucket.

 

[Another_Kelley]

1.45" eh? I'm betting/hoping that was a typo, and our OP actually meant 1.74"

 

[EricBu]

1.45" eh? I'm betting/hoping that was a typo, and our OP actually meant 1.74"

I bet your right. OP says in first post that they are just barely above the lower mark on his case gauge....so NO WAY are they 1.45. IIRC, the low mark is around .171 on most case gauges for .223, but I'm pulling that from memory so may be incorrect, but certainly not 1.45.

 

[gun'sRgood]

I'll be getting a new measurement on those this evening. In the meanwhile, thanks. Ill be back shortly. Thanks!

 

[N555]

Dont bother measuring them until they are sized.
I did get a bunch of FC brass that were short after sizing. I just put them aside, loaded and kept them separate incase they shoot different. Being 5 or 10 thousands short probably won't be able to tell a point of aim change in an AR.

 

[cfullgraf]

Dont bother measuring them until they are sized.

This. N555 beat me to it.

The cases will grow a little bit during the sizing process.

Measure and trim cases after they have been sized.

 

[kalielkslayer]

I measure all of my .223 brass before trimming. I trim to 1.175 like the books say to do. Them measure again.

But the nickel brass I have isn’t past 1.175.

I’ve thought many times I’ll trim it to 1.1745. Most are longer than that.

But nearly as short as yours.

 

[ih772]

I measure all of my .223 brass before trimming. I trim to 1.175 like the books say to do. Them measure again.

But the nickel brass I have isn’t past 1.175.

I’ve thought many times I’ll trim it to 1.1745. Most are longer than that.

But nearly as short as yours.

Your .223 brass isn't 1.175". That would be nearly 3/4" too short.

 

[Blue68f100]

I measure all of my .223 brass before trimming. I trim to 1.175 like the books say to do. Them measure again.

But the nickel brass I have isn’t past 1.175.

I’ve thought many times I’ll trim it to 1.1745. Most are longer than that.

But nearly as short as yours.

Your suppose to measure after sizing since the brass will grow. All manuals say this.

Since 223R/556 are usually run in AR's (simi-auto), which remove the brass under pressure, stretching the brass. Depending on chamber and what pressure they were removed varies the stretch. How far you move the shoulder back will also vary how much the brass will grow. With some mil spec brass the crimp adds extra length, which normally needs to be trimmed back on the first firing.

 

[gun'sRgood]

Might want to double check that measurement... That short, and there is no case neck.
Also, make sure it's actually .223.
Good Luck

My stupidity, 1.74. Perhaps I'm getting a touch of my wife's dyslexia. This is after sizing. It's range brass for plinking. Thx. I'm sure I'll be back.

 

[EricBu]

My stupidity, 1.74. Perhaps I'm getting a touch of my wife's dyslexia. This is after sizing. It's range brass for plinking. Thx. I'm sure I'll be back.

1.74 is totally fine! Shoot it up! That's my personal trim to length right there, and every piece of 5.56/.223 I've sent down range in over a decade was trimmed to that. In fact it gets trimmed every time I shoot it, because it's to much effort to sort my brass from other range pick up, so it all goes in a bucket, and all gets case prepped the same way...

 

[kmw1954]

I trim to 1.750" and don't measure first. I just run it all thru my Lee Quick Trim after sizing. I shoot this at little holes to 300yds.

 

[IALoder]

1.740-1.745 is my preferred trim length, the brass is usually worn out before I have to trim again!

 

[warnerwh]

If you go to page 80 in the SAAMI manual you'll find the length spec for .223 is 1.76 -.030. So you are well within spec. That is good they are a bit short because trimming is not that much fun. It may take a couple of firings for them to exceed max length.

 

[Mark_Mark]

In THR .223 is the new .357