5.56 brass source?

[AlHunt]

I'm finally going to make the leap to an AR. I prefer to make my own ammo and I'm looking for economical once-fired brass.

Looks like I can find 1000 rounds, unpolished and evidently mixed headstamps for about $54 landed at my door.

Anyone know of a better deal?

Thanks

 

[growr]

You can usually pick up all you can possibly want at your local outdoor range.

Randy

 

[LostintheOzone]

Send me a PM.

 

[AlHunt]

You can usually pick up all you can possibly want at your local outdoor range.

Randy

I don't really have a local range ... I live in the boonies where we just walk out back to shoot. It's nice, but doesn't generate much range brass.

 

[Rule3]

$54 for 1K?? That is cheap. Is it all 556 or mixed with 223. Are the primers crimped(you would have to de crimp them)


There are a gazillion websites to buy brass. If you are going to by some, try to get all the same headstamp if you can.

Heck with the price of 55.6 ammo now, it may be worth just buying NEW ammo. and then reloading the brass. Figure the cost of just the projectile, and primer (powder is cheap)

 

[AlHunt]

$54 for 1K?? That is cheap. Is it all 556 or mixed with 223. Are the primers crimped(you would have to de crimp them)

Those are good questions and why I asked here. Looking again it does say 5.56/223. It doesn't say anything about crimped, I'll have to send an email and ask.

Thanks!

 

[Kiwi cop]

Stay away from Remington headstamped .223 brass

I thought I was fortunate as we (NZPolice in my district) use my club range at least once a month for qualification. Every now and then I would pick up 100 or so .223 cases.

Unfortunately the qualification ammo is Remmington’s American Eagle brandand the primers are crimped into the cases. About 50% of the time running these cases through the sizing die removed the centre of the spent primer and leaves the ring of the primer still in the case meaning you can’t reprime it.

 

[bigedp51]

I would not buy mixed brass and only buy once fired Lake City brass because of its quality and strength.

The Lake City 5.56 cases use harder brass and have thicker flash hole webs that adds strength to the base of the cases. Meaning your primer pockets will last longer.

 

[TjB101]

Try Everglades and Northeast Reloading. I think NE has processed brass (cleaned, sized & swaged)

 

[growr]

Tools abound for removing the crimp in military or crimped casings...no big deal. Once it is done that is it......I've used my Dillon 600 swager on many thousands of casings with NO issues.

Randy

PS. I have never heard of a primer pocket wearing out......loose from excessive loads yes, but not just worn out.

 

[AlHunt]

I would not buy mixed brass and only buy once fired Lake City brass because of its quality and strength.

The Lake City 5.56 cases use harder brass and have thicker flash hole webs that adds strength to the base of the cases. Meaning your primer pockets will last longer.

Man, that's quite an education on 5.56 brass. For me, I don't expect to shoot thousands of rounds a month oor anything so commercial brass is probably fine for me.

Just thinking out loud here ... have you reloaded that Lake City stuff a lot? I'm wondering if the harder brass might lead to higher incidence of split case mouths.

Thanks for your insight.

 

[AlHunt]

It looks like I have a supply sorted out. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

 

[Moe Mentum]

For reloading I only buy Lake City once fired brass.... it's just better.

 

[Engineer1911]

Buy a 12" 22 caliber bore brush, it has a standard bore brush with an 11" twisted wire handle. You will get a case neck stuck in the chamber at least once. Gently push the brush into the chamber with the bolt assembly locked back, pull brush back out, and case neck is on the brush.

I use mid-range loads in my AR15 rifles. I can get an easy 3 reloads from a case. When I reload the fourth time, I will get 50% case neck splits in the brass and almost every neck stays in the chamber. If I shoot the 4th reload in my bolt gun everything is good. Case may split, but the whole case comes out. If the case didn't split, I throw it away anyway because the case will separate in the sizing die -- that is just really special.

Some reloaders will anneal the case necks, but that never worked for me. I got lousy brass, burned fingers, collapsed cases or split neck cases regardless. I have access to once fired brass from several ranges, and just gave up on worrying about case life or neck splits.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

It is strange! The last 3 weeks I have been in 15 gunshops, and nobody but Cabela's had any once fired 223/5.56! (Cabela's had the same way over priced, as normal!) I'm good personally, but usually every one has a baggie or two of range brass! I think that now people are stocking up on 223 to make 300 Blackout from. I know I wiped out my stash making almost a 1000 brass, so I hit the store in July and the pickings were slim, I went to the State range about an hour away and only came away with 200-250, when most of the time I walk away with 600-1000. This looks like 1985 again. Back then I had bought a Dillon 450 and bought 21,000 surplus 55 gr FMF/BT Winchester projectiles for 8.99 per 1000! I sucked up all the empty brass and CCI small rifle mag. primers for 75 miles in any direction from Columbus! It may take a few months to catch up again!

I try to keep a few hundred "Sized, Deprimed and Swaged" on hand to help the new guys out, but they just aren't available around here!

Ivan

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You can usually pick up all you can possibly want at your local outdoor range.

Randy

Not where I live. I hardly ever see any rifle brass and very little 9mm or 40 S&W brass. The local public ranges are run by the gaming commission and now require everyone to pick up their brass, remove the targets and take it all with you! Just not good for picking brass...

 

[AlHunt]

Buy a 12" 22 caliber bore brush, it has a standard bore brush with an 11" twisted wire handle. You will get a case neck stuck in the chamber at least once. Gently push the brush into the chamber with the bolt assembly locked back, pull brush back out, and case neck is on the brush.

I use mid-range loads in my AR15 rifles. I can get an easy 3 reloads from a case. When I reload the fourth time, I will get 50% case neck splits in the brass and almost every neck stays in the chamber. If I shoot the 4th reload in my bolt gun everything is good. Case may split, but the whole case comes out. If the case didn't split, I throw it away anyway because the case will separate in the sizing die -- that is just really special.

Some reloaders will anneal the case necks, but that never worked for me. I got lousy brass, burned fingers, collapsed cases or split neck cases regardless. I have access to once fired brass from several ranges, and just gave up on worrying about case life or neck splits.

Is 3 or 4 reloads the usual expectation for 5.56 cases? I'm primarily a straight wall case reloader where they last for 10 or 20 reloads for the most part.

 

[Steve912]

Is 3 or 4 reloads the usual expectation for 5.56 cases? I'm primarily a straight wall case reloader where they last for 10 or 20 reloads for the most part.

I got a lot more than 3-4, and never had any
case neck separations or any other grief.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Is 3 or 4 reloads the usual expectation for 5.56 cases? I'm primarily a straight wall case reloader where they last for 10 or 20 reloads for the most part.

Like all reloading, how high of pressure and chamber & sizing die dimensions will determine the life of any brass. Hornady/Pacific used to make their dies to minimum SAAMI dimensions, these had a noticeable effect on case life. RCBS, Redding, Lyman, & CH4D never seemed to be a problem!

With Tapper Crimping and the collet sizing of necks, my 308 Match brass have been loaded approximately 38 times without a case failure. The same is true of a batch of regular Winchester 223 brass that has been loaded well over 3 dozen times. (I used to believe 20 times was a good replacement count, but not any more. On brass used in my AR-15, I always lost 10 to 15%, so case life/replacement was a non-issue. There could be a case that has over 15 reloading's, but I haven't had a single stuck case! Unlike 303 British, I automatically pitch a the 3rd reload (all military chambers are LONG) and case head separation begins after 4th FL reloading!

The exception to my new rule of thumb is the LEE FCD (Factory Crimp Die), it really works the case mouth. While I own several calibers (about 20) I only use them on ammo that is a problem. 44-40 is the only round that I always use a FCD on!

Ivan

 

[SMSgt]

I don't have problems with .223/5.56 case life. I'll get an occasional split in a neck, but never had one come apart and leave pieces in the chamber. Usually it is external nicks and dings that get a case culled.