First batch of .223 ready to go!

[Magload]

I tumble my 223 brass in corn husk for 2 hours then deprime. I then wet tumble then with SS pins for 3 hours then back into the corn husk for another 4 or more hours with polish to really bring out the shine. I then prime and measure and trim if needed. I am then ready to load. All powder is measured not dropped and then using the last two stages of my 550 I complete the rounds. Don

 

[Black_Sheep]

Where does checking them with the case gauge best fit in? And how do I check the shoulder on the casings to make sure it's in spec?

I use the case gauge after trimming because the gauge is designed to check case length as well. As a final check to ensure every single round will feed properly, I place each completed round in the gauge before packaging them.

 

[fredj338]

I have to confess I've never heard of a case gauge... if the dies properly resize the casings, why do you need something else to check diameters? And how can you tell if a round is too small?

The case gage will tell you if the case is sized properly. That is mostly about proper shoulder location for headspace. Easybto check in a bolt gun, ss rifle or pistol where you can remove the bbl. not so easy with semiautos like the ar. A gage will hpjist speed things up.
Hopefully you havent loade a bunch of ammo. Sucks when you cant get reliable functioning. Its best to load small test batches of 3-5rds, starting at 10% below avg max & work up in 2-3/10gr increnents.

 

[BJ343]

Wow, so many people here impress me, the diligence and care, this is AR ammo not bench rest stuff right, I've been doing 223 for 20 years.... after 3 reloads I'll trim, don't even measure, just use the tool.... case necks eventually crack, cause I can't be bother annealing too often, then I toss em...good luck with your first batch mate, I started on rifle then took up pistol, I reckon pistol is more difficult, cause I only use lead coated bullets Enjoy

 

[Deadctr]

Question to the OP, sort of unrelated;

I only load 223 for my bolt gun and don't crimp (don't have an AR). Looking at the picture of your rounds, it appears there is a fairly heavy crimp.

Is a crimp required for AR's? and how heavy, if so?

 

[Magload]

Wow, so many people here impress me, the diligence and care, this is AR ammo not bench rest stuff right, I've been doing 223 for 20 years.... after 3 reloads I'll trim, don't even measure, just use the tool.... case necks eventually crack, cause I can't be bother annealing too often, then I toss em...good luck with your first batch mate, I started on rifle then took up pistol, I reckon pistol is more difficult, cause I only use lead coated bullets Enjoy

My ammo is bench rest stuff and the AR I built is for bench rest only. It has a Bob Sled inst of a magazine so I only load one round at a time and they can be longer then what will fit in a mag. With a 2 pound trigger I only shoot bench rest with it. Don

 

[AZ_M&P]

Question to the OP, sort of unrelated;

I only load 223 for my bolt gun and don't crimp (don't have an AR). Looking at the picture of your rounds, it appears there is a fairly heavy crimp.

Is a crimp required for AR's? and how heavy, if so?

Good catch.

I like to put a light factory crimp on everything I load (pistol or revolver) since bullets will walk one way or the other depending on type of handgun. The factory 223 loads I bought have a noticeable crimp so I was trying to duplicate that, but the crimp die is adjusted almost 3/4 of a turn, and after looking at them I think it's a bit too much. I'm going to back off to a light crimp since the rounds don't experience the same shocks revolvers or semi-auto pistols do.

 

[fredj338]

Question to the OP, sort of unrelated;

I only load 223 for my bolt gun and don't crimp (don't have an AR). Looking at the picture of your rounds, it appears there is a fairly heavy crimp.

Is a crimp required for AR's? and how heavy, if so?

No. I use match bullets in my 20" hvy, no crimp, they work fine. In full auto guns, crimped bullets are desirable. You are NOT expanding the neck for seating a bullet, so unlike handgun ammo, no crimp. In a light recoiling round like 223, the bullet won't "walk". It may be driven deeper into the case neck, but that is a neck tension failure & crimp doesn't help that much.

 

[webfarmer]

No. I use match bullets in my 20" hvy, no crimp, they work fine. In full auto guns, crimped bullets are desirable. You are NOT expanding the neck for seating a bullet, so unlike handgun ammo, no crimp. In a light recoiling round like 223, the bullet won't "walk". It may be driven deeper into the case neck, but that is a neck tension failure & crimp doesn't help that much.

The odd thing is, I find bullets push in easier than I ever thought. I crimp all bullets that have the groove and don't on non-crimp groove bullets. This happened again tonight. I'm currently reloading some 5.56 using different bullets for different things. Yesterday it was Sierra 55 grain Blitz bullet ladder loads looking for a coyote set-up. Today it was Hornady 55 FMJBT bullets so I wanted to change OAL. I took a previous loaded exact same round with a LEE crimped bullet - put it in the die and carefully tightened the previously loosened bullet stem until I felt it touch the bullet. Miked the round and it pushed the bullet in the case a little. I am certain the neck tension is proper by pressure feel of the bullets going into the case + it was crimped.

So Fred, here's one case I potentially disagree with you. Unless people mike their rounds in between firing, how can anyone know their bullets aren't setting back in the mag due to recoil? This is something I plan to check on my next shoot. Just throwing this out there for comment. Thanks!

 

[Mad_Charlie]

I use a kiss of taper crimp on bullets with a cannelure that are loaded for my AR. No cannelure, no crimp, I have checked numerous times and I don't get setback. The little bit of t/c seems to let it feed smoother.

 

[fredj338]

The odd thing is, I find bullets push in easier than I ever thought. I crimp all bullets that have the groove and don't on non-crimp groove bullets. This happened again tonight. I'm currently reloading some 5.56 using different bullets for different things. Yesterday it was Sierra 55 grain Blitz bullet ladder loads looking for a coyote set-up. Today it was Hornady 55 FMJBT bullets so I wanted to change OAL. I took a previous loaded exact same round with a LEE crimped bullet - put it in the die and carefully tightened the previously loosened bullet stem until I felt it touch the bullet. Miked the round and it pushed the bullet in the case a little. I am certain the neck tension is proper by pressure feel of the bullets going into the case + it was crimped.

So Fred, here's one case I potentially disagree with you. Unless people mike their rounds in between firing, how can anyone know their bullets aren't setting back in the mag due to recoil? This is something I plan to check on my next shoot. Just throwing this out there for comment. Thanks!

There just isnt enough recoil in 223 to do that. This is just fact, proper neck tension us not provided by crimp. If your bullets are moving, your brass is f-d or your dies arent right or your bullets are too small. Work hardened brass loses neck tension. Over crimped rounds lose neck tension. Fix those things, you dont need to crimp light recoiling rifle rounds. Now magnums with heavy bullets, another story.

 

[fredj338]

I use a kiss of taper crimp on bullets with a cannelure that are loaded for my AR. No cannelure, no crimp, I have checked numerous times and I don't get setback. The little bit of t/c seems to let it feed smoother.

Inside/outside chamfering will do the same thing, but nothing wrong with that tiny bit of crimp.

 

[webfarmer]

There just isnt enough recoil in 223 to do that. This is just fact, proper neck tension us not provided by crimp. If your bullets are moving, your brass is f-d or your dies arent right or your bullets are too small. Work hardened brass loses neck tension. Over crimped rounds lose neck tension. Fix those things, you dont need to crimp light recoiling rifle rounds. Now magnums with heavy bullets, another story.

I'll have to do a test (not that I disbelieve you but have to prove things myself sometimes). Some crimped (which is a light LEE crimp - 1/2 turn if I remember correctly) and some not. Everything same same and I'll check rounds in the mag AND accuracy at 50 and 100 yards. I can't push the bullets in against the bench but adjusting the bullet stem sure does. Perhaps it's stronger than I give it credit for. Never crimped bullets in the thousands of 5.56 reloads in the last 34 years and never had a problem either LOL.

 

[LAH]

Yup, lots of fun!

BTW your bench is far too clean and neat.

For sure on neat.

 

[NJM15]

It's not so much about the round being too small in the AR, but too big at the base....

The dies I bought when I first started reloading 223 wouldn't size the brass down small enough at the base. SOOO every few rounds one wouldn't completely chamber, hammer would fall but not strike the firing pin.

AND MAN, are they tough to get out of the chamber!!!!

It's actually easier to use forward assist to fully seat the round, fold the upper front, and cock the hammer by hand, return and pin the upper then fire....


There's a lot of factors that go into causing it like chamber dimiensions, how hot the loads are, what brass your buying etc.. BUT, I had to buy a small base RCBS die to make it go away completely, and check all my loaded rounds with the gauge.

The case gauge is really just a bunch of dumby rifle chambers set so if the heel of the case is flush it'll chamber, and the bullet tip doesn't stick out the other end it will fit in the mag.

The "EGW" in my first post is linked to them on their site if your interested!! I bought a 7-hole

I agree on the case gauge I had a few stuck before I got one

 

[fredj338]

You could probably open your upper and do a plunk test couldn't you? I haven't fired an AR/M16 since I was in the military in '88. It was an A-1 even. They were just getting around to issuing A-2s to regular support personnel right when I got my honorable. Where has the time gone?

Too diff to see if it fits, the chamber is quite a ways into the receiver. SO a gauge is just easier.

 

[fredj338]

I'll have to do a test (not that I disbelieve you but have to prove things myself sometimes). Some crimped (which is a light LEE crimp - 1/2 turn if I remember correctly) and some not. Everything same same and I'll check rounds in the mag AND accuracy at 50 and 100 yards. I can't push the bullets in against the bench but adjusting the bullet stem sure does. Perhaps it's stronger than I give it credit for. Never crimped bullets in the thousands of 5.56 reloads in the last 34 years and never had a problem either LOL.

Always the best way, check for yourself. There are many myths in reloading, verifying them for yourself pretty much proves them as myths.