The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 18, 2014, 11:17 AM   #1
fretless33
Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2014
Posts: 50
Sorting brass and headstamps...

As some of you know I'm new to reloading. Some of my friends have been giving me once fired brass (mostly 223) and I have been sorting through them because some primer pockets are crimped and some are not. While sorting through the headstamps I've noticed some have numbers after them...for example WCC 66 or 65, LC 96, 94, 91 and so on.

I know the letters are the manufacturer and some have the caliber, but do those numbers represent years?

Thanks again!
fretless33 is offline  
Old April 18, 2014, 02:56 PM   #2
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
oops!
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old April 18, 2014, 02:57 PM   #3
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/ca...-glossary.html
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...

Last edited by mikld; April 18, 2014 at 03:02 PM.
mikld is offline  
Old April 18, 2014, 05:25 PM   #4
fretless33
Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2014
Posts: 50
Thanks man...I used that site today!
fretless33 is offline  
Old April 19, 2014, 11:24 AM   #5
elkslayer4x5
Member
 
Join Date: June 30, 2006
Location: Lane County, Oregon
Posts: 66
Thanks for thoses links, added them to my reloading misc favorites!
__________________
"Skin that one out, and I'll get ya another!
elkslayer4x5 is offline  
Old April 19, 2014, 02:18 PM   #6
Clark
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 4, 1999
Location: WA, the ever blue state
Posts: 4,678

I built this rifle in September 2013 took it to the range, fired a couple sight in shots and shot this 100 yard group with mixed used commercial and military headstamp 223 brass, 7 cent blem bullets, no ladder work, and the bullet jammed into the lands.
I used a $109 wood stock, a $118 Lothar Walther barrel, the original trigger, and a 1972 Sav 110 223 untrued action that looks like it was made by angry monkeys.
What does it all mean? er er what is my point with all the blathering?
The internet is contaminated with vestigial benchrest rituals and nowhere does a novice get a chart of the magnitude of effect of different rituals and how to sum them. er er wat does that mean?
You don't need to see the headstamps. These aren't the variables you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.
__________________
The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books."
"Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist.
Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?
Clark is offline  
Old April 19, 2014, 02:25 PM   #7
Jimro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 18, 2006
Posts: 7,097
I used to sort LC by year.

I don't any more, at least not for my cross the course load.

Jimro
__________________
Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.
Jimro is offline  
Old April 20, 2014, 12:24 AM   #8
fretless33
Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2014
Posts: 50
I get yer point Clark, but the reason behind my sorting was to find the cases that needed the primer pockets deburred...that's all. In fact, out of the Winchester, FC, RP, WCC and LC casings, the WCC cases were the only ones needing to be deburred. Unfortunately, the WCC casings were the type I had the most of, so my hands paid the price for all that manual deburring, but it was a labor of love LOL

Right now, I'm reloading for experience, enjoyment and fun (and accuracy eventually)...I rarely ever use paper targets (unless I'm zeroing) and mostly shoot things in my back yard.

Here's a range I threw together last summer:

fretless33 is offline  
Old April 20, 2014, 01:01 PM   #9
mikld
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 7, 2009
Location: Southern Oregon!
Posts: 2,891
Quote:
I built this rifle in September 2013 took it to the range, fired a couple sight in shots and shot this 100 yard group with mixed used commercial and military headstamp 223 brass, 7 cent blem bullets, no ladder work, and the bullet jammed into the lands.
I used a $109 wood stock, a $118 Lothar Walther barrel, the original trigger, and a 1972 Sav 110 223 untrued action that looks like it was made by angry monkeys.
What does it all mean? er er what is my point with all the blathering?
The internet is contaminated with vestigial benchrest rituals and nowhere does a novice get a chart of the magnitude of effect of different rituals and how to sum them. er er wat does that mean?
You don't need to see the headstamps. These aren't the variables you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along.
Yep Clark, but reread the OP and note the question. OP didn't ask about "bench rest accuracy", just wanted info on headstamps.

Nice shootin' with your, er, er, "mis-matched, el cheapo" rifle...
__________________
My Anchor is holding fast!
I've learned how to stand on my own two knees...
mikld is offline  
Old April 20, 2014, 01:45 PM   #10
F. Guffey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
Quote:
some have numbers after them...for example WCC 66 or 65, LC 96, 94, 91 and so on.
I sort cases, I use every excuse there is when it comes to different head stamps. I sort cases in groups of 20, that seems like a common number for boxes of ammo when purchased new, factory and over the counter. I have larger plastic boxes for 50 cases. When I go to the range with 5 30/06 rifles and the same number of 8mm57 etc. I fire all 20 cases. Of the 20 rounds in a box there are no two boxes with the same head stamp, I return home, dump the cases into thumpers and then sort, getting the same 20 cases back into the same box they were in when they went to the range is a matter of matching head stamp. A reloader can not have enough different head stamp.

It could be a ‘JIC’ thing but I like to keep up with the number of times a case has been fired.

F. Guffey
F. Guffey is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06653 seconds with 8 queries