"FC" headstamped cases?

Steve Smith · September 11, 2000, 12:06 AM

What is this stuff? I really enjoy picking up more brass at the range than I've shot that day, but when I get home and new primers wont' go in, well, that just sucks. It looks like they all have a ring around the primer well. They're all marked FC 96 or 97, or 98...what gives?

Halo · September 11, 2000, 12:32 AM

FC is Federal Cartridge. The numbers indicate the year of manufacture, I believe, and also indicates it as being manufactured for the military (crimped primers). You might see a Nato cross on the headstamp as well. There is some sort of crimp-removing tool that will allow the reloading of such cases, but it probably isn't worth the effort with something like 9mm.

[This message has been edited by Halo (edited September 11, 2000).]

El Rojo · September 11, 2000, 01:36 AM

What kind of brass is it? I have a ton of FC .308 Win brass and I love that stuff. However, it does not have a date stamp on it and so you must be talking about handgun or something. You can always get the Dillon Super Swage Dillon Super Swage. It takes care of that military primer crimp no problem.

I bought about 3000 once fired rounds off of a cop with about half of it being wincehester, the other half being FC, and about 200 being IMI Match. I will never need brass again.

[This message has been edited by El Rojo (edited September 11, 2000).]

Hutch · September 11, 2000, 01:05 PM

Halo's pegged it. It's milspec Federal stuff. Commercial Federal will have the caliber stamped on it as well. Milspec generally has the year of manufacture on it, but not the caliber.

Steve Smith · September 12, 2000, 09:33 AM

It's .45 acp, BTW, and I only picked up about 50 of them, so it's not worth buying a swage just for them. Sounds like they're going in the trash.

beemerb · September 12, 2000, 10:09 AM

I use a taper deburring tool in my dremel for removeing crimps.Cut the point off till you get the proper depth to remove the crimp.(slight champher on the primer pocket).It is very fast and foolproof.

------------------
Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.

Paul B. · September 12, 2000, 12:45 PM

Frontsight. Like Beemerb, I use a small battery operated Dremel with the pear shaped bit to clean up the crimp on GI style brass. Before I got the Dremel, I used the chamfering/deburring tool to remove crimps. If you have one of those, remove those crimps and you'll have 50 rounds of good brass to load. It won't take you 10 minutes to do it.
Paul B.

johnwill · September 14, 2000, 08:14 PM

I second the suggestion for the Dillon swager. I had several thousand .223 brass to decrimp, and the Super Swage made short work of them. The added plus is that it removes no metal, only reforms it to an uncrimped shape.

September 11, 2000, 12:06 AM	#1
Steve Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 1999 Posts: 4,131	What is this stuff? I really enjoy picking up more brass at the range than I've shot that day, but when I get home and new primers wont' go in, well, that just sucks. It looks like they all have a ring around the primer well. They're all marked FC 96 or 97, or 98...what gives?

September 11, 2000, 12:32 AM	#2
Halo Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2000 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 408	FC is Federal Cartridge. The numbers indicate the year of manufacture, I believe, and also indicates it as being manufactured for the military (crimped primers). You might see a Nato cross on the headstamp as well. There is some sort of crimp-removing tool that will allow the reloading of such cases, but it probably isn't worth the effort with something like 9mm. [This message has been edited by Halo (edited September 11, 2000).]

September 11, 2000, 01:36 AM	#3
El Rojo Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2000 Location: People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 2,057	What kind of brass is it? I have a ton of FC .308 Win brass and I love that stuff. However, it does not have a date stamp on it and so you must be talking about handgun or something. You can always get the Dillon Super Swage Dillon Super Swage. It takes care of that military primer crimp no problem. I bought about 3000 once fired rounds off of a cop with about half of it being wincehester, the other half being FC, and about 200 being IMI Match. I will never need brass again. [This message has been edited by El Rojo (edited September 11, 2000).]

September 11, 2000, 01:05 PM	#4
Hutch Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2000 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 1,124	Halo's pegged it. It's milspec Federal stuff. Commercial Federal will have the caliber stamped on it as well. Milspec generally has the year of manufacture on it, but not the caliber.

September 12, 2000, 09:33 AM	#5
Steve Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 1999 Posts: 4,131	It's .45 acp, BTW, and I only picked up about 50 of them, so it's not worth buying a swage just for them. Sounds like they're going in the trash.

September 12, 2000, 10:09 AM	#6
beemerb Junior member Join Date: October 2, 1999 Location: AZ Posts: 1,759	I use a taper deburring tool in my dremel for removeing crimps.Cut the point off till you get the proper depth to remove the crimp.(slight champher on the primer pocket).It is very fast and foolproof. ------------------ Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed. I'm old and deceitful.

September 12, 2000, 12:45 PM	#7
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Frontsight. Like Beemerb, I use a small battery operated Dremel with the pear shaped bit to clean up the crimp on GI style brass. Before I got the Dremel, I used the chamfering/deburring tool to remove crimps. If you have one of those, remove those crimps and you'll have 50 rounds of good brass to load. It won't take you 10 minutes to do it. Paul B.

September 14, 2000, 08:14 PM	#8
johnwill Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,451	I second the suggestion for the Dillon swager. I had several thousand .223 brass to decrimp, and the Super Swage made short work of them. The added plus is that it removes no metal, only reforms it to an uncrimped shape.