Recommendations For New .223 Casings....

UtopiaTexasG19 · October 4, 2011, 06:09 PM

Anyone have any current recommendations for new brass casings in .223 that are good enough for multiple loadings and at the current best price? Someone always comes up with a sale or a business I've never heard of before so I thought I'd ask. Thanks...

Toney · October 4, 2011, 06:20 PM

Remington brass is my favorite rifle brass.

medalguy · October 4, 2011, 07:14 PM

Here's a few surplus deals on new brass:

Pat's: http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel...category=Brass

Jeff Bartlett has once-fired: http://www.gibrass.com/brass.html

Poly Gun Bag: http://www.polygunbag.com/brass.html

There are others but these are my go-to guys.

rg1 · October 4, 2011, 07:29 PM

http://tjconevera.com/oncefiredbrass.html
You've probably aware of Wideners too:
http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm...78|282|909|948

jepp2 · October 4, 2011, 09:23 PM

Lake City brass is very good quality. If you buy it once fired, you will probably have to deal with crimped primer pockets. New Lake City brass at Natchez is $120 + shipping per thousand. LC brass

Doodlebugger45 · October 5, 2011, 09:55 AM

Wow. That is a very good price for new brass. I don't reload .223. With that price, maybe I should.

UtopiaTexasG19 · October 5, 2011, 11:39 AM

The only complaints I've read about the new unfired Lake City brass is that it is tarnished around the neck due to annealing and some of the suppliers are shorting customers a few rounds per order by packing by weight, but at that price it appears to be a great deal for those that re-load.

medalguy · October 5, 2011, 02:09 PM

It's not tarnish but heat discoloration from the annealing. That's always the case with military brass whether fired or unfired. Commercial brass simply has the annealing discoloration polished off, and you can do the same with this brass. Otherwise it's excellent brass, although I prefer to buy once fired and process it myself, paying around 4.5 - 5 cents each for once fired. I can buy twice as much that way.

davery25 · October 5, 2011, 04:50 PM

if you can get your hands on australian ADI brass then thats as good as lapua brass (actually its more consistant volume wise) but costs a fraction of the price. Otherwise ive heard lake city is good despite never trying it. and i have just been using remington because i once bought 500 cases of it and am still going with those.

bikerjim · October 5, 2011, 05:00 PM

I have had excellent luck with Starline brass. I don't know if they make 223's but I have used a lot of 40 S&W's with very good results.

Charlie98 · October 5, 2011, 05:03 PM

I just ordered 1K of the LC brass from Natchez, decent price and I (HOPEFULLY) won't have to trim it.

Quote:

I have had excellent luck with Starline brass. I don't know if they make 223's but I have used a lot of 40 S&W's with very good results.

I don't think they make .223 brass, but their handgun brass is first rate.

m&p45acp10+1 · October 5, 2011, 06:29 PM

I just pick mine up at the range.

I just love it when a couple of guys show up with an AR and a bag from a sporting goods store with a large supply of ammo. The last two left me 2k pieces of LC brass. Heck they left the ammo boxes, the bag, and the recipt.

I will process it all some time later on. I shoot a bolt action, and already have more 3 pound coffee cans than I can count of the prepped brass. That does not even include the 2 gal wash pail of fireformed and neck sized brass I have either.

Oh BTW I have never purchased brass for the .223. I had 40 rounds that came with the rifle to test for function, after that it has been all my handloads.

ripnbst · October 5, 2011, 07:31 PM

M&P I'd be cleaning up the excess and selling to fund my habits.

m&p45acp10+1 · October 5, 2011, 10:03 PM

Well I would sell, but it is a pain in the butt to do so. Most times I talk to people about trades for .223 and they act like they would be doing me a favor to take it off of my hands. I did all the darned work of prepping. So I will have all the fun shooting, and fire forming it too.

Charlie98 · October 5, 2011, 11:22 PM

I have a bucket of fired brass, but I don't have a power trimmer... and I'm not hand cranking 2000 cases!!!

What I'm hoping is the LC is the proper length that I can use an RCBS X-die to resize them...

Edward429451 · October 6, 2011, 01:45 AM

Good plan, all except for the x die instructions say to trim the brass first time and run it through the x die after that. 2000 cases to trim justifies a power trimmer!

It worked for me and she let me get the RCBS Trim Pro. Good trimmer and my only complaint is that the handle bolt screws into the aluminum base and stripped it out under heavy use.

wingman · October 6, 2011, 07:21 AM

You ask for the best first and that is Laupa, most consistent and last longer but pricy. I use it in bolt mostly but have loaded a few for my AR.

sundog · October 6, 2011, 07:41 AM

New Lake City..., and don't look back.

m&p45acp10+1 · October 6, 2011, 03:18 PM

I use the Lee Trimmer, and a power drill for trimming cases. It works just fine. Also the drill comes in handy for a lot of other things too. I should mention that I have the Lyman Universal Trimmer that I could upgrade fairly cheaply, though the Lee Trimmer, and lock stud work just fine for me.

I trim in batches of 50 to 100 at a time so it does not seem like such a monumental task.

October 4, 2011, 06:09 PM	#1
UtopiaTexasG19 Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 743	Recommendations For New .223 Casings.... Anyone have any current recommendations for new brass casings in .223 that are good enough for multiple loadings and at the current best price? Someone always comes up with a sale or a business I've never heard of before so I thought I'd ask. Thanks...

October 5, 2011, 06:29 PM	#12
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I just pick mine up at the range. I just love it when a couple of guys show up with an AR and a bag from a sporting goods store with a large supply of ammo. The last two left me 2k pieces of LC brass. Heck they left the ammo boxes, the bag, and the recipt. I will process it all some time later on. I shoot a bolt action, and already have more 3 pound coffee cans than I can count of the prepped brass. That does not even include the 2 gal wash pail of fireformed and neck sized brass I have either. Oh BTW I have never purchased brass for the .223. I had 40 rounds that came with the rifle to test for function, after that it has been all my handloads. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

October 5, 2011, 10:03 PM	#14
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Well I would sell, but it is a pain in the butt to do so. Most times I talk to people about trades for .223 and they act like they would be doing me a favor to take it off of my hands. I did all the darned work of prepping. So I will have all the fun shooting, and fire forming it too. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

October 6, 2011, 07:41 AM	#18
sundog Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Green Country, OK Posts: 782	New Lake City..., and don't look back. __________________ safety first

October 6, 2011, 03:18 PM	#19
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I use the Lee Trimmer, and a power drill for trimming cases. It works just fine. Also the drill comes in handy for a lot of other things too. I should mention that I have the Lyman Universal Trimmer that I could upgrade fairly cheaply, though the Lee Trimmer, and lock stud work just fine for me. I trim in batches of 50 to 100 at a time so it does not seem like such a monumental task. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

October 4, 2011, 06:20 PM	#2
Toney Senior Member Join Date: August 17, 2005 Location: Stillwater Oklahoma Posts: 790	Remington brass is my favorite rifle brass.

October 4, 2011, 07:14 PM	#3
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Here's a few surplus deals on new brass: Pat's: http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel...category=Brass Jeff Bartlett has once-fired: http://www.gibrass.com/brass.html Poly Gun Bag: http://www.polygunbag.com/brass.html There are others but these are my go-to guys.

October 4, 2011, 07:29 PM	#4
rg1 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Posts: 1,125	http://tjconevera.com/oncefiredbrass.html You've probably aware of Wideners too: http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm...78\|282\|909\|948

October 4, 2011, 09:23 PM	#5
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	Lake City brass is very good quality. If you buy it once fired, you will probably have to deal with crimped primer pockets. New Lake City brass at Natchez is $120 + shipping per thousand. LC brass

October 5, 2011, 09:55 AM	#6
Doodlebugger45 Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,717	Wow. That is a very good price for new brass. I don't reload .223. With that price, maybe I should.

October 5, 2011, 11:39 AM	#7
UtopiaTexasG19 Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: S.E. Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 743	The only complaints I've read about the new unfired Lake City brass is that it is tarnished around the neck due to annealing and some of the suppliers are shorting customers a few rounds per order by packing by weight, but at that price it appears to be a great deal for those that re-load.

October 5, 2011, 02:09 PM	#8
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	It's not tarnish but heat discoloration from the annealing. That's always the case with military brass whether fired or unfired. Commercial brass simply has the annealing discoloration polished off, and you can do the same with this brass. Otherwise it's excellent brass, although I prefer to buy once fired and process it myself, paying around 4.5 - 5 cents each for once fired. I can buy twice as much that way.

October 5, 2011, 04:50 PM	#9
davery25 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 318	if you can get your hands on australian ADI brass then thats as good as lapua brass (actually its more consistant volume wise) but costs a fraction of the price. Otherwise ive heard lake city is good despite never trying it. and i have just been using remington because i once bought 500 cases of it and am still going with those.

October 5, 2011, 05:00 PM	#10
bikerjim Junior Member Join Date: September 9, 2011 Posts: 3	I have had excellent luck with Starline brass. I don't know if they make 223's but I have used a lot of 40 S&W's with very good results.

October 5, 2011, 07:31 PM	#13
ripnbst Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 1,552	M&P I'd be cleaning up the excess and selling to fund my habits.

October 5, 2011, 11:22 PM	#15
Charlie98 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2006 Location: Great state of Texas Posts: 1,077	I have a bucket of fired brass, but I don't have a power trimmer... and I'm not hand cranking 2000 cases!!! What I'm hoping is the LC is the proper length that I can use an RCBS X-die to resize them...

October 6, 2011, 01:45 AM	#16
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Good plan, all except for the x die instructions say to trim the brass first time and run it through the x die after that. 2000 cases to trim justifies a power trimmer! It worked for me and she let me get the RCBS Trim Pro. Good trimmer and my only complaint is that the handle bolt screws into the aluminum base and stripped it out under heavy use.

October 6, 2011, 07:21 AM	#17
wingman Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2002 Posts: 2,108	You ask for the best first and that is Laupa, most consistent and last longer but pricy. I use it in bolt mostly but have loaded a few for my AR.