Preparing .223 Lake City brass

DBotkin · January 4, 2009, 11:55 PM

OK, I may be setting a new record for asking a question that's been asked before, but...

Just bought a .223. While awaiting delivery, I'm looking at the reloading situation. There seems to be no shortage of once-fired (or supposedly so) Lake City brass, which would be fine with me.

I don't mind the cleaning, decapping, sizing, sorting, trimming, etc. However, I hear conflicting stories about how much effort is required to prep this brass. Specifically, how much work is needed to ream or swage the primer pockets?

sargenv · January 5, 2009, 01:11 AM

I processed 6k of 223 brass last winter..

You need to de-prime it.. an operation on a press.. I chose to do mine on a Dillon 650.. Station 1 was good for this.

I placed the Dillon Case trimmer on Station 3, the case trimmer also has a resizer if you want to simply deprime on station 1 with a deprime only die or you can put your sizing die here with the deprimer included in it. Have extra pins on hand, you will likely break a few.

I lube my cases and dump them into the hopper. I sized/deprimed on 1, and then trimmed on 3. I ran through as many cases as I felt like doing. In this case, it was about 6k. I still had about 3 or 4k left but I was tired of doing it, so 6k was it. I then tumbled the lube off the cases in my Dillon tumbler. It took about 4 or 5 loads to get all 6k cleaned.

You then need to swage the primer pocket. This took a very long time but was accomplished using the bench mounted Swaging tool. My wrists were sore for weeks after I was done doing that.

You next need to decide whether you want to chamfer the case mouths. I was loading fmj-bt bullets, so chamfering was un-needed..

Next step was seating the primer, dropping powder charge and seating the bullet. In my case I separated the cases into batches and put them into storage until the time that I decide to load them. You will only need seat the primer, drop the powder charge, and seat the bullet. Just like the final things you need do when loading pistol ammo. The next time you load these cases, if there is a next time, you will not need to swage the pockets since that should be done. You may or may not need trim the case to length.

bullspotter · January 5, 2009, 01:24 AM

that pretty much sums it up their!!! I got lucky most of my brass didnt have crimped primers. I did pick up some pmc at the range that was crimped, i just size-decapped it then took a sharp pocket knife, and rolled the brass on the table while trimming the ring out of the brass, then took a few light turns with my rcbs debrring tool to get a light bevel on th top of the pocket. went pretty fast really. Have reloaded and shot them a few times with no problems, or accuracy issues. Just dont trim to much our the pocket will be to big for the primers. This pry is not the right way to do it, but thats what i did to the few range brass i picked up (about 80). Couldnt imagine doing this 6000 times thouh...... not fun.........

Tim R · January 5, 2009, 01:40 AM

I prefer using Lake City brass in my match AR for High Power. It's cheap and it's good brass.

First step is to send the brass off to my tumbler for cleaning.

I deprime/size by using my Hornady match bushing die. For case lube, I use a lube pad and RCBS case lube II. Wipes off with a damp rag.

After I deprime I check the trim lenght on a Forster trimmer. A few cranks on the handle and it done.

After I get the batch sized and trimmed I then swage on a Dillon Super swage. I've found I prefer the "feel" of a swaged primer pocket over a cut one. The Super Swage is easy to use and it's quick.

I found the best money spent on making smaller groups is to uniform the primer pockets. I mounted a uniformer on a elec. screw driver and have at it. This is a pain but once it done, it's done.

I still camfer, chamfer even though I'm using SMK's.

600 yard ammo brass gets weighed. It hurts when the brass gods decide they need to be fed.

DBotkin · January 5, 2009, 11:53 AM

Thanks guys. I hear all kinds of things about primer pockets on these; everything from "gotta swage every one" to "only about 5% need it". I really only need to stock up on brass once, so I'll get some that have already been swaged. I have no real desire to buy yet another tool to do the job.

On the bright side, with a .22-250 and a .222 I'm already well stocked with .224 bullets, small rifle primers and 4198. I guess I might want to re-think my policy of only buying 7-1/2 BR primers, depending on what I can find locally for what price. I was tempted to use my .222 dies and just neck size the .223 brass, but talked myself into a new set of dies pretty quickly. I just wish I hadn't talked myself into RCBS dies. What a mistake. Compared to Hornady dies or even old RCBS, I'm very disappointed in them. Won't make that mistake again.

DaveInPA · January 5, 2009, 12:02 PM

Get a Dillon Super Swage 600. BY FAR the best option for removing primer crimps. Don't bother looking for a used one. Those of us who own them don't part with them!

vranasaurus · January 5, 2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

I really only need to stock up on brass once, so I'll get some that have already been swaged. I have no real desire to buy yet another tool to do the job.

The brass will eventually wear out and you will have to get more so you will have this tool to use on the brass you buy in the future.

crowbeaner · January 5, 2009, 04:03 PM

I just treat my .223 brass to the same abuses that my 308 and '06 brass is subjected to. F/L sized, trimmed, beveled and deburred, flash holes deburred, swaged with the RCBS unit (the lowlife SOBs that stole all my reloading gear took the Super Swager too), and reloaded. I even subjected half of the last batch to the indignity of being run through a 222 FL die and trimmed to length for my old BDL. I prefer LC or WCC brass as those are the best 2 headstamps for reloading the 223. LC is made by Federal now, and it seems to be a bit softer than the WCC; the primer pockets on the LC are easier to swage though. Uniforming the flash holes can remove a surprising amount of excess brass, and adds to the internal capacity a bit. I do this BEFORE swaging so that the cases all get the same amount of swage depth, and the primer pocket edge gets just a bit of radius.

ForneyRider · January 5, 2009, 04:08 PM

I have LC brass from some Federal bulk I bought.

I bought the RCBS primer pocket swager. I think it is one of the cheaper solutions to crimped primers. Works great. If I shot over 100 rounds a month, I would get a Dillon or something that would be less effort per piece.

jhansman · January 5, 2009, 05:53 PM

I just did about 1500 pieces of once-fired LC .223 and yes, you must swage it in order to reprime the cases with regular boxer primers. I borrowed a friend's Dillon Super Swage and got them done in a couple of days. If I was going to do the job again and could not borrow his Dillon, I'd just buy one. It's that good of a tool. Have fun!

Also, for trimming, the Possum Hollow Kwik Trim and the companion drill adapter are a great, affordable investment, assuming you already have a drill.

Alleykat · January 5, 2009, 06:13 PM

I just de-crimped a bunch of military 5.56 brass by lightly chucking the case in my electric drill and using my Lee chamfer tool. One quick trigger squeeze and the crimp's gone.

**Unclenick** · January 5, 2009, 07:16 PM

. . . you can go to Scharch Manufacturing' (Top Brass) and buy the once-fired brass already processed (sized, trimmed, primer pocket reamed). There is even the option to buy it pre-primed. It is, however, mixed LC, WCC, and FC.

Glen Zediker insists that Winchester brass has proved most universally accurate for him in .223. That surprises me, considering that it is not dimensionally as precise as the more expensive European makes. It may be that Winchester's has the right combination of brass alloy and annealing method to provide the most consistent bullet pull. That would go a long way toward maximum accuracy. It is another route you can try.

swmike · January 5, 2009, 11:29 PM

I used to ream the crimp out of my military brass using a lyman primer pocket reamer mounted in a drill press.

THEN---

I bought a Dillon Super Swage 600 and have no desire to go back to the reaming process. The swaging tool does not remove any metal, it just re-forms the primer pocket "mouth" so it is back to the correct size for the primer and adds a slight radius to the lip so the primer does not hang up on insertion.

I can sit at my bench, watch TV, and swage 500+ rounds before taking a break (bladder usually cries out in pain after this amount

).

If you are loading .223 ammo one of the best investments will be a Super Swage. The next best addition would be a Dillon Power Trimmer but that is for another thread.

January 4, 2009, 11:55 PM	#1
DBotkin Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 302	Preparing .223 Lake City brass OK, I may be setting a new record for asking a question that's been asked before, but... Just bought a .223. While awaiting delivery, I'm looking at the reloading situation. There seems to be no shortage of once-fired (or supposedly so) Lake City brass, which would be fine with me. I don't mind the cleaning, decapping, sizing, sorting, trimming, etc. However, I hear conflicting stories about how much effort is required to prep this brass. Specifically, how much work is needed to ream or swage the primer pockets?

January 5, 2009, 01:40 AM	#4
Tim R Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2004 Location: God's side of Washington State Posts: 1,601	I prefer using Lake City brass in my match AR for High Power. It's cheap and it's good brass. First step is to send the brass off to my tumbler for cleaning. I deprime/size by using my Hornady match bushing die. For case lube, I use a lube pad and RCBS case lube II. Wipes off with a damp rag. After I deprime I check the trim lenght on a Forster trimmer. A few cranks on the handle and it done. After I get the batch sized and trimmed I then swage on a Dillon Super swage. I've found I prefer the "feel" of a swaged primer pocket over a cut one. The Super Swage is easy to use and it's quick. I found the best money spent on making smaller groups is to uniform the primer pockets. I mounted a uniformer on a elec. screw driver and have at it. This is a pain but once it done, it's done. I still camfer, chamfer even though I'm using SMK's. 600 yard ammo brass gets weighed. It hurts when the brass gods decide they need to be fed. __________________ God Bless our Troops especially our Snipers.

January 5, 2009, 04:03 PM	#8
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	I just treat my .223 brass to the same abuses that my 308 and '06 brass is subjected to. F/L sized, trimmed, beveled and deburred, flash holes deburred, swaged with the RCBS unit (the lowlife SOBs that stole all my reloading gear took the Super Swager too), and reloaded. I even subjected half of the last batch to the indignity of being run through a 222 FL die and trimmed to length for my old BDL. I prefer LC or WCC brass as those are the best 2 headstamps for reloading the 223. LC is made by Federal now, and it seems to be a bit softer than the WCC; the primer pockets on the LC are easier to swage though. Uniforming the flash holes can remove a surprising amount of excess brass, and adds to the internal capacity a bit. I do this BEFORE swaging so that the cases all get the same amount of swage depth, and the primer pocket edge gets just a bit of radius. __________________ If you want your children to follow in your footsteps, be careful where you walk. Beware the man that only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it. I just hope my ship comes in before my dock rots.

January 5, 2009, 04:08 PM	#9
ForneyRider Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2007 Location: Forney, TX Posts: 725	I have LC brass from some Federal bulk I bought. I bought the RCBS primer pocket swager. I think it is one of the cheaper solutions to crimped primers. Works great. If I shot over 100 rounds a month, I would get a Dillon or something that would be less effort per piece. __________________ When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.

January 5, 2009, 05:53 PM	#10
jhansman Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2007 Posts: 680	I just did about 1500 pieces of once-fired LC .223 and yes, you must swage it in order to reprime the cases with regular boxer primers. I borrowed a friend's Dillon Super Swage and got them done in a couple of days. If I was going to do the job again and could not borrow his Dillon, I'd just buy one. It's that good of a tool. Have fun! Also, for trimming, the Possum Hollow Kwik Trim and the companion drill adapter are a great, affordable investment, assuming you already have a drill. __________________ Blessed is the man who has nothing to say, and cannot be compelled to say it. Last edited by jhansman; January 5, 2009 at 10:42 PM.

January 5, 2009, 01:11 AM	#2
sargenv Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 72	I processed 6k of 223 brass last winter.. You need to de-prime it.. an operation on a press.. I chose to do mine on a Dillon 650.. Station 1 was good for this. I placed the Dillon Case trimmer on Station 3, the case trimmer also has a resizer if you want to simply deprime on station 1 with a deprime only die or you can put your sizing die here with the deprimer included in it. Have extra pins on hand, you will likely break a few. I lube my cases and dump them into the hopper. I sized/deprimed on 1, and then trimmed on 3. I ran through as many cases as I felt like doing. In this case, it was about 6k. I still had about 3 or 4k left but I was tired of doing it, so 6k was it. I then tumbled the lube off the cases in my Dillon tumbler. It took about 4 or 5 loads to get all 6k cleaned. You then need to swage the primer pocket. This took a very long time but was accomplished using the bench mounted Swaging tool. My wrists were sore for weeks after I was done doing that. You next need to decide whether you want to chamfer the case mouths. I was loading fmj-bt bullets, so chamfering was un-needed.. Next step was seating the primer, dropping powder charge and seating the bullet. In my case I separated the cases into batches and put them into storage until the time that I decide to load them. You will only need seat the primer, drop the powder charge, and seat the bullet. Just like the final things you need do when loading pistol ammo. The next time you load these cases, if there is a next time, you will not need to swage the pockets since that should be done. You may or may not need trim the case to length.

January 5, 2009, 01:24 AM	#3
bullspotter Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2008 Location: Montana Posts: 308	that pretty much sums it up their!!! I got lucky most of my brass didnt have crimped primers. I did pick up some pmc at the range that was crimped, i just size-decapped it then took a sharp pocket knife, and rolled the brass on the table while trimming the ring out of the brass, then took a few light turns with my rcbs debrring tool to get a light bevel on th top of the pocket. went pretty fast really. Have reloaded and shot them a few times with no problems, or accuracy issues. Just dont trim to much our the pocket will be to big for the primers. This pry is not the right way to do it, but thats what i did to the few range brass i picked up (about 80). Couldnt imagine doing this 6000 times thouh...... not fun.........

January 5, 2009, 11:53 AM	#5
DBotkin Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 302	Thanks guys. I hear all kinds of things about primer pockets on these; everything from "gotta swage every one" to "only about 5% need it". I really only need to stock up on brass once, so I'll get some that have already been swaged. I have no real desire to buy yet another tool to do the job. On the bright side, with a .22-250 and a .222 I'm already well stocked with .224 bullets, small rifle primers and 4198. I guess I might want to re-think my policy of only buying 7-1/2 BR primers, depending on what I can find locally for what price. I was tempted to use my .222 dies and just neck size the .223 brass, but talked myself into a new set of dies pretty quickly. I just wish I hadn't talked myself into RCBS dies. What a mistake. Compared to Hornady dies or even old RCBS, I'm very disappointed in them. Won't make that mistake again.

January 5, 2009, 12:02 PM	#6
DaveInPA Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2008 Location: Berks County, PA Posts: 1,106	Get a Dillon Super Swage 600. BY FAR the best option for removing primer crimps. Don't bother looking for a used one. Those of us who own them don't part with them!

January 5, 2009, 06:13 PM	#11
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	I just de-crimped a bunch of military 5.56 brass by lightly chucking the case in my electric drill and using my Lee chamfer tool. One quick trigger squeeze and the crimp's gone.

January 5, 2009, 07:16 PM	#12
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Or. . . . . . you can go to Scharch Manufacturing' (Top Brass) and buy the once-fired brass already processed (sized, trimmed, primer pocket reamed). There is even the option to buy it pre-primed. It is, however, mixed LC, WCC, and FC. Glen Zediker insists that Winchester brass has proved most universally accurate for him in .223. That surprises me, considering that it is not dimensionally as precise as the more expensive European makes. It may be that Winchester's has the right combination of brass alloy and annealing method to provide the most consistent bullet pull. That would go a long way toward maximum accuracy. It is another route you can try. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

January 5, 2009, 11:29 PM	#13
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	I used to ream the crimp out of my military brass using a lyman primer pocket reamer mounted in a drill press. THEN--- I bought a Dillon Super Swage 600 and have no desire to go back to the reaming process. The swaging tool does not remove any metal, it just re-forms the primer pocket "mouth" so it is back to the correct size for the primer and adds a slight radius to the lip so the primer does not hang up on insertion. I can sit at my bench, watch TV, and swage 500+ rounds before taking a break (bladder usually cries out in pain after this amount). If you are loading .223 ammo one of the best investments will be a Super Swage. The next best addition would be a Dillon Power Trimmer but that is for another thread. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________