Lake City Brass for 5.56

bluestreakrem · July 22, 2014, 09:46 AM

I've reloaded years ago but have been away for about 15 years. Time to catch up.

I understand the need to segregate cases by head stamps because of possiable case volume differences between manufacturers but............
Is there a need to segregate the different years of manufacture of Lake City brass?
Does the year of manufacture change the internal dimentions enough to warrant the extra work?

Gadawg88 · July 22, 2014, 10:40 AM

I do not. I load primarily plinking ammo to punch holes in paper. My charge is upper mid range, so not close to max. Never had any issues. If I were trying to squeak out maximum accuracy, I would sort and use all identical brass.

skizzums · July 22, 2014, 11:02 AM

i see no need to sort brass unless i am loading competition ammo or SD, just make sure you get rid of the primer crimps after decapping, i just use a cordless drill with a phillips head and gently drill out the primer pocket, easy and fast

Magnum Wheel Man · July 22, 2014, 11:03 AM

I fall somewhere in between... I personally use matching head stamp ( the LC, & numbers are in the same position, on the case head... there are a few variations ) & use 2 or 3 sequential years with those matching head stamps...

FIL swore by LC brass for accuracy shooting, but if he was picky about a load, he'd weigh up cases of various LC headstamps... I'm not sure how close he got them, as I wasn't reloading back then...

bluestreakrem · July 22, 2014, 12:11 PM

Speaking of head stamp markings.............Is there a webpage that explains the various marks on LC brass?

Gadawg88 · July 22, 2014, 01:54 PM

The cross in a circle symbol means it meets NATO standards. The LC stands for Lake City Army Ammunition and the number indicates the year of manufacture
i.e. 99 = 1999 or 11 = 2011.

steve4102 · July 23, 2014, 04:28 PM

There is very little difference in case capacity between the Military 5.56 brass and civilian 223 brass. In fact the LC cases usually have more case capacity then most civilian 223 brass.

So, if you are working with loads in LC or other military case and you switch to a civilian 223 case, this is when you need to check case capacity as your 223 case will usually have less case capacity.

Marco Califo · July 25, 2014, 11:31 PM

First 5.56 2.23 brass does not vary much in volume between brands. There is a very good article on 223, with some very good tables (one shows case capacities), and don't miss the Sierra load guide free downloads: http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/
I like Lake City because they seem to be consistent good quality and available inexpensively. I "could" pickup all the free 223 I want at the range, but that is not 1000 of any one brand, which are more or less identical.

The reason I sort by year is to keep my "lots" separate by where I got them, and to have an idea of what I have done with them. For example all of my LC year x1, x2, x3, I got from GIBRASS.com. If I need my best I get them from the box they came in. If they are already outside of that box, then I have loaded then about 2 times already, they are still good. One the other hand, years x7, x8, x9 I picked up at a range, and they look like they have been reloaded before: I used those for plinkers once, and they are scrap after next time. After being shot, they all go into a common cleaning process. I do not touch them anymore than possible until I sort them after tumbling when they are shiny and clean to avoid the toxic residue left mostly by the primer.

bfoosh006 · July 27, 2014, 01:44 PM

Yes LC '09 is not very good...

I keep it all separate so I don't have to monitor it as closely.

Slamfire · July 27, 2014, 02:44 PM

I must suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors because I sort my LC brass by head stamp. Even though I have won medals at Camp Perry with mixed head stamp brass, (out to 300 yards) I have this uneasy feeling that the world is not right. At 600 yards I must shoot same head stamp or as I shoot, I will have no confidence in bullet placement. I cannot prove it makes a difference one way or another as LC brass is very uniform year to year. But it could and that is all the difference in the world.

Short range ammunition must be in red boxes and long range in blue. It cannot be otherwise.

bluestreakrem · July 27, 2014, 03:24 PM

What's the issue with LC09 brass that you don't like?

July 22, 2014, 09:46 AM	#1
bluestreakrem Junior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 13	Lake City Brass for 5.56 I've reloaded years ago but have been away for about 15 years. Time to catch up. I understand the need to segregate cases by head stamps because of possiable case volume differences between manufacturers but............ Is there a need to segregate the different years of manufacture of Lake City brass? Does the year of manufacture change the internal dimentions enough to warrant the extra work?

July 25, 2014, 11:31 PM	#8
Marco Califo Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Location: LA (Greater Los Angeles Area) Posts: 2,722	I sort by year for a different reason First 5.56 2.23 brass does not vary much in volume between brands. There is a very good article on 223, with some very good tables (one shows case capacities), and don't miss the Sierra load guide free downloads: http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/ I like Lake City because they seem to be consistent good quality and available inexpensively. I "could" pickup all the free 223 I want at the range, but that is not 1000 of any one brand, which are more or less identical. The reason I sort by year is to keep my "lots" separate by where I got them, and to have an idea of what I have done with them. For example all of my LC year x1, x2, x3, I got from GIBRASS.com. If I need my best I get them from the box they came in. If they are already outside of that box, then I have loaded then about 2 times already, they are still good. One the other hand, years x7, x8, x9 I picked up at a range, and they look like they have been reloaded before: I used those for plinkers once, and they are scrap after next time. After being shot, they all go into a common cleaning process. I do not touch them anymore than possible until I sort them after tumbling when they are shiny and clean to avoid the toxic residue left mostly by the primer. __________________ ............ Last edited by Marco Califo; July 25, 2014 at 11:46 PM.

July 27, 2014, 02:44 PM	#10
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	I must suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors because I sort my LC brass by head stamp. Even though I have won medals at Camp Perry with mixed head stamp brass, (out to 300 yards) I have this uneasy feeling that the world is not right. At 600 yards I must shoot same head stamp or as I shoot, I will have no confidence in bullet placement. I cannot prove it makes a difference one way or another as LC brass is very uniform year to year. But it could and that is all the difference in the world. Short range ammunition must be in red boxes and long range in blue. It cannot be otherwise. __________________ If I'm not shooting, I'm reloading.

July 22, 2014, 10:40 AM	#2
Gadawg88 Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 241	I do not. I load primarily plinking ammo to punch holes in paper. My charge is upper mid range, so not close to max. Never had any issues. If I were trying to squeak out maximum accuracy, I would sort and use all identical brass.

July 22, 2014, 11:02 AM	#3
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	i see no need to sort brass unless i am loading competition ammo or SD, just make sure you get rid of the primer crimps after decapping, i just use a cordless drill with a phillips head and gently drill out the primer pocket, easy and fast

July 22, 2014, 11:03 AM	#4
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	I fall somewhere in between... I personally use matching head stamp ( the LC, & numbers are in the same position, on the case head... there are a few variations ) & use 2 or 3 sequential years with those matching head stamps... FIL swore by LC brass for accuracy shooting, but if he was picky about a load, he'd weigh up cases of various LC headstamps... I'm not sure how close he got them, as I wasn't reloading back then...

July 22, 2014, 12:11 PM	#5
bluestreakrem Junior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 13	Speaking of head stamp markings.............Is there a webpage that explains the various marks on LC brass?

July 22, 2014, 01:54 PM	#6
Gadawg88 Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 241	The cross in a circle symbol means it meets NATO standards. The LC stands for Lake City Army Ammunition and the number indicates the year of manufacture i.e. 99 = 1999 or 11 = 2011.

July 23, 2014, 04:28 PM	#7
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,968	There is very little difference in case capacity between the Military 5.56 brass and civilian 223 brass. In fact the LC cases usually have more case capacity then most civilian 223 brass. So, if you are working with loads in LC or other military case and you switch to a civilian 223 case, this is when you need to check case capacity as your 223 case will usually have less case capacity.

July 27, 2014, 01:44 PM	#9
bfoosh006 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2009 Posts: 1,100	Yes LC '09 is not very good... I keep it all separate so I don't have to monitor it as closely.

July 27, 2014, 03:24 PM	#11
bluestreakrem Junior Member Join Date: June 1, 2014 Posts: 13	What's the issue with LC09 brass that you don't like?