Sorting brass and headstamps...

[fretless33]

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!

[mikld]

oops!

[mikld]

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/ca...-glossary.html

[fretless33]

Thanks man...I used that site today!

[elkslayer4x5]

Thanks for thoses links, added them to my reloading misc favorites!

[Clark]

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.

[Jimro]

I used to sort LC by year.

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

Jimro

[fretless33]

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:

[mikld]

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...

[F. Guffey]

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