how many times do I need to “work” .223 cases

[BigDaddyDean]

Hello all.
I’m new to the forum but have been an outsider looking in on here for quite some time. I’ve been reloading for a few months now and have been having some very good success with all my loads. I’m currently only reloading .223 and 30-06 (for now). But I do have a couple quick questions.
First...I have the RCBS trim mate or whatever it is called (5 stations for servicing brass). Sorry. Know how to use it, just don’t remember the technical name.
I have it set up with the Lee primer pocket reamer as well as the Lee primer pocket size/de-crimp (again apologies for not remembering the name) as well as the primer pocket cleaner and both chamfer tips and a brush. Anyway, some friends and I went shooting this weekend and a bunch of the brass got mixed together with my own. I’ll def. be inspecting all the brass but mainly...do I need to reem the primer pocket every shot or should I just do it the first time them just use the wire brush after that? Second, same goes for chamfering. Should I be doing that each shot (assuming i don’t have to trim) or just the once? I’ve reloaded over 10,000 rounds now all the same.. h-335 or Varget, Hornady 168 grain BTHP and CCI BR4 primers. I absolutely love the results I’ve been getting at 400-500 yards. I’m just wanting to get the most out of my brass without watching a lot of brass shaving line my bench. I understand if it needs it just wanting to cut out a step if it’s not necessary. Also, I don’t shoot very hot loads. I use the Hornady book (version 8 if I remember) and I usually load second or third from the hottest recommended load for my grain.
Thanks again for the help. This forum has been a great help.

[HiBC]

When ammunition is made for the military,the primers are crimped or staked in place.This process upsets metal and effectively reduces the diameter of the entrance edge of the primer pocket.
That makes re-priming difficult to impossible.
To use the military crimped brass,we remove the crimp. Once you have done that,there is no way they get "re-crimped". There is no need to remove again what is not there.
If your brass gets "contaminated" with brass that has not been processed,visual inspection should work pretty well. A 10X or so jewelers loupe would help.You might feel a difference decapping,I suggest a Lee Universal decapper. You might find the shank of a drill bit or a pin gauge just the right size to use for a go/no go gauge.
I appreciate your attention to detail,but excessive work in the primer pockets can lead to loose pockets or gas leakage. Beyond your initial prep,brushing is the most I would do again.Your tumbler may make that unnecessary.

Case mouth chamfering: You don't want a dead sharp square edge on the OD or ID. The sharp edge wants to dig in or snag on things.Occasionally you can get a crushed or wrinkled case mouth.
You also don't want the case mouth scraping imperfections into the bullet.

That's why we chamfer.You do it once and you are done,until you trim your cases.Then you make new sharp edges.

And you just want a small chamfer. You do NOT want to sharpen your brass into a cookie cutter!

[ajandrs]

I mark all my cases with a sharpie, that solves the “which brass is mine” problem. I also mark them the number of loads they’ve seen, so a case that’s been loaded a 4th time has 4 quick little dashes down by the case head. This is kind of a pain because it forces you to clean in smaller batches, which can suck ... if you threw 500 cases with 4 markings in with 100 cases with 1 marking you wouldn’t know which is which when they come out of the tumbler.

I use the Frankford 3 tool head unit with built in trimmer. I only use the military crimp reamer and pocket hole uniformer tool once, the first time I load a case. After that has been done, on subsequent loadings they first hit the trimmer (sometimes it trims sometimes it doesn’t, depending on how much stretch has occurred) then I hit them real quick on the chamfer and debur tool heads, and then finally the pocket hole brush tool head.

Hope that helps!


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[T. O'Heir]

"...for chamfering..." Only done with BNIB brass and after trimming. Trimming is only done when required, not every time. You check case lengths every time though. Lock your calipres at the max case length(2.494" for .30-06. 1.760" for .223) and use 'em as a gauge.
Primer pockets are reamed once. Cleaned in your tumbler.
"...mixed together with my own..." Means all of 'em will require FL resizing if you're not shooting a semi-auto. Semi's require FL resizing every time. You can use brass from other rifles, but the cases will require FL resizing. Isn't a big deal.
"...usually load second or third from..." You need to work up the load from the Start load. Not just pick one and hope.
"...the technical name..." It's called a 'Thingy' by technicians. RCBS calls it a Trim Mate Case Prep Center. snicker.

[hdwhit]

BigDaddyDean wrote:
Hello all.

Welcome.

First...I have the RCBS trim mate ...
I have it set up with the Lee primer pocket reamer as well as the Lee primer pocket size/de-crimp ... as well as the primer pocket cleaner and both chamfer tips and a brush.

Okay, that should put you in good stead to properly process your brass.

Anyway, some friends and I went shooting this weekend and a bunch of the brass got mixed together with my own. I’ll def. be inspecting all the brass but mainly...do I need to reem the primer pocket every shot or should I just do it the first time them just use the wire brush after that?

As already noted, you only need to remove the primer pocket crimp on military brass once. If you do this by reaming (i.e. cutting away the crimp) then the cut will be visible on visual inspection. If the crimp is removed by swaging (i.e. mechanically displacing the crimp) it may not be obvious.

If you are in doubt, you can always put the case back on the reamer. If it has already been reamed, then nothing will happen.

Second, same goes for chamfering. Should I be doing that each shot (assuming i don’t have to trim) or just the once?

You only need to chamfer when you trim.

Depending on where you shoot, you may or may not recover all your fired brass. I do not shoot from a bench, but off-hand out in the fields so I only recover about 65% of my cases. At this loss rate, I know from my 38 years of reloading 223/5.56 that all of my cases will be lost to the weeds before they lengthen enough to need to be trimmed a second time. If you recover most of your brass, you will need to watch case length. You can use a case gauge or you can simply set a caliper to the max length of 1.760 inches and try passing your empties through the jaws. Any that don't pass freely go into a pile to be trimmed. Easy and quick to do while you're watching The Simpsons.

Also, I don’t shoot very hot loads. I use the Hornady book (version 8 if I remember) and I usually load second or third from the hottest recommended load for my grain.

I assume you reached these loads by beginning with the Starting load listed in Hornady #8 (which I also use) and then working up incrementally until you found a load that both functioned your gun reliably, was accurate and isn't displaying pressure signs.

[Mobuck]

You should be able readily differentiate chamfered cases from those not chamfered with a simple glance.