Another 223/556 question

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hammer58

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I recently picked up a couple hundred rounds of 223/556 brass at a local range. Some of them are marked PMC 223 while the others are all marked with LC headstamps. My question is about the primer pockets. It is my understanding that the LC stamps are 556 military and the primer pockets need to be swaged. I picked up LC stamps LC09, LC13, LC14, LC15 and LC16. The primer pockets in the LC13 stamps have a different crimp that is much more pronounced than all of the others.

The primer pockets in the 223 and LC stamps all measure .175" except for the LC13 stamps, which measure .171"-173".

I have also read that the military brass will need to have the primer pockets swaged to accept new primers.

Would all of the LC stamp cases need to be swaged or just the LC13 stamps? I included a picture of the 3 if that will help.
 

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Both of the LC brass is crimped. you need to swag them both the first loading.

Here is a hint, do them all at once or separate them into lots and do a lot at a time. Do not stop in the middle. God Bless
 
Now when one swages crimped brass do you still need to take the reamer and uniformer to it?


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Are these once fired range brass? Make sure at least you use a case gage (like Dillon or Lyman type) to ensure they will meet headspace prior to shooting. Inspect them real well after shooting and after resizing, over time the necks will split.

In my experience swaging does the trick for .223, But never any guarantees, you should not have to uniform or ream the pockets, but may in a particular circumstance.

LC 13 has a crimp like Greek HXP .30-06, except 4 tabs instead of 3. Never encountered this on .223. On my Greek HXP brass I don't have to swage, just use a chamfer tool to prep pockets and remove the three crimps. You may still have to swage these, but as an option could try chamfering first to see if that allows reliable seating (however the fact that they are small primer pockets may in itself force you to swage).

Oh, my advice, watch the PMC closely. My experience with reloading PMC handgun or rifle brass, they are of lesser quality. Someone else's mileage may vary.
 
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For the most part "crimped" primers come from the military side of the house but not always, I have seen civilian NT (Non-Toxic) Federal ammunition using strong primer crimps. Regardless of how a crimped primer got that way if we plan to reload the brass the crimps need to be removed. Crimps come in a few flavors like circular or staked but either way, the crimp needs to go.

The two popular methods for removing the crimp are "swaging" or "reaming" and I have never seen a need to use both methods. My earliest attempts to remove crimps involved a crude ream using a #2 Phillips screwdriver tip. Holding the case in one hand and a few twist of the screwdriver with the other. I have also used fancier tools like this Chamfer and Deburring Tool 17 to 45 Caliber. Just about everyone makes one. It gets used as a reamer to remove primer crimp. The remaining method is swaging the primer pockets. Tools like the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager #9495 will swage primer pockets as will other similar tools available.

Each method of removing a primer pocket crimp has its own good and bad points. Either method if not correctly done can screw up a case. Personally I use a reamer on a case prep center and each case only takes a second or two, fast, easy and clean. In my opinion there are likely more tools out there than needed when a simple #2 Phillips bit mounted in a variable speed electric drill will work just fine.

Now when one swages crimped brass do you still need to take the reamer and uniformer to it?
Click to expand...

No when either method is used correctly either method should be all that is needed. All we want to do is be able to seat a new primer in the pocket. We want our new primers going in nice and snug, we don't want to over do opening a primer pocket making for a loose primer fit.

Ron
 
There are a LOT of 'Civilian' and government contract (police) brass that have crimped/staked primers, so don't assume that ".223" brass will not have crimps.

Forign made 5.56mm, and some .223 will have odd sized primer pockets.
SAAMI standards don't apply to overseas manufacture.

I use a primer pocket 'Uniformer' on my brass.
Its an extra step, but it ensures proper size/depth of the primer pocket, since primer pockets often distort when crimped.
With a self LIMITING depth of cut primer pocket uniformer, you get properly sized, round, and proper depth, not to mention completely clean primer pockets.

Now, I use an automotated case processing machine,
Primers are punched, the next station removes crimp (cutting).
Since the brass on the crimp is work hardened, its not going to absorb back into the case head,
No reason NOT to keep that lip, so trimming over swaging or swagging is your choice,
Trimming gives you a nice rounded edge with nothing to hang the new primer up, or to keep the uniforming cutter from centering in the primer pocket hole.

*IF* you use a primer pocket 'Uniformer', make darn sure your cutter matches the primers you are using.
Make sure you measure a pretty good sample of the primers,
And keep a solid 'Interference Fit', primer larger than hole,
So the primers stay solidly in place.

Its easy enough to spin/hone a cutting tool, and use emery/polishing cloth to undersized your cutting tools to fit any variations in primer size...

Once you learn to uniform primer pockets, which can be all over the place,
You wil find primers install MUCH more uniformly, and you will stop crushing primers, having snags, hang-ups, ect.
 
I don't even check to see if new pick up brass is crimped or not, I just go ahead and punch out the primer with a universal decapping die, and ream the primer pocket with a Lyman tool, before moving on to cleaning, re-sizing, trimming etc.
 
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