FTF, FTE "T" head-stamp 556 reloads

A

Astocks2622

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I started building up loads for my AR, and some of the brass I had is 5.56 with a "T" head-stamp. I went to the range to chrono & group them, but had trouble only with this specific brass with FTF's and difficult extraction after the FTF. It wouldn't always chamber fully, but would usually, either from initial charging or in the middle of a mag.
If I didn't notice and pulled the trigger, nothing would happen, and then they were extremely difficult to extract. Like bang on the charging handle with a piece of wood, difficult.
These were all FL sized, then trimmed, and primed, CCI 400. These cases definitely have deeper primer pockets, so not sure if the FTF was always because of being slightly out of battery, or from light strikes.
Either way, I had no trouble with the factory ammo I brought, or any of the other reloads I was testing.
Ideas?

Here is a pic of the head-stamp.
605b740fa98c3482d941b490b1e5f0f6.jpg


I don't see any major scratches or signs that the car was too long, pinching the neck on the lands. Don't know why they'd be Abby different than the other brass I processed exactly the same way...


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To much crimp can bulge the shoulder. Keeps round from fully chambering. Unfired has hard extraction problems.

But if all are trimmed to the same length, then maybe something else ??
 
Well, either could be what's going on. I set my calipers .002 under the listed max case length, and trim anything that doesn't fit. I do use a Lee fcd, so I might have over crimped.
I don't see anything indicating the case walls are oversized, or anything like a ring where the sizer die stopped. But it is all the same brass causing issues, so maybe it's once fired military. Any idea who makes this specific brass.

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Hold on , give me a second to catch my breath . Had to run to the other side of the house to view the whole photo :D .

I've never seen that head stamp , crimp or primer . All kinds of reasons to have issues though .
 
I've had the exact issues issues in the past. Some cases are softer than others and will bulge at the shoulder junction when you come down too hard on the crimp as mentioned above. Best fix is not to crimp at all.

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I don't crimp my other rifle loads, but I thought it would be a good idea with the semi autos

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Metal god said:
Hold on , give me a second to catch my breath . Had to run to the other side of the house to view the whole photo :D .

I've never seen that head stamp , crimp or primer . All kinds of reasons to have issues though .
Click to expand...
Well the primer is a CCI 400, and the primer pocket had been chamfered. What your actually looking at is one of my reloads that stuck...

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The crimp from the Lee factory crimp die would not affect the shoulder. I think the issue is the Lee sizing die is not a small base die. I have seen the same in two ARs I load for and have gone to a small base die. Chances are the cases were shot out of a rifle with a slightly large chamber and you are now sticking closer to the bolt face. Mark a case with a sharpie and try to chamber it again.
 
OK, I Sharpied one of the problem rounds, and the only obvious interference is up on the shoulder, not towards the case head. How sure are we that the FCD can't slightly bulge the shoulder? It has to be pushing down some, even though it's mostly squeezing with the collet system, right?

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Well, I pulled one of the bullets or of a problem round, and I am definitely coming too much, like an obvious indentation in the projectile of .0015-.002". So that's something to address, obviously.
However, I resized the case after pulling the bullet, and then tried to chamber just the case. Same problem, but not quite as tight. Clear marks in the marker on the shoulder, and a slight ring near the case head. So maybe the chambering issue is an oversized case near the head?

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Well the primer is a CCI 400, and the primer pocket had been chamfered. What your actually looking at is one of my reloads that stuck...
Click to expand...

Oh yes , now I see what I'm looking at . That chamfer looked like a whole other step in the primer pocket and the primer looked seated really deep but now that I know what I'm looking at it looks fine haha Thanks
 
OK, the chambering issues are definitely NOT from the crimp. Just tried some of the problem brass that I had sized and primed, but not loaded yet. Every one stuck when I tried to extract. Guess I need a small base die.

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so maybe it's once fired military
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The crimp around the primers indicate it's military brass.

If your bullets don't have a crimping groove, stop crimping them at all.
It's really not necessary.

I wouldn't try small base dies just yet.

I'd just stop using all the mixed junk brass and buy some decent brass to begin with and then I think you will see all your problems disappear.
 
Snyper said:
The crimp around the primers indicate it's military brass.

If your bullets don't have a crimping groove, stop crimping them at all.
It's really not necessary.

I wouldn't try small base dies just yet.

I'd just stop using all the mixed junk brass and buy some decent brass to begin with and then I think you will see all your problems disappear.
Click to expand...
I did separate out the brass by head-stamp for the load development, loading each ladder with the same brass. I'll be using the Federal and LC brass for my accuracy loads, but it would be nice to use the 500 or so of these Tula or whatever for plinking loads or lost brass matches. If I can get them to function fine by purchasing a $25 die, it seems worth it.

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I see two options really . First I agree it's likely you need a SB die for those . You can get the SB die or just set those aside for now with a note in the bag or box stating they need a SB die and once you get one you can bring those into the rotation .

I load for two 5.56 chambers and two 223 Wylde chambers and have not needed a SB die ( thank god ) They do have there place though . I just started needing one in 308 . Not due to my tight chambers but because this specific lot of brass was so stretched out my standard die would not size them down enough . I'm assuming they had just enough spring back to chamber tight when sized with my Redding FL bushing die . I'm wondering now that I've sized them down enough . Maybe they will not need the SB die next time .
 
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