Need some experienced eyes

[BenderBT]

First time loading 223. Looks like high pressure but not sure why that would be or if it even is.

LC brass trimmed to 1.747
#41 primer
23gr. H335
Oal of 2.219
Medium lee factory crimp

Tell me your thoughts

 

[rmh3481]

Looks ok to me.

With 556/223 watch for thinning in the neck where the bullet seats. The case will thin, crack or burn through.

 

[mkl]

First picture looks like a pierced primer which is a sign of over pressure.

Reduce the powder charge by at least 7-percent and try again. You do not want holes in the primer (gas leakage into receiver).

The load books show average loads; not the ones which will work in your firearm well. Start at minimum and work up.

Many years ago, I had a 30-06 handload almost destroy an 03 Springfield rifle when I started out at the "medium" load in the books. Lucky, I was wearing shooting glasses when the gas blow back speckled my face. No serious harm, but from that point on, I did start at the minimum loads and work up!

 

[BenderBT]

The primer is not pierced but the first round is the worst to me. My book shows 23gr as starting load. Should the load still be reduced or are there other factors to consider.
Thanks

 

[mkl]

Well, if the primers are not pierced your pressures are in range that the gun can handle without exploding.

A few of the pictures appear to have a really flattened primer. That can be a sign of higher pressure but certainly not as bad a a pierced primer. My original advice was based on the black spots on the primer in your first picture. Looked like it could be a pierced primer with small gas blow back.

If you have a micrometer mark a point on the case rim and measure very carefully. Fire the round. Re-measure the rim at the exact same point. If you find more than 0.0015 expansion in the case rim, your pressure is still too high.

FWIW Speer bullets used the rim expansion method to determine high pressure before modern methods were available (see Speer Manual #7 or earlier).

 

[BenderBT]

I loaded up 10 more at 22.5 grains and going to give it another shot. could it be due to the fact that i am reaming out the primer crimps with a rcbs crimp remover and leaving to much chamfer on primer pocket letting the primers flow somewhat?

 

[Unclenick]

Yes, that will exaggerate how flat the primers appear. At ignition, the case stays as far forward as the firing pin pushed it, but the primer backs out until it meets the bolt face. Later, as the case stretches, it reseats the primer. If you have enough space, especially with a slightly long chamber, the primer can inflate or balloon a little during the time it is backed out, and then during reseating that ballooned shape gets flattened against the bolt face, making the primer look flatter than it would in a case that surrounded the primer cup a little more completely.

 

[BenderBT]

Is this something to be concerned with or the nature of the beast with crimped primer removal?

 

[ligonierbill]

Why do you think this shows high pressure? The photos look OK. Is there something else that the photos don't show that's bothering you? What other calibers do you load? Do these primers look different than your other loads?

What bullet weight? What firearm? For a 55 grain bullet, Hornady max is 23.1 H322, Speer max is 24.5, unless you're using their TBBC, in which case it's 23.0. Both Hornady and Speer are using standard small rifle primers with this powder. The CCI #41 is equivalent to a magnum primer. Tell us more.

 

[BenderBT]

The powder im using is h335 and my lee book shows 23 as starting load. Loads are being used in an ar15 is why i went with the 41s to lessen the chance of slam fires. I am fairly new to reloading and have been loading 9mm with success but to me the primers look a little flat compared to the M193 nato rounds that the brass was originally. By all means it could just be pure lack of exp. on my end and that is why i am asking. The reloads felt noticably less powerfull than the m193.

 

[sghart3578]

They look fine.

 

[reynolds357]

They look fine to me. The differences between cup hardness between the different manufacturers caused me to quit paying attention to primer voodoo years ago. Take a CCI and a Federal large rifle magnum primer and shoot them in a max load and see what they look like. Its not due to one igniting hotter than the other, its due to softness of cup. The hotter primer does not show the "pressure sign." The cooler primer shows the "pressure sign." The load making the less pressure shows the "pressure sign."

 

[Longshot4]

I would back off on the pocket deburing because a lack of support on the primer is additional stress on the cup.
The first photos of the cases show the right case primer flattened out pretty good. Although if that is caused from the camphor then just avoid the camphor. The rest of the primers show very slite flattening so I suspect the charge to be safe.
If you must debur the pocket then just remove the burr not open up the pocket. You might need to lighten up with the pressure when using the hand tool. Less elbow grease.

Are you loading for max velocity or accuracy?

 

[PA-Joe]

It looks like you are using Lake City Military Brass that typically has a smaller case volume then commercial 223s. So if you are using 223 data this will create a slightly high pressure.

 

[rg1]

I see no issues with your fired brass. Primers look good, cases look good. The most common load reported by many reloaders for 55 gr. bullets is 25.0 grains of H335 in AR's. Your 23 grain load is light and a starting charge in many manuals. Trust Hodgdon's data for .223 55 grain bullets in AR's. LC brass is near to RP and Win in weight and lighter than some .223 cases. If you cut the primer crimp you don't want to cut deeper than where the radius of the primer cup stops. If you're new to loading H335 with 55 grain bullets for an AR, do start at about 22.5 and work up to around 25 grains searching for best accuracy in your rifle. Hodgdon lists 25.3 as maximum with the components they used. I've loaded to 25.3 with no pressure issues but my load that I shoot in different AR's is 25 grains with RP 7 1/2 and CCI 41's in RP, Winchester, LC, and a few other cases. I advise when using once fired military cases to check "every" case inside for signs of case separation using the bent wire feeler method. I sometimes find 5 or a few more per thousand that show stretch marks inside and could cause a separation in another load or 2.

 

[oldreloader]

No piercing and the primers still have a good radius on the edges. Looks fine to me.

 

[jimbob86]

The primers still have their radiused edges, and there is no flow around the pin dent ..... no marks around the case head ..... they look fine to me.

 

[Jim243]

Jimbob86, expressed the same observations that I did. There seems to be no over pressure shown on those cases. But it does seem to be ballooned primers (could just be the angle of the photo) from slightly oversided primer pockets.

However, it would have been extremely helpful if you had mentioned what weight bullet you were using with that load.

rg1 mentions that the load is correct for a 55 grain bullet, but that may not be what you are using, and there is no way that we can tell if your charge is over or under the standard. You did mention that 23 grains was listed as the starting load, that would indicate that your bullet was somewhere around 55 gains. You also did not mention the type of bullet you were using, which might have some effect on the equitation if it was just a lead bullet and not a jacketed one.

Also be aware that a load UNDER or below a starting load can also create a pressure spike because of the delay of the burn rate and give an over pressure situation that would produce the same result as too much powder.

But based on the photo's you have provided, it would APPEAR that there may not be any problems with your reloads except for large primer pockets, which would cause other problems.

Stay safe and make sure your primers are seated firmly in the pockets and are not loose or above the base of the case. (reasons for slam fires).

Good luck and safe shooting.
Jim

 

[steve4102]

Yes, bullet weight would be helpful.

No, LC military 5.56 brass does not have less capacity than 223 brass. In fact it usually has a bit more capacity.

No, do not go below minimum charge weight.

 

[Mike1]

The military uses a hard primer like the CCI 41 to avoid slamfires. However, most 223 or 5.56 chambered guns today do not have a slamfire problem. You can use the lesser expensive small rifle primers with no problem normally. I use Winchesters (SRP) and Remington 7 1/2 match primers in my rifles.

As someone above mentioned, the brass capacity is the same or more than commercially marked brass.

Mike