Issue with once fired .223 Brass

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Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by Jakethefake » 05 Jul 2020, 10:58 pm

Ages ago I bought a bag of 100 once fired 223 cases (or so I thought), and I finally got around to processing and loading them up. The issue is that at least half of them don't want to chamber properly in my Howa 1500. They range from the bolt being a bit stiff to close to being very difficult to close. I shot about 15 rounds before I struck a few that were really difficult and decided to pull up and investigate the situation.
The cases are head stamped LC 09 and LC 10, which some googling tells me is Lake City brass and according to the yanks its supposed to be good stuff. I think it might be 5.56 brass, but its not marked either way. It seems odd that some will chamber no worries and others won't though. I did full length size and trim them before loading and the cases I did fire don't show any pressure signs that I can see. Not a particularly hot load, 25gns of ar2208 with a 50gn Hornady VMAX.
The cases I have fired chamber ok so I guess I fire formed them inadvertently?
I don't think its an issue with the rifle as I've fired a range of other brass with no issues.
Is it worth messing around with this stuff or should I get out my bullet puller and move on?
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by bladeracer » 05 Jul 2020, 11:10 pm

Jakethefake wrote:Ages ago I bought a bag of 100 once fired 223 cases (or so I thought), and I finally got around to processing and loading them up. The issue is that at least half of them don't want to chamber properly in my Howa 1500. They range from the bolt being a bit stiff to close to being very difficult to close. I shot about 15 rounds before I struck a few that were really difficult and decided to pull up and investigate the situation.
The cases are head stamped LC 09 and LC 10, which some googling tells me is Lake City brass and according to the yanks its supposed to be good stuff. I think it might be 5.56 brass, but its not marked either way. It seems odd that some will chamber no worries and others won't though. I did full length size and trim them before loading and the cases I did fire don't show any pressure signs that I can see. Not a particularly hot load, 25gns of ar2208 with a 50gn Hornady VMAX.
The cases I have fired chamber ok so I guess I fire formed them inadvertently?
I don't think its an issue with the rifle as I've fired a range of other brass with no issues.
Is it worth messing around with this stuff or should I get out my bullet puller and move on?


When you are full-length sizing brass you must run it through the chamber to ensure you are sizing it correctly.

Yes, those head stamps indicate military 5.56x45mm and will require removing primer crimps.
Last edited by bladeracer on 06 Jul 2020, 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by TassieTiger » 05 Jul 2020, 11:44 pm

Check the length of the full sized brass (with projectile in if need be) - each one - it sounds like some is longer than spec...you trimmed the case after sizing?
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by straightshooter » 06 Jul 2020, 7:14 am

Your once fired brass has no doubt been fired in generous semi auto chambers and by your description some chambers more generous than others.
The only solution is to FLS in a small base die to get the dimensions at the web end of the case nearer to acceptable. You will need to use a good quality lube and it will lengthen the case appreciably.
Otherwise you won't have any problems.
A thing to remember is that a loaded round that is tight to chamber is even tighter to extract.
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by Larry » 06 Jul 2020, 10:31 am

If you bought the cases from Australian Once Fired, He makes it clear that the brass was fired in a semi auto chamber. These are on the large size so the round can chamber quickly and easily.
I have bought these before and yes they are way stretched. You will need to anneal them and use a small base die ti size them. Also all the other standard prep work is required. If you do this they should be ok for a couple of firings. You will probably have to use the small base die every reload they expand easily back to there original once fired size as much as they can. You will often get hard extraction from this phenoma.
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by Jakethefake » 06 Jul 2020, 11:17 am

bladeracer wrote:When you are full-length sizing brass you must run it through the chamber to ensure you are sizing it correctly.

Yes, those head stamps indicate military 5.56x45mm and will require removing primer crimps.


The primers went easy, no crimps to remove. Maybe its not really once fired?
When I full length size I run the brass all the way into the die and out again. How else would I do it to make sure its correct?
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by Jakethefake » 06 Jul 2020, 11:19 am

TassieTiger wrote:Check the length of the full sized brass (with projectile in if need be) - each one - it sounds like some is longer than spec...you trimmed the case after sizing?


Yes I trimmed after sizing. They should all be the length of the lee trim gauge I would have thought?
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by bladeracer » 06 Jul 2020, 11:22 am

Jakethefake wrote:
TassieTiger wrote:Check the length of the full sized brass (with projectile in if need be) - each one - it sounds like some is longer than spec...you trimmed the case after sizing?


Yes I trimmed after sizing. They should all be the length of the lee trim gauge I would have thought?


If it were so long as not to chamber you'd be seeing massive pressure signs as the case mouth would be crimped around the bullet.
You need to bump the shoulder back, or need to shrink the base as suggested.
Paint a tight round with Texta and see if you can determine where it is catching in the chamber.
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by Jakethefake » 06 Jul 2020, 11:25 am

Larry wrote:If you bought the cases from Australian Once Fired, He makes it clear that the brass was fired in a semi auto chamber. These are on the large size so the round can chamber quickly and easily.
I have bought these before and yes they are way stretched. You will need to anneal them and use a small base die ti size them. Also all the other standard prep work is required. If you do this they should be ok for a couple of firings. You will probably have to use the small base die every reload they expand easily back to there original once fired size as much as they can. You will often get hard extraction from this phenoma.


I honestly don't remember who I bought them from, it was someone at SSAA shot expo in Brisbane a few years ago. It sounds like they're more work than they're worth at the moment. I don't have a small base die so I guess I'll put them aside and if I trip over a small base die sometime I'll play with them again.
Thanks for your help.
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Re: Issue with once fired .223 Brass

Post by SCJ429 » 06 Jul 2020, 5:57 pm

Pop over to my place and you can use my small base body die. I get given heaps of ADI and other 223 brass, you can pick the stuff up off the ground at most ranges. Not sure I would spend too much time on brass that had been fired through a AR15 sloppy chamber.
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