OK to reload semi-auto brass for a .308 bolt gun?

[jdknotts1]

I'm getting started in the precision side of shooting and borrowed a friend's GAP-10 to get in the groove. Been shooting some mil-spec match ammo and curious if I should save the brass to reload for my TRG22 when it arrives.

The GAP-10 is a nasty b*%ch on the brass! Dented necks, ejector marks on the base, shoulders dented, extractor gashes, etc... Will FL resizing the brass get me back to where it needs to be or should I scrap it and buy new brass?

I've been reloading rifle and pistol for awhile but never made the transition from semi-auto to a bolt gun with any of the brass and I'm curious if there will be any issues.

 

[BCP]

I'm getting started in the precision side of shooting and borrowed a friend's GAP-10 to get in the groove. Been shooting some mil-spec match ammo and curious if I should save the brass to reload for my TRG22 when it arrives.

The GAP-10 is a nasty b*%ch on the brass! Dented necks, ejector marks on the base, shoulders dented, extractor gashes, etc... Will FL resizing the brass get me back to where it needs to be or should I scrap it and buy new brass?

I've been reloading rifle and pistol for awhile but never made the transition from semi-auto to a bolt gun with any of the brass and I'm curious if there will be any issues.

Yes you can save the brass for your bolt gun dented necks, mouths isn't a big deal and neither are the ejector marks. The 'gashes' I would have to see but I'm guessing the tight GAP10 chamber combined with whatever "mil spec match ammo" means is high pressure, probably about max. So the rifle will kick it out hard and the extractor and ejector will definitely leave a mark. About 1:20 you may find they have a burr on the case head, if so then you know it's a hot load. Not unsafe but if you were loading it for that particular rifle and wanted the brass to last you would have to tone it down a bit or get an ajdustable gas block.

 

[sinister]

A brass case is a brass case.

If you run it through a full-length or small-base die and it fits your chamber and fires it'll work.

Annealing and checking for incipient separation will help you get the most life out of each case.

 

[jdknotts1]

Thanks. I'm pretty sure the cases are already annealed.

 

[jdknotts1]

BCP- "mil-spec ammo" just means that I got some military ammo that has 175smk bullets but I can't identify it. You mentioned most being high pressure. 1/5 are blowing the primer crater out. Not the entire primer but just the crater. I've been trying to figure out if this is a firing pin protrusion issue or a pressure issue. Here is a pic..

 

[samnev]

Yes you can, but I use Lapua brass only in my TRG 22 and AIAW. In my semi's I use Winchester, Federal, LC and Remington brass. But I keep them segregated by brand in different ammo MTM boxes..

 

[bigedp51]

BCP- "mil-spec ammo" just means that I got some military ammo that has 175smk bullets but I can't identify it. You mentioned most being high pressure. 1/5 are blowing the primer crater out. Not the entire primer but just the crater. I've been trying to figure out if this is a firing pin protrusion issue or a pressure issue. Here is a pic..

View attachment 20524

Your over resizing the cases meaning too much shoulder bump and creating excessive head clearance or "air space" between the rear of the case and the bolt face. Watch the animation below, the firing pin hits the primer and pushes the case forward until the case contacts the shoulder of the chamber and then the cartridge goes bang. As pressure builds the primer is forced out of the primer pocket and "back over the firing pin". If the head clearance is great enough the firing pin acts like a cookie cutter and punches the center out of the primer.

Even at lower pressures if the head clearance is great enough it will punch the center of the primer out as the primer is pushed back over the firing pin.

These cases were fired in a over gassed AR15 rifle and the cases were over resized. The anvil was forced into the hole in the primer cup by chamber pressure. Normally minimum shoulder bump will fix this problem and also the reason why military ammunition has crimped primers.

On a over gassed semi-auto the bolt can be moving to the rear while there is still pressure in the barrel. This means the uncrimped primer can move even further to the rear and punch the center out of the primer.

In your photo you are using Federal cases noted for having soft brass and loose primer pockets, it also looks like the primers are not flush with the base of the case. You also have ejector marks on the base of the case from high pressure (or soft brass) and case head swipes showing the rifle is over gassed and the bolt is turning when the case is still gripping the chamber walls.

 

[bigedp51]

One further note, you do "NOT" have military brass, actual military cases would be marked LC for Lake City Army Ammunition Plant and have the NATO symbol on its base. Meaning your FC marked Federal cases do not meet milspec standards for thickness and hardness in the base of the case. DO NOT be fooled by these boxes of ammo made by Federal and there are thousands of shooters using these cases complaining of soft brass and loose primer pockets.

I recently bought a primer pocket gauge and two additional pin gauges to check primer pocket diameter. I was having a 50% rejection rate with Federal .223/5.56 cases with loose primer pockets after the first firing. I bought the gauges to check the primer pockets "BEFORE" seating a primer only to find the primer pocket is to loose and having to push a live primer out of the case.

Milspec cases must be harder or thicker in the base web area to withstand the larger diameter and longer military chambers. And there is a big difference between Federal and Lake City cases, so do not be fooled by the boxes Federal sells.

 

[lte82]

I use lake city in both my semi-auto and bolt guns and going between the two doesn't cause issues. The semi-auto beats up the brass pretty good, but a resize should take care of it. Any residual small dents in the body of the brass after the resize doesn't seem to make much of a difference either.

 

[bigedp51]

I keep my bolt action cases separate from my AR15 rifles, look at the ejector marks and swipe marks on the base of the OP cases. These marks will cause the case to be tilted in the shell holder when resized and cause additional runout. Also any extractor dings and dents in the cases extractor groove will cause the case to be tilted when it is pulled over the expander button and increase runout.

Bottom line, my semiautomatic AR15 ammo is never used in my bolt action .223 rifle. Military chambers are larger in diameter and tend to chew up brass, which increases the chance of greater bullet runout and bigger groups.

I would NOT use the cases pictured in a bolt action rifle that you want to have greater accuracy in. But this will depend on the type shooting you will be doing, BUT you wont get better accuracy with buggered up brass.