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Couple of questions on LC once fired brass

My Toy

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Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 30, 2013
63
1
People's Republic of Maryland
When you get fairly recent LC once fired brass today how many different guns (and what guns) was it likely to have been fired in?

I have a Dillon primer pocket swage tool that I have been using. I was wondering about the amount of swaging that is necessary. I remove the crimp leaving a slight radius and WLR primers go in easily.
However I have a Ballistic Tools primer pocket swage gauge and on some of the cases I swaged the gauge only goes in with a little twisting motion. Question is -- as long as the primers I'm using go in--
does this make any difference? My thinking is --it is probably better to under swage as long as the primers seat than overly enlarge the primer pocket.
 
To answer your question it really depends on the casing, 223/556 its going to be either the M4/Ma16 variant or the SAW (light machine gun)
for the 308 its always machine gun brass unless it states on the head stamp LC LR which is going to be bolt guns, there's some LC match brass which is used in DM or M14 rifles.
When I swage my LC brass I will use one piece as a test and swage up until there's very little effort to prime. Usually by removing the crimp an firing it once solves the issue.
What kind of brass are you dealing with,
Same goes for the pistol brass
 
To answer your question it really depends on the casing, 223/556 its going to be either the M4/Ma16 variant or the SAW (light machine gun)
for the 308 its always machine gun brass unless it states on the head stamp LC LR which is going to be bolt guns, there's some LC match brass which is used in DM or M14 rifles.
When I swage my LC brass I will use one piece as a test and swage up until there's very little effort to prime. Usually by removing the crimp an firing it once solves the issue.
What kind of brass are you dealing with,
Same goes for the pistol brass

Thanks for the reply. I'm using 308 LC-13 brass.
 
A military crimp only affects the edge of the primer pocket, so if you are radiusing the edge of the primer pocket and you can get the gage in at all, the case is ready to prime.
I hit the primer pocket of crimped brass with the chamfering tool I use to chamfer the case neck.
 
WLR primers are the smallest in diameter according to some sources.I have had some problems with Lapua brass and WLR primers.You can use CCI or Fed primers to tighten it up some.
 
FWIW, I have about 5K of LC 13 from multiple sources. Some of it is beautiful and some of it was fired in MG and trampled before coming to me.

Not sure if this effects the primer pocket tightness. I usually load 210 in it for first few loadings, then BR2 for more than 2x fired due to 210s getting loose. 4th firing I toss for semi.

I ream pockets (from habit). Also use a correction tool. First and second loadings are hot then usually reserve brass for closer lighter stuff.

Also, I will add I generally don't buy surplus brass that does not have the crimp in place. I have seen that for sale here and there, sure it's faster…but is it already 3x fired?