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New, unfired 5.56 LakeCity brass in .223 bolt gun?

GentleBen

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 19, 2011
147
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Baton Rouge, LA
www.mydyingbreath.com
I've sold my two ARs, but I still have three bolt action rifles in .223 (nearly new CZ527 varmint, brand new Tikka T3 varmint and brand new Rem 700 SPS varmint).

I also have 1,000 pieces of new 223 Lapua that I have available for my CZ527 (some is once-fired from my CZ). But a few hundred new Lapua-based rounds are still in the loaded but never fired stage of life. I intend to dedicate a couple of hundred of these unfired Lapua rounds to my Tikka bolt gun. Should not be a problem.

But, I also have 2,000 pieces of brand new 5.56 Lake City brass unfired, never primed). It has all been full-length sized in a Redding .223 bushing die and trimmed in a Giraud trimmer. It's ready to load.

Popular thought is I should segregate my new LC brass (and other brands) for the three different rifles. OK, understood for the future.

I intend to feed the Tikka T3 a combo of new Lapua and new Lake City Brass; and the Rem 700 will get a steady diet of its own new Lake City brass.

Two questions:

1) Should I take any special care in prepping and loading this new 5.56 Lake City brass for my 223 Tikka T3 and 223 Rem 700 bolt guns? Keep in mind this brass has never been through an AR, is unfired, unprimed and full-length sized.

3) What are the best ways to mark brass for separate rifles that does not rub off? (I've heard of paint pens on the side and paint pens on the head stamp, etc.)

Thanks for your time and opinions.
 
Re: New, unfired 5.56 LakeCity brass in .223 bolt gun?

Segregating brass by rifle is only if you are neck sizing. If you full-length size it to factory specs every time then it will fit in any rifle with a standard chamber.

I guess if you wanted to mark them you could put an X on the case head with a black felt marker.
 
Re: New, unfired 5.56 LakeCity brass in .223 bolt gun?

You could just write down which rifle it was shot in and keep that in the ammo box.

Then when doing brass prep/cleaning, just work with one batch at a time and return it to it's ammo box before moving to the next batch.

I bought a bunch of the foam and cardboard ammo boxes from Midway USA. All .223 ammo for my AR goes in those. Then .223 bolt action go in the green plastic containers.

Very easy way to keep things seperated.
 
Re: New, unfired 5.56 LakeCity brass in .223 bolt gun?

KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid is an engineering term.

You have a rifle made in Finland and brass made in Finland, keep them together. Your Lapua brass is the best made brass in the world so keep the quality together, KISS.

Your Remington 700 can shoot the Lake City brass, problem solved.

If you have gauges then sort the cases by weight and check for case wall uniformity.

I have three five gallon buckets of .223/5.56 once fired brass, one bucket is all Remington brass. I prepped these cases and then started sorting by weight and uniformity and kept 200 as select grade cases. Lake City brass is also very high quality brass and made to a higher stronger standard than commercial brass.

Below on the left and right are Lake City cases and they have a thicker and stronger web area than the Federal case in the center of the photo. The Lake City brass is also designed to withstand higher pressures and will outlast our American commercial brass when loaded to the same pressures.

fedcasethickness.jpg


556hard-a.jpg
 
Re: New, unfired 5.56 LakeCity brass in .223 bolt gun?

Different color primers, Sharpie or paint pen on heads, Sharpie on primers. The already mentioned different brass for each rifle.

I use either Sharpie on primers or different brass to segregate loads.