Reloading military 5.56 cases

[gweldon]

i HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED MILITARY CASINGS THAT NEED DEPRIMED AND LOADED WITH CIVILIAN .223 PRIMERS. i HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT i MUST USE A SPECIAL TOOL TO REMOVE THE OLD PRIMER AND TO PREPARE THE FLASH HOLE FOR CIVILIAN PRIMERS. i NOTICED THAT SOMEWHOW i ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED A FEW MILITARY CASINGS IN WITH MY .223 REMINGTON AMMO WHICH i WAS DEPRIMING AND PRIMING (THE CIVILIAN WAY). i FOUND OUT THAT ALL THREE MILITARY CASINGS LOADED UP EXACTLY LIKE 223 AMMO WITHOUT MY EVEN KNOWING i DID IT.

CAN YOU DEPRIME AND PRIME 5.56 AMMO THE CONVENTIONAL WAY WITH A .223 DEPRIMER AND CIVILIAN PRIMERS?? HELP!

 

[jasonk]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

Wow....welcome to the hide, now stop using all caps, it'll get you flamed here.

In short, yes, 223 dies and primers work in 556 cases, they are the same/same.

Sometimes you get lucky and can seat a primer in a previously crimped case, depends on the crimp, primer, luck, etc.

If you've got thousands to do buy a Dillon Precision Swager, they aren't super cheap but do it well. For $30 or so you can get the RCBS primer pocket swager tool and it's reported to work just fine for the money, I'm ordering one today actually.

Jason

 

[woodspider]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

Hoopie:
Please refer to this thread for some information regarding your question. Hope it helps.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1146890&page=1

 

[RTA]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

the RCBS primer pocket tool is good to go. used it on some mil. match brass, then used one of sinclair pocket tools attached to a drill. cheers

 

[Short Round]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

Is your military brass per chance from black hills blue box or another commercial reload? If so, they already took the crimp out and would explain why you had no issues seating the primers.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

mil match brass isn't crimped, and like SR pointed out, BH reloads on LC cases have already been swaged...

 

[gruntbull]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

If you had the original ammo can if it says "Not for combat use" means there is no crimp (waterproofing.) I got 800 or so Match 308 brass and luckily received it in the can, long story short, I have less use for my Super Swager than I once thought.... although I have a few thousand 556 to swage... back to the blue.

 

[hill billy]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

So the crimp is put in for waterproofing? I never knew that. Cool.

 

[wirehand]

Re: Reloading military 5.56 cases

Also to keep the little fuckers from popping out and getting lodged in the trigger mech. or magazine.
S.P.O.R.T.S. may or probablly won't help.

 

[mw22481]

The crimp is to hold the primer in the primer pocket from the higher military 5.56 pressures And prevent it from popping out .
the red or blue sealant ON the primer and the case mouth is what water proofs the cartridge.
I’ve also seen people water proof them with nail polish.
Mike
USMC

 

[mw22481]

On a side note.... does anyone here know how to install a crimp into the back of a 5.56 cartridge? Or where to get crimps ? Or an alternative Method? I would like to get closer to mk262 clone ammo with my handloads.

 

[1moaoff]

Adding a crimp won't change your load

 

[Graye2]

On a side note.... does anyone here know how to install a crimp into the back of a 5.56 cartridge? Or where to get crimps ? Or an alternative Method? I would like to get closer to mk262 clone ammo with my handloads.

Agree with 1moaoff... primer crimp won’t change your load.

If you haven’t seen it Johnny’s Reloading Bench has a whole series on Mk 262 testing with various powders, etc. I’ve never tried to duplicate his tests but the series shares a lot of his data.

 

[Steel head]

I love Lake city brass.
Cut or swage the primer crimp and load it up.

 

[Doom]

The crimp is to hold the primer in the primer pocket from the higher military 5.56 pressures And prevent it from popping out .
the red or blue sealant ON the primer and the case mouth is what water proofs the cartridge.
I’ve also seen people water proof them with nail polish.
Mike
USMC

The crimp on military ammunition is primarily to prevent loss of primer on handling and shipping. The only pressure benefit it provides is to prevent loss of primer from a loose pocket on semi and fully automatic weapons with extraction timing issues.

 

[FLIGHT762]

The crimp is to hold the primer in the primer pocket from the higher military 5.56 pressures And prevent it from popping out .
the red or blue sealant ON the primer and the case mouth is what water proofs the cartridge.
I’ve also seen people water proof them with nail polish.
Mike
USMC

Too bad you didn't chime into the thread and add to it 12 years ago when it was being discussed.

 

[smoothy8500]

Hehehe