Winchester 223 cases

mike shickele

mike shickele

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I have noticed over the years that I seem to get a disproportionate number of split necks with Winchester 223 cases as compared to any other brand of case that I have used. This would include Remington Lapua, Winchester military (Yes, it is different), federal, norma, and a few that I'm sure that I have missed. By a disproportionate number I'm talking approx 1-2 per hundred vs none with any other brand. This has been over a period of about 20 years, with 4 different guns, three different dies (both old and new manufacture RCBS, and hornady). Now to be fair, all that I have ever used for winchester headstamped brass is range pick up once fired brass, but I've used a lot of other brands as range pick up over the years as well. I use Winchester brass for my 30-06, and no matter which gun, or which die I've never had a problem, and I've used winchester brass in numerous other calibers as well without incident.
I had the same thing occure today as well, and this time I thought to take a close look at the cases, as this was perplexing me. Both of the cases that split had obvious thin areas in the brass where this occured (I don't turn my case necks).
Has anyone else ever experienced this. I generally only get split necks after MANY firings of a case, my normal average seems to be after at least a dozen firings
Mike
 
I started a test last summer. I bought one box each of Winchester, Remington, Federal and PMC 55gr FMJ ammo. I shot them all in my AR with M16A1 upper, reload, repeat. The load was running close to M193 specs and was pushing the brass hard.

Anyway, by the third firing the Winchester brass had the worst attrition rate, with ( working from memory) 14 of the cases failed due to neck splits. The Remington was the best, at 5 or 7 or something like that. The test isn't done yet as my shooting dropped off last summer. I intend to get back to it this year and shoot until it's all failed, and report the results.
 
I've had this problem with winchester for the past 20-30 years too and i've reloaded win, rem, pmc, fed and imperial brass. I have reloaded some of the brass 15 times with out a split or failure and no annealling, but I can see that annealling would be helpful after a number of reloads. But I do agree that winchester brass tends to fail more often than the others.
 
piping said:
I've had this problem with winchester for the past 20-30 years too and i've reloaded win, rem, pmc, fed and imperial brass. I have reloaded some of the brass 15 times with out a split or failure and no annealling, but I can see that annealling would be helpful after a number of reloads. But I do agree that winchester brass tends to fail more often than the others.
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I read a piece on a USA web site where a fellow could get 39 loads out of 1 piece of brass if he annealed after every 3rd firing. That is economical but a pile of work in the dark., as well. FS
 
I've had good luck with Winchester brass - best of the bunch imho. Federal spits primers after 2 or 3 firings.
 
I like it that the Winchester brass I have doesn't have crimped primer pockets.

I prepped 500 .223 cases today and not having to swage the pockets means less time/work for me :)
 
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Brass that is picked up at the range (obviously once fired factory ammo) run through my die, splits. Upon inspection, there is a thin spot at the split (noticed for the first time today). This doesn't happen with any other brand, and with no other calibers with Winchester branded brass. I don't think annealing would help that problem.
Mike
 
I had the same problem with 1000 once fired remington cases but never with winchester. After 11 splits sizing 56 cases I annelled the the rest and no more splits.
 
peterdobson said:
The new Lapua .223 Rem is the best.
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No argument there.
It is pretty easy to recognize Winchester factory primers (especially when there are also white 20 round boxes empty in the same place). These winchester cases are not crimped. I'm blessed with a fellow that frequents the range with an autoloader that he regularly goes out and buys a case of ammo for; firing off that same day. Either me, or one of my friends then picks up the brass, leaving me with large quantities of brass of the same lot in one day, and various different types seeing as this fellow doesn't seem to have a favorite.
Mike
 
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