5.56 brass reloaded as .223

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kevmicball

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I was wondering if there is any negative to reloading 5.56 brass as .223?
In my mind they should be interchangable but since i have never reloaded any rifle brass i figured it couldnt hurt to ask.
Thank you in advance
 
The only thing is sometimes military cases have a bit less capacity and you just have to start your loads one grain less than commercial brass, otherwise same thing.
 
kawicrash said:
The only thing is sometimes military cases have a bit less capacity and you just have to start your loads one grain less than commercial brass, otherwise same thing.
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kevin.303 said:
And you will probably have to cut/swage the crimp out of most military primer pockets. Which is isnt hard but can be tedious if you have a lot.
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Both true. One thing I did was work up my bulk 223 loads in LC brass and then use the same powder charge in FC or Win / Rem brass with little to no difference in velocities / SDs.
 
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Read the link below, the majority of Lake City military brass and American commercial brass have a very close case capacities.

223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide
The popular .223 Rem and Ackley version for Sport, Defense, and Hunting
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/

I buy a lot of once fired Lake City brass to shoot from my AR15s and .223 bolt action because the cases are made harder in the base. (made Ford Truck Tough) ;)

How Hard is Your Brass? 5.56 and .223 Rem Base Hardness Tests
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/05/how-hard-is-your-brass-5-56-and-223-rem-base-hardness-tests/
 
bigedp51 said:
Read the link below, the majority of Lake City military brass and American commercial brass have a very close case capacities.

223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide
The popular .223 Rem and Ackley version for Sport, Defense, and Hunting
http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/

I buy a lot of once fired Lake City brass to shoot from my AR15s and .223 bolt action because the cases are made harder in the base. (made Ford Truck Tough) ;)

How Hard is Your Brass? 5.56 and .223 Rem Base Hardness Tests
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/05/how-hard-is-your-brass-5-56-and-223-rem-base-hardness-tests/
Click to expand...

Is hardness the only important factor? Brass needs to stretch and shrink again as it's fired. Too much brittleness can cause cracking and head case separation. An alloy that allows repetitive working is best, and this is not necessarily proven by hardness alone. Testing a bunch of cases by flattening and then bending them until they crack might be a better test.

For primer pocket longevity, hardness in this area is most definitely a benefit.
 
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