I was given a quantity of IVI brass in 223 which I have prepared for reloading. A recommended load is 26grn IMR 4895 with a 50grn Hornady Vmax. I think the brass is military, should I reduce the load as usually recommended for military brass? I am shooting a bolt action rifle. Any knowledgeable advice is appreciated. Thank.s
IVI brass- 223
- Thread starter hiredgun
- Start date
- Location
- Winnipeg,Man.
I shoot a Savage 12fvss bolt rifle and use the IVI brass almost exclusively. It is great brass after champhering the primer pockets. Reloads have been 6 so far and no problems. I use 23 grains IMR 3031 pushing a 55 FMJ projectile for practice and varmints. For target shooting, 75 grain match with 22grains IMR 3031. The two loads certainly get the job done.
gushulak
CGN frequent flyer
I use alot of IVI in AR's for reloading. Get rid of the primer crimp and download slightly as the cases are heavier than commercial. If you have a chrony, it makes matching an existing load relatively easy.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I've found that I can usually work up to max loads with no problem. I just go slow while I'm approaching max loads and watch for pressure signs. Haven't had any problems starting at the normal starting loads as supplied in different loading manuals. Of course it could be different in your rifle so just go slow.
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
Hiredgun, while a lot of IVI brass is military, there are some commercial IVI cases too (without crimped primer pocket); did you have to remove a crimp in the primer pocket?
I expect you ought to be able to safely work up to 26 IMR 4895; Hodgdon's data indicates a max of 26.7C with a 50 grain bullet (and a pressure reading that indicates that this is likely a volume-constrained charge).
For what it's worth, I've shot 25.5 H4895 with a 55 grain bullet out of an AR-15, using military IVI brass, and it was fine.
I expect you ought to be able to safely work up to 26 IMR 4895; Hodgdon's data indicates a max of 26.7C with a 50 grain bullet (and a pressure reading that indicates that this is likely a volume-constrained charge).
For what it's worth, I've shot 25.5 H4895 with a 55 grain bullet out of an AR-15, using military IVI brass, and it was fine.
I hope I have not made a mistake about removing any crimps. I simply FL sized, using the Lee 223 die which decapped and FL sized at the same time. I inserted Winchester small rifle primers with a Lee Auto Prime handtool I did not feel anything different. The brass is head stamped "IVI 223 Rem" which might imply commercial brass. Where was IVI made? I also have IMR 4895 and 50 grn Remington hollowpoints, if anyone has suggestions. Thanks.
- Location
- Winnipeg,Man.
I think you have the commercial IVI brass. If it was military issue, it would be difficult to put in primers without beveling the primer hole thus removing the crimp. the IVI brass I have does not have 223 marked on it, just IVI and a date.
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
Yes, that's the IVI commercial brass. You might want to weigh it and compare it to Winchester, Remington, etc, it might not be any heavier.
IVI is "Industries Valcartier Inc.", Valcartier, Quebec, and is owned by SNC-Lavalin (correction: they seem to have sold it off to General Dynamics in 2006).
IVI is "Industries Valcartier Inc.", Valcartier, Quebec, and is owned by SNC-Lavalin (correction: they seem to have sold it off to General Dynamics in 2006).
IVI Brass
I aquired a pile of Mil IVI bras and although it was(and still is) alot of work to clean and detail, they are very durable. Chamfering the primer area is a must and it is still hard to reprime. I've loaded to near max for my custom Mini-14 25.5 gr Varget, 69 gr sierra Match King and Fed 205 primers, very consistant loads that group within an inch @ 100yds. I leave the necks long rather than shave them down to .223 spec's.
I aquired a pile of Mil IVI bras and although it was(and still is) alot of work to clean and detail, they are very durable. Chamfering the primer area is a must and it is still hard to reprime. I've loaded to near max for my custom Mini-14 25.5 gr Varget, 69 gr sierra Match King and Fed 205 primers, very consistant loads that group within an inch @ 100yds. I leave the necks long rather than shave them down to .223 spec's.
I have a bunch or 5.56 IVI with the crimped primer pockets. What tool options are out there for swaging out the primer pocket crimp? The only one I have seen is the Dillon swager for about $100.00 USD. Thanks for letting me know my tool options for this task.
RCBS primer pocket swager, and using a chamfer tool chucked in a drill.
Hornady makes a reamer too,,about 10 bucks.
Military brass IS different than civilian brass. Military grade brass casings for small arms have a thicker base due to being fired in automatic rifles and machine guns. These guns run hot and hard. In order to reduce the instance of case separation, military casings have "beefed up" areas.
Perhaps the recommended load might be too hot for your rifle to start with.
Perhaps a few rounds worked up from a reduced load might be less troublesome than pulling a whole bunch of bullets. And don't worry, usually the first load you try is the most accurate.
Never mind. Go for it.
gushulak
CGN frequent flyer
FWIW The Dillon Super Swage is a great machine and really makes trimming the crimps easy. Its one of my favorite tools on my bench.
Cheers.
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
I have the Dillon swager, and find that it is very fussy to set up just right (it take me about an hour, and 15 or so wrecked cases). But once set up, it does a really good job. I've only used it a very few times in the fifteen years that I've had it. Unless someone is going to use it far more than I have, another cheaper tool might be smarter - I'd be tempted to look for a cutter type primer crimp removal tool, and chuck it in a battery powered variable speed drill.
I did a thousand IVI 5.56 a month or so ago, with my Dillon swager, and it was more work than I thought it would be, though I suppose it was enjoyable and worthwhile in the end. Best done in a patient manner when not in a rush, like most reloading tasks...
