Re-sizing Brass??

A

AndrewNS

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
31   0   0
Location
Nova Scotia
Ok, so I know that durring the re-loading process you can change the neck size of a piece of brass, but can you change the overall size of the cartridge also?

I have a .223 rifle and I am going to get set up to reload once my 1000 round case of factory ammo is gone, so I have been keeping my brass.

The reason that I ask is I also have about 80 pieces of 5.56 brass that "fit" in the chamber of my rifle, but it is a VERY tight fit. Can I make the overall size of these cases smaller durring the reloading process or should I just throw them out? They are supposed to be .223, but they are the cheap Norinco stuff from the yellow boxes that are sold as .223 but are really 5.56.
 
lol....
No you will need a 5.56 die set for the 5.56 brass....

/sarcasm

It's the same.......

The brass dimensions are the exact same. The only differance is the chamber in the firearm.
I have resized 5.56 in my .223 dies you are good to go.
 
Ok, but when I put a .223 round in the chamber it slides in with no effort at all. When I put one of these Norinco rounds in the chamber I actually had to push the bolt closed... Will that change? It seems to me that the brass diameter is larger on the Norinco.
 
AndrewNS said:
Ok, but when I put a .223 round in the chamber it slides in with no effort at all. When I put one of these Norinco rounds in the chamber I actually had to push the bolt closed... Will that change? It seems to me that the brass diameter is larger on the Norinco.
Click to expand...

Was is fired in another gun? Fireformed to another chamber is not uncommon it won't fit in yours.
 
fred0000 said:
Was is fired in another gun? Fireformed to another chamber is not uncommon it won't fit in yours.
Click to expand...

Not unless if Norinco uses pre-fired brass, which I suppose wouldn't really surprise me...



bcsteve said:
When you full length resize you'll squeeze you brass back to its proper specs.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll hang on to it then and give a few rounds a try once I get set up to reload.


Thanks guys.
 
Full length re-size, fire from your gun, and then no need for full length any more - they will be perfectly fire-formed to your gun.
 
well your still shooting your factory ammo it would be a wise idea to buy a good reloading manual and start reading and getting a grasp of how reloading is done, and what to watch out for when sorting your brass......some of that nice shiny free brass you pick up at the range isn't reloadable, you'll soon figure this out when you break your decapping pin................
 
yodave said:
well your still shooting your factory ammo it would be a wise idea to buy a good reloading manual and start reading and getting a grasp of how reloading is done, and what to watch out for when sorting your brass......some of that nice shiny free brass you pick up at the range isn't reloadable, you'll soon figure this out when you break your decapping pin................
Click to expand...

Suggestions for a good reloading book? That seems like a great idea to me, learn how to do it before I need to do it.

The only brass that I have saved up so far is the bulk Federal (American Eagle) stuff from the 1000 round ammo can, 20 rounds of Sellier & Bellot and 80 rounds of Norinco. Does anyone know if any of these types are not re-loadable? I really don't want to end up breaking anything when I do start.
 
"Does anyone know if any of these types are not re-loadable?"


Good question. The federal is relaodable. Look inside the case and you will see a single large flash hole on the bottom of the case. Now look at the Norinco and S&B. If you see a similar single flash hole, it is reloadable. If you see two smaller flash holes, it is not.
 
The Norinco may be steel cased - so be careful there - they are not reloadable. Some of the american eagle stuff will likely have crimped primers(this is where you may break a decapping pin) - so also be cautious there - if they are, you will also have to remove the ridge before you prime(swage or debur tool works). I have always found S&B to have tight primer pockets for every caliber I have shot - I usually end up throwing them to the side. As far as reloading books - get the lyman 49th, and the lee reloading -they are a great start.
The best advice would be to find someone nearby(if you can) that is a trusty reloader and observe.
 
223rem is not the same as 5.56. There are alot of reads about the differences. When you start reloading sort the 5.56 form the 223 brass as the 5.56 brass has less case capacity and if loaded the same will be higher pressure then the 223rem brass.

Differences listed here

h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56×45mm_NATO
h ttp://le.atk.com/downloads/technical_bulletins/223VS556.pdf
ht tp://www.humanevents.com/2011/02/15/223-remington-vs-556-nato-what-you-dont-know-could-hurt-you/
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom