.223 brass / Did I woops

[slurpin dog]

Just traded for 400 ready to load, once fired Federal 223 brass and tonight I read that its the bottom of the barrel. Just my luck. Could have got remington brass. So what is wrong with fc brass?

[dcloco]

Soft. That's it...just soft. Primer pockets are loose after the 2nd primer.

[slurpin dog]

Is there a fix for this or just toss them?

[GaCop]

Shoot em and then toss em. Go for Winchester or, if you can afford it, Lapua. RP will do ok though.

[viper9696]

I use all fed 308 brass and have never had a problem with 5-6 loadings,don't just toss them

[dcloco]

I use all fed 308 brass and have never had a problem with 5-6 loadings,don't just toss them


Not all Fed brass...just 98% of the 223 Federal brass is soft.

[1Shot]

...Just use some Wolf prs. with them...They'll last alittle longer....

[slurpin dog]

I use all fed 308 brass and have never had a problem with 5-6 loadings,don't just toss them


Not all Fed brass...just 98% of the 223 Federal brass is soft.

Only 98%......And I thought they all would be soft. ;D

[MAGNUS]

Does that include the federal premium brass?

[brianinca]

The Federal Gold Medal Match cases I have in 308 Win are not as bad as the FC 223, but you have to accept the primer pockets are going to loosen up on the first reload. The brass itself seems rough, as well. I full length resize everything and there is a lot more to trim on FC cases. Winchester is the way to go.

I have to use lead free bullets for hunting here in CA, and I find Federal brass useful in that role as I don't go and punch paper for fun with Barnes bullets costing what they do. For 762x39, 270 WSM and 308 Win I had enough to get a good supply in back in 08. I will be lucky if I have to reload ANYTHING in the next 10 years for lack of hunting ammo, so I figured that's a perfect use for FC.

For 223, I found the pockets continued to get larger, I did an experimental run with mixed brass vs mfg sorted and I could "feel" the FC brass when I seated primers by hand, didn't even have to look to know.

However, the 100 pack of Federal M193 I got at WalMart back in the summer of '08 was virtually identical to LC brass except it had no primer pocket crimp. Since they took over Lake City for the Gov't, I guess they kept the brass recipe the same. Good news for reloaders! That might also explain why SOME FC 223 brass doesn't suck.

I don't dig Remington brass all that much, either - the 8mm Mauser brass is not very nice compared to Winchesters, and the weird small primer pocket 762x39 is a PITA.

1Shot, are Wolf primers that oversize? I figured Federals might be, but I use Winchester for everything.....

Regards,
Brian in CA

[slurpin dog]

Guess it is Unanimous............FC brass SUCKS! :'(