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What is the difference between cases head stamped 223 rem and cases head stamped Lake City 5.56 ? Is there any difference in case capacity or strength ? Would the 223 rem cases be weaker or can they both be reloaded to the same max load, naturally starting low and working up ?
Lake City 5.56 brass is Mil Spec so it will be thicker with less internal capacity. (not by much) Harder to form into Wildcat brass. Still good, stronger brass, compared to factory commercial brass. Most 5.56 Mil Spec has crimped primers so you'll have to deal with removing the crimp.
Use what you got.
Thank you
Lake City 5.56 cases are made of harder brass and not made thicker than .223 cases.
https://i.imgur.com/LjAQ7L9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PExmCCk.jpg
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/
http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/brasstest03.png
https://i.imgur.com/JcVlKzc.jpg
Bottom line, Lake City 5.56 cases are made Ford Truck Tough and will last longer than Lapua .223 cases. (or Chevy trucks)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigedp51
While reloading for several years, the above chart mimics what i have found. I always read about LC brass being thicker and less internal capacity, but measuring it and several other brands of brass, I have found it not true. In fact, the LC brass, (from what I have personally measured) has had the largest internal capacity. Now the same might not be true for other calibers.
Just keep in mind that military brass primarily was never intended to be reloaded.
why wasnt it meant to be reloaded ?
rebs,
When the Army is in the field, the last thing that they want soldiers to do is carry reloading gear.Lake City is a Government facility run under contract by Federal to make Mil Spec ammo.
One of the reasons the army went to the 5.56x45 to reduce the weight of the .308 rounds soldiers were carrying.
Lake City isn't a commercial manufacturer.
Some calibers are manufactured with crimped primers.
There is nothing to keep you from reloading Lake City brass.
If you find crimped primers, swage them to remove the crimp and load away.
I have always had to trim once fired military brass to bring it into sammi OAL specs
mil spec calibers were designed by the government to be used in full automatic weapons and must be stonger. Rims and bases must be stronger than civilian ammo. It looks like based on above data they do it with the hardness when manufactured. Soldiers and marines hate it when their weapons jam. it may also cause them to be killed.
I buy bulk once fired Lake City 7.62 and 5.56 brass for reloading because of its quality and uniformity compared to Remington and Winchester brass.
Look at the image below and the weight variations and extreme weight spread and Lake City cases are a fraction of the cost of Lapua brass. And the Lake City 7.62 cases have a 3 grain weight spread and far superior to Remington and Winchester brass. And the harder brass and thicker flash hole web used in the Lake City cases makes your primer pockets last much longer. The only downside is time involved in removing the primer crimp.
https://i.imgur.com/PExmCCk.jpg
The hardness of the brass and the flash hole web thickness is what adds strength to the base of the case.Quote:
Originally Posted by strut64
Below the thinner Federal flash hole web means that the primer pockets do not last as long as Lake City and commercial contract ammunition for the military.
To keep things simple and more uniform I just buy Lake City 5.56 cases.
https://i.imgur.com/cYeTsDp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ohI86Bf.jpg
FC stamped brass for me when dealing with .308 and 5.56