Processing military 556 brass

[osteodoc08]

Wasnt really sure where to put this so I put it here.

How does everyone process their military, crimped, 556 brass?

I was thinking of picking up the Dillon Swage tool, some type of trimming tool and I have a 223 die set, but perhaps one of the specialized small base die sets would be better? I want the right tool for the job but dont want to spend tons of money needlessly.

I'd like to process a minimum of 3k cases and will probably buy mixed brass from monmouth or Avery Arms here. If anyone has had experience with them, please chime in.

While I would like to be efficient, I dont have to have all these processed and loaded in any specific time frame and can take it at a relaxed pace as I pick up other compnents including bullets, primers and powder.

Eventually I'd also like to get a 223 bolt gun as a companion to my AR now, but am in the process of getting a target/varmint style AR at this point to accompany my RRA Elite CAR.

[ShooterAZ]

I use a Forster case trimmer, and Dillon's 600 primer swage tool. Standard FL dies are working fine for me in 223. I have been making 300 BLK brass also, and the same tools are working perfectly for the volume that I do.

[waco]

Plus 1 for the Dillon swage tool.

[Gus Youmans]

osteodoc08,

Thumbs up on the Dillon swage tool with the caveat that the design of the RCBS tool looks interesting but I have not used it and some of the reviews indicate the RCBS tool may not be as durable as the Dillon tool. I have swaged buckets full of .556 brass with the Dillon tool without issue. Be aware that you can swage the primer pockets too much and only get a couple of reloads out of the brass before the primer pockets get loose. I swage just deep enough to get a new primer to seat with very firm pressure. FYI, I have also used a large drill bit to just barely remove the crimp. Wrap a large drill bit with duct tape to protect your hands and give it a twist or two. It's cheap and works but results will vary more than with the Dillon.

Trimmers vary greatly in price. Generally, the faster the tool works, the more it costs. The bottom of the list is any of the hand operated trimmers. Although slow, they can be used to trim just about any case by changing pilots and adjusting the trim length. Most can be adapted for use with a drill to speed the process. I have several Forster trimmers that no longer get any use because I bought one of the RCBS powered trimmers and consider it to be at mid-level of speed, versatility, and price. The top of the list is the Giraud power trimmer that is incredibly fast but the trimmer is expensive and converting to other cartridges is also expensive but it trims and chamfers the inside and outside of the case mouth at the same time. It operates much like an electric pencil sharpener and allows me to trim about 400-500 cases per hour.

Small base dies are usually not necessary unless you are starting with brass that has been fired in automatic weapons or you are shooting an AR that has a tight match chamber. Most ARs have chambers that do not require small base dies. I own RCBS, Hornady, Forster, and Redding dies for .223 but don't really have a preference. The reason for so many die sets is because I do have some match chambers that require small base dies and have different tool heads set up for my Dillon 550. I also have seating dies set to different seating depths so that I don't have to fool with adjusting seating depth when changing between practice bullets, short range target bullets, and long range target bullets.

I discerned from one of your earlier posts that you live in west Georgia. If that is the case, I may be able to let you look at some of the aforementioned tools so that you can make a more informed decision before you start purchasing. PM me if you want to discuss this further.

Gus Youmans

[williamwaco]

Tightwad here, I use a 3/8" drill bit. Touched lightly to the primary pocket.

This has worked well since my first AR-15 around 1965.

Regular dies have always worked perfect.

[sprinkintime]

I'm using the Dillion 600 but the Forester is way to slow for me, I use the Trim-iT or the WFT 2 Trimmer, I have both, they will trim about 10X faster than a Forester using them in a drill press, I us a milling machine its still vertical, about the same price.
Sprink

[USAFrox]

I use the RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center to remove the military crimp (with the correct RCBS tool), brush out the primer pocket, uniform the primer pocket, debur the flash hole (using the Lyman deburring tool, which uses the same screw pitch as the RCBS Trim Mate, and screws right into the station in back), and chamfer the case neck. It has 5 different stations, so I have 5 different tools loaded, and just move the case from tool to tool. Works fantastically. Then I use a World's finest trimmer to trim the case to length, and back to the Trim Mate to debur the case mouth. The Trim Mate is a power tool that makes all of this so easy and quick. Would highly recommend it. I use the RCBS X-die after the first sizing, to remove the need to trim anymore (because I hate trimming cases). The X-die supposedly makes it so that the case doesn't grow after repeated firings. Anyways, all of that works for me. Good luck!

[Gus Youmans]

To reemphasize what excess650 wrote, I recommend the use of a separate decapping die for the initial depriming. I have used a Lee decapping die for years without problem but the Lyman may be just as good.

Gus Youmans

[osteodoc08]

OK. So Dillon Swager it is for sure.

I already have a Lyman Trim (just like the forster) I use for all my other rifle brass, but when trimming hundreds of casings, becomes too labor intensive. I might have to look at the other power options.

So are the small base dies a good idea when resizing unknown (military) brass?

[ShooterAZ]

Yeah the Forster trimmer is a bit slow, but stays accurate. I don't mind. I sit out on the back patio and trim & drink beer. I do use the RCBS Trim Mate to chamfer & deburr.

[NuJudge]

I have bought two large lots of .223 brass, all the same Lot, fired by a Police Department (so none fired in a Military Squad Automatic Weapon), with complete satisfaction. The brass was Winchester, originally primed with Non Toxic primers, which made no difference for my purposes. The primers were crimped in. I use it for virtually all my match shooting. In about 6000 rounds, I have had one case stick in the chamber after firing, with no other failures.

If there is any chance there will be cases fired in a SAW, you need a small base die. It would be useful to get a case gauge to test sized cases in, but it would also be useful to check a newly sized case in your firearm occasionally.

RCBS makes what it calls the X Die. After you size and trim the first time, if you use this die the brass will no longer grow. People report amazingly long case life for full length sized cases. I have no experience, yet.

I used 2 Forster trimmers for many years, and it is fine for small batches. If you are going to get one, get the little spud that allows you to power it with an electric drill. The Forster I have just trims for length, but I believe they now make cutters that inside & outside chamfer at the same time. The Forster trimmers I have came with set screws that were trash, but everything else was excellent. There are several other makers of mini-lathe tools like the Forster, some of which are self powered, or you can get a spud to power it with a drill.

Trimming brass is what I hate most about loading, so I eventually bought a Giraud. I have shell holders for most of the calibers I load, and cutters for various bullet sizes. So long as you have pre-adjusted cutters for the bullet size, changing calibers is a snap. I did 4000 cases in one long evening once. With an electric powered Forster, that took me a week of long evenings.

There are several newer, cheaper trimmers that have recently come out. Lee has a trim system that is very cheap, and reasonably quick. A couple years ago the World's Finest Trimmer appeared, and just this year Giraud came out with a similar device. I have little experience with the Lee, none with the World's Finest Trimmer or the Giraud. The Giraud devices do not just trim, they inside and outside chamfer.

I like to use a hand priming tool. I like the last generation Lee tool, with the round primer storage. I have heard nothing but bad comments about the latest generation Lee tool, with the square primer storage.

I have the RCBS and the Dillon crimp removal tools. The RCBS does a truly excellent job, but it is a lot slower than the Dillon. With the Dillon, I occasionally have some trouble getting a primer to start to seat. A quick twirl with a inside chamfer tool cures it.

Older Federal brass used to get loose primer pockets, sometimes after just the second firing. Some people say the problem is fixed, but I will never trust it again.

Several die makers make micrometer seating dies, which are nice. Several die makers make dies with interchangeable inserts so you can vary the neck outside diameter, which if you are using all-one-Lot brass should allow you to vary neck inside diameter, and thereby control neck tension. I have been doing this for several thousand rounds of brass intended for 600 yards, and I don't know if it helps.

Get a vibratory tumbler, a big one. I have a 30 year old Lyman that still works great.

If you don't want to go through all this, you can ship your brass to one of several businesses that will run them through their Dillon 1050 for a nominal charge, sending you back blueprinted brass.

[dragon813gt]

Same as LC 308. Dillon super swage to remove crimp. FL size w/ normal dies. Trim w/ a 3in1 cutter on a Forster trimmer. US clean and anneal w/ a drill/socket/torch. 3k is a lot and I'd want to do it in batches to break up the monotony.

[Garyshome]

I tried everything then picked up a Dillon, never looked back.

[runfiverun]

Dillon super swage and Dillon trimmer.
I still use the rcbs case prep center to check the primer pockets and to champher the cases.
the pocket swaging and trimming are the easy parts, the rest is still plenty time consuming but gives me a chance to check everything over as I flip it back and forth in my hands.
I can sort out any that need the pockets re-done for some reason and just give them a quick cut on the prep center and try them again on the primer pocket tool.
once the hand work is done they get run through the 550 and I have no issues loading or shooting them.

[Adam10mm]

I process brass on a Dillon 1050 with a Dillon trimmer.

[Mk42gunner]

If you know your brass was rifle fired there isn't really any need for a small based die. IF it was fired in a SAW, there may be.

I have done several thousand rounds with a Lee RGB die and a Dillon Super Swage, but I knew all the brass I had was fired in M-16's.

Robert

[twc1964]

When processing my 5.56 brass, i used to dread case trimming. I bought a possum hollow case trimmer and i am now one happ camper. This tool has been met with some reluctance by some folks but dam does it work. Just resize then trim. 2-3 seconds per case is all it takes.

[foxtrapper]

If you don't have the brass already and are going to buy brass here's another thought, http://www.gibrass.com/brass.html has military brass at good prices and for another $25.00 they with process the brass, polish and ream the primer pockets.

[Shiloh]

I use a ball burr in a fled shaft. Get one that is just a bit bigger than the primer pocket. Remove the crimp AND NO MORE!!!
I have examples of half the primer pocket removed. I only takes a little bit. Why folks remove any morris a mystery to me.

Shiloh

[plainsman456]

I use a Lyman universal depriming die then take care of the crimp with a Dillion swage that a bud bought.
I still have the RCBS tool and use it sometimes.
After thats done i throw them in the tumbler,then re-size and trim if needed.

[Guardian]

I've owned the RCBS press mounted tool, the RCBS bench mounted tool, and now have a Dillon SS600. The RCBS bench tool appears to work in a similar fashion to the Dillon, but in practice they are nothing alike. The Dillon is simply the better tool. Its faster and less effort.

I sort 5.56 cases by head thickness, using a brass tube down the case neck and calipers. I discard cases less than 0.180-in thick and then sort 0.180<0.189; 0.190<0.199; and 0.200+.

Deprime them all and clean.

Size them all in a regular die with the decapping stem/sizer button removed.

Anneal them (the machine is sitting there, just as well use it).

Trim using a Giraud.

Flash hole debur using a RCBS TrimMate.

Primer pocket uniform (sometimes, not always) using a uniformer chucked in a drill press with a 90 degree adapter. The TrimMate just didn't turn it fast enough to suit me.

Load them up on a Hornady LNL AP using a Lyman M die in station 1, powder in station 3, and bullet seating in station 5.

[jcameron996]

I am currently using a RCBS small based sizing die, RCBS press mounted primer pocket swager and a CTS engineering case trimmer. I had some trouble getting started with the RCBS press mounted swager, but a call to RCBS and they made it right on their dime and it has worked like a charm since. The CTS engineering trimmer is a breeze to use. It is similar to the WFT and Possum hollow and has to be chucked into a drill of some sort to work. I have mine in a small bench top drill press and it makes quick work of the trimming. I inside and outside deburr the necks on a lyman case prep center.

[Moonie]

I use standard Lee dies and chuck this tool up in my drill to remove the crimp:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165253550/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-cutter-head

[dudel]

My preference is to always swage the pockets vs removing metal. I use the RCBS pocket swager. It's slow and painful to get the rod into the .223 case; but it does a good job. Then there are times, when I go WTH, and lightly use a Wilson deburring tool on the pocket. Two twists and it's done.


I can rationalize that swaging is probably better than removing metal from the pocket, but I've not seen any noticeable difference in case life so far. Brass gets flung so far afield, I don't always come back with all my brass (but I usually come back with more than I shot!). Maybe if I was shooting max loads I'd seem some loosening of the pocket; but not yet. FWIW, I tend to segregate my brass by headstamp (and in the case of LC, by year as well). I do this so I can feel differences in primer seating.

[376Steyr]

I use the Gracey powered trimmer and have been happy with it.

http://www.matchprep.com/trimmer.htm

[altheating]

A Dillon 1050 with Dillon Trimmer.

[sac_fff]

I've bought brass from Avery Arms and was very pleased.