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Thread: 223 Brass from 223 blanks?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    223 Brass from 223 blanks?

    Have a big bag of 223 blanks. Has anyone salvaged the brass from these for reloading ammo?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I've gotta say, the ruffled crimp lends itself to severe splitting at the neck. I've tried reloading both projectile ammunition and blanks with these. They actually split to the point of being a danger.

    Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Are they fired or new still?, I use the blank brass to make 300blk

    I’m sure someone here would trade for normal brass

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    New, not fired. I see what you are talking about with crimp going down into the neck.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master RKJ's Avatar
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    Are you needing brass or just looking to use something that you have?

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    rancher1913's Avatar
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    the brass can be used to swag several other boolit calibers, 357mag is one of them.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    I could see converting those to 300BO, but you dont really need brass for reloading 223 do you ? NOT worth the effort IMO when 223 is so abundant. way easier options. Trade ! with someone near you, or even a scrap yard trade would be better.
    Good Judgment comes from Experience, Experience comes from Bad Judgment !

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub


    muta4warrior's Avatar
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    I've never used blanks for 223 but have turned a bunch into 300blackout with no issues

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

    dale2242's Avatar
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    With 5.56/223 brass so available/cheap why bother?
    My time is more valuable when I have 5 gallon buckets of the stuff.
    Maybe you just like projects....dale

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I get frustrated watching the news ...... and I go process more 5.56 instead.

    My hands etc get too tired and hurting and I just stare at what I have to go through yet.

    My point is I do the .223 and 5.56 but leave the blanks for ?.... Now thanks to Lloyd, I may turn them into 7.62 x 25. But I have more than of few factory cases of those as well.

    But then there is that infuriating news!

    OK I will pull weeds in my wife’s garden!

    Three44s
    Quote Originally Posted by Bret4207

    “There is more to this than dumping lead in a hole.”

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Hawks Feather's Avatar
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    Like others have said, using it for .223 is probably not in your best interest.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    Not worth the trouble friend. Any guy here has buckets of the stuff. I've got at least 2 sitting around. Not worth the hassle.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    I used several hundred fired blank 5.56 cases to form 222 Rem brass. Cut off crimp with Dremel. Formed in FL die w/o the decap rod. Trimmed to length. Ran over M-die but didn't flare case mouth. Annealed neck and shoulder. Turned necks with outside turner [ Forster for trimmer with electric drill/variable speed] just enough to clean up and true them. Worked fine.

    That was many years back, these days i would just use 223 cases to form 222 Rem.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    I’ve no experience with .223 blanks.

    I have converted a bunch of 70’s era Lake City 30-06 blanks into 7.7x58mm. By cutting them down all of the crimp in the neck is removed.

    I would not have tried to reload these in the original 30-06 caliber. The neck crimp would have been problematic.

    JM

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Dapaki's Avatar
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    Yes you can BUT they have to be annealed first or the necks split. Even then, expect to have some fail.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I’m in the why bother class. Everybody and their brother has 223/ 5.56 NATO brass. Anything you could form from blanks would be easier done from brass. The only keeper 223 I have is Ruger #3 that I got back in 70s. The AR boys have given me so much 1x that I only load brass once. I don’t know how guys can sell 223, 7.62x39, 7.62 NATO and 9mm brass 1x. There is so much of it floating around for free, range pick up.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master


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    556 brass is plentiful, use your time wisely. Converting 223 blank to regular brass can be done but is almost a fools errand.

    Back in the obummer days, I converted 6.5k of Hirtenburger 7.62 blank to primed brass for a monetary investment of .04 cents each and about two weeks of my time.

    If you do proceed, a few suggestions.

    1. Dillon RT1200 and a 223 die

    2. An RCBS FLsizer with the inside mouth sizer tapered to a point in a drill with a file to remove the rolled edge just before the star crimp.

    3. Uniform all cases on a high production case trimmer (Gracey or Jirard) the final .010-.015"

    4. Annual to prevent split necks on first or second firing.

    I was converting the 7.62 brass for a CENTME with a fluted chamber. I'd loose roughly 40% of the brass recovered to case or neck splits. Through a SCAR, they are fine.

    I have also been down the road for making 221 brass. I buy Lapua now.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    I did 50 I believe during the shortage. I gave them to a friend and didn’t hear any negative issues. At the time, asking prices were $1 per round. Some of the necks I had to trim a bit short. It was ALOT of work and I won’t do it again. .223 is now being left at the range again.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    I have made 223 from them without any problems. I used a rcbs from trim die.
    If any of you guys have some to get rid of for free I would be happy to take them off your hands. Speaking of fired ones
    Last edited by brstevns; 08-01-2020 at 09:26 PM.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    Donated them to VFW

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check