dented .223 brass

[Dakine]

hopefully this question isn't out of bounds for this forum, it kind of very loosely applies I think, and I didnt really see a forum title more appropriate for it...

So I have a lot of .223 brass, and I'm going to be jumping into the .22lr swaging game. My question is about my brass that has dents in the body of the cartridge.

Is that brass ruined? I can imagine that from a reloading stand point maybe so? however blanks are crimped brass, so maybe those dents arent really a big deal???

if the brass is not safe for reloading, is it acceptable to hold onto it for when I move into swaging .338 which as I understand uses .223 to make the jacket?

Thanks!
Dak

[zxcvbob]

Dents or creases? Dents are fine. Most of my .223 brass has a little dent right in the middle. It *almost* comes out when I resize them.

[Lizard333]

If the dents are relatively small, most are removed during the sizing process in your reloading dies. Small ones around the neck are removed after the brass has been fired. If you can't get the brass through your reloading die, I would consider it toast. Pics of the brass you have in question would be better answered.

[shooterg]

The "normal" dents from forceful ejection from lots of semi and full autos mostly disappear with normal sizing and after shooting again in a gun that launches the cases out easier, can't even see it usually.

[jhrosier]

I see a lot of 5.56 brass that has been fired in AKs with sharp dents in the body of the case.
Good conditioned 5.56 brass is so plentiful & inexpensive that I don't bother with badly dented brass.

Jack

[DukeInFlorida]

The guys who shoot .223's (5.56) out of an AR-15 with a brass deflector on the side of the upper receiver, will get a dent where the brass bounces off the deflector. Some reflectors have sharp edges, and leave a sharp dent. Others have rounded edges, and leave a softer dent.

I shoot em all.

Brass is brass. As long as I can get it to resize, it's gonna run like butter through my 720 rpm gun.

[runfiverun]

yeah if it'll chamber it will push the dent back out.
my stag pushes the dent out, then makes another one.

[genesis]

Hi Guys:

Like the original poster, I have a rifle which dents my cases. I just purchased a new Saiga in 5.56 NATO (223). It's an AK47 variant. I just fired my first 10 rounds and noticed a dent in the middle of every case. In researching this problem, to insure positive ejection the fired case is pretty forcefully flung out. The first thing it hits is the thin stamped dust cover near the ejection port. This is what causes the dent. Fired cases then land a good 30 in front of the shooter at a 45 degree angle.

All of the above responses indicate that these dented cases can still be reloaded (which is what I want to do). But I'm concerned that the dents may have weakened these cases. Below is a picture of the first 10 rounds I fired. Do these cases look reloadable?

Thanks for your help and input guys,

Don <><


http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj636/Don_Glaser/dents.jpg

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

My only concern with the above brass is that the dent was made with a sharp edge. You can definitely reload them and fire them again, if you cut one in half, you'll find that the brass is remarkably thick where those dents are. I'd say reload them and give them a very close inspection after the second firing.

[zuke]

Size and reload and fire away, the 50,000+ PSI will iron them out nicely!

[jhrosier]

I would glue a piece of neoprene to the cover to prevent the dents. Contact cement should work.

Jack

[genesis]

I would glue a piece of neoprene to the cover to prevent the dents. Contact cement should work. Jack

Thanks Jack. In checking other forums, some have simply put some layers of electrical tape where the case hits the edge of the dust cover. I'm gonna try that tomorrow. Others have glued various soft, rubbery material as you have suggested. I may try that to.

Thanks for your help,

Don <><

[DukeInFlorida]

It's not the dust cover that the brass hits. It's the deflector bump.
The area circled in red is the deflector. The one in the image has a nice rounded edge where the brass hits it.
If yours has a sharp edge, you can round it over, and touch up the aluminum with some spray paint,
http://www.ar15armory.com/forums/uploads/1255744018/gallery_1_1_21666.gif

[genesis]

It's not the dust cover that the brass hits. It's the deflector bump. The area circled in red is the deflector. The one in the image has a nice rounded edge where the brass hits it. If yours has a sharp edge, you can round it over, and touch up the aluminum with some spray paint,

Hi Duke. I have an AK, not an AR. There no deflector on an AK. At least not on mine.

Don <><

[DukeInFlorida]

Well, your DEEPLY dented brass is hitting something on the way out. Look on your gun, near the ejection port, for a place where the black metal has brass colored shiny spot. That's where your brass is hitting the gun. That edge is too sharp. Fix (round over) that sharp edge, and your brass won't get so damaged in the future.

BTW, I think you have it backwards. ALL AR-15's have deflectors! AK's might not, but AR's do!

[David2011]

After you positively identify the spot causing the damage, round off the sharp corner with a fine file and polish with 320 grit sandpaper to reduce any creasing of the brass. Like others have said, most of the dent will come out when the brass is sized.

I got a 3000 round package of 5.56 brass from Widener's and many were dented. While some of the damage was clearly from ejecting from full auto weapons, they had probably also been driven over by military vehicles. Mouths and bodies were both dented. There were only about 20-25 pieces that I considered unsafe after sizing and most of those had severe mouth damage.

David

[genesis]

BTW, I think you have it backwards. ALL AR-15's have deflectors! AK's might not, but AR's do!

Hi Duke. You're right. I got it backwards. I edited my post to correct that.

I just came in from my range to report on the dented case issue. As someone suggested, I put 4 layers of tape at the point on the dust cover where the ejected cases were striking. Fired one round. The tape flew off, but the brass flew 15 feet and 90 degrees to my right, with not even a whisper of a dent or scratch. Now that I know how to resolve the problem, I'll figure out a way to better attach something soft.

Edit: 2 layers from a bicycle inner tube held on by just one layer of good old tuck tape did the trick. Fired 10 round and everything held together and not one dented case! It ain't pretty, but it works. Throws the cases 20 feet to my right at 90 degrees. (Those 2 layers are 2 single layers, not 2 doubled-up layers.)

I don't think trying to smooth out the edge of the dust cover will work as it's just a thin stamped piece. Changing its profile might work. I might just order another dust cover to experiment with.

Don <><

[MUSTANG]

My only concern with the above brass is that the dent was made with a sharp edge. You can definitely reload them and fire them again, if you cut one in half, you'll find that the brass is remarkably thick where those dents are. I'd say reload them and give them a very close inspection after the second firing.

+1. would not hesitate to reload the brass in the picture in Post #8. I have reloaded much worse where someone has stepped on the brass in the Desert where many locals commonly shoot (and I scrounge brass there quite often). The key is to look and see if there is a crease deep enough you suspect that the brass will tear. In most cases the brass will fill out in the chamber when fired with a full power load. There may be a slight "IMAGE" left where the dent was after being sized and fired again.

My experience is that mouth damage is more often a reason for rejecting the brass, as opposed to dents inn the sides.

Mustang

[notenoughguns]

Well, your DEEPLY dented brass is hitting something on the way out. Look on your gun, near the ejection port, for a place where the black metal has brass colored shiny spot. That's where your brass is hitting the gun. That edge is too sharp. Fix (round over) that sharp edge, and your brass won't get so damaged in the future.

BTW, I think you have it backwards. ALL AR-15's have deflectors! AK's might not, but AR's do!
Wrong , not all AR's have shell deflectors nor do they all have forward assists !

[lmfd20]

My mini 14 has the dent running parallel to the case body just below the shoulder. Resize gets most of it and if next firing is from an ar, the rest is gone.

[fcvan]

I use 4227 for dent removal :)