223 brass

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Are 223 cases marked FC and PMC both military cases?

[Winger Ed.]

Federal sells some to the govt. with a FC head stamp.
PMC is more or less mil. spec. but I don't think the US govt. buys any from them.

If the case says .223Rem is probably isn't exactly the same as the cases we see with military head stamps.
Weighing a few would tell you. Military cases are a little thicker and weigh a fraction more than ones for the civilian .223 market.

I haven't seen it mentioned in the newer books, but some of the old ones said to subtract one full grain
when using GI brass since the inside volume was less.

[imashooter2]

Neither case is “military.”

Never heard anything wrong with PMC other than the walls on some may be too thick for forming 300 BLK. Many feel Federal primer pockets get loose quickly.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Thanks guys. Even at my age you can learn something everyday.

[BLAHUT]

Are 223 cases marked FC and PMC both military cases?

No, FC is not, PMC is south African civilian made, if I remember correctly.

[Winger Ed.]

No, FC is not,

True. They make it to some degree of military specs. but primarily market it to law enforcement, but not for the US military.
For their volume and wall thickness compared to known civilian head stamp cases, you might want to weigh a few.

[243winxb]

True military will have nato stamp. Some FC will have crimped primers. The last PMC brass I had dont make it to the 2nd loading. The necks split. Poor annealing from PMC.



Most 223 & 5.56 brass is the same, but some brands of brass are heavier, using less powder.
Some brands have small flash holes.

[243winxb]

Old info but still useful- https://www.accurateshooter.com/cart...guides/223rem/

[Winger Ed.]

The necks split. Poor annealing from PMC..

I've ended up with a bunch from back when 1,000 PMC factory ammo was $135.00 shipped.

I never had a split, but their lengths both for brass and loaded ammo was all over the place, even in the same batch.
Also you could roll a factory round across the table and see the bullet wobble.

[Texas by God]

PMC ammunition is made in South Korea. Imported through Houston.
They make good ammunition.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[charlie b]

Basically if it says .223 it is commercial. If it just has a lot number it is probably military.

I don't remember seeing any with 5.56 on the base, but, it just could be I don't use bulk .223/5.56.

When I reloaded for the .223 I was disappointed in the case life of almost all 'brands' (including lake city). The primer pockets would expand after just 4 or 5 reloads. So, I bought some Lapua brass. I had over 20 reloads on those when I quit shooting that barrel. No split necks (I don't anneal brass), primer pockets still tight. Near max loads.

[Bigslug]

Take a look at the purple rings around the primers in 243winxb's Post#7.

Military 5.56x45 is loaded to higher pressures than commercial .223 Rem, and one of the things called for in the spec is that the primers be crimped in place to prevent them backing out under that extra pressure. Primers rattling around the internals of an AR-family rifle can cause ALL KINDS of unsettling malfunctions, up to and including uncontrolled, runaway full-auto. If you look close within that ring of purple moisture sealant, you'll see a ring around the edge of the pocket where that crimp was applied. If you're going to reload it, that crimp will need to be swaged out.

Some stuff marked as .223 will have this primer pocket "anchor" as well. It's a good thing to be aware of for the extra work it'll bring.

[CastingFool]

My experience with PMC was with 45acp brass. First time reloading it, I was having a difficult time depriming it. Turned out to be flashholes were off center. Trashed the whole lot. Won't use pmc brass, unless is for 9mm, and don't plan to pick up the empties.

[82ndMedic]

Most FC Headstamp I have seen are military brass and feature the crimp. I have bought them multiple times from government auction. PMC brass is usually great quality as well, however, some feature the crimp and others don’t. I believe their 5.56 has the crimp and their .223 does not, but someone check me on this if I am wrong.

[agcannon]

when reloading 223 fc brass I've ran into loose primer pockets

[Der Gebirgsjager]

PMC ammunition is made in South Korea. Imported through Houston.
They make good ammunition.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

What he said!

DG

[charlie b]

...Military 5.56x45 is loaded to higher pressures than commercial .223 Rem, and one of the things called for in the spec is that the primers be crimped in place to prevent them backing out under that extra pressure...

Some have discovered crimped primers in cartridges from the 1800's. These seem to be due to softer brass being used back then. WWI started crimping on a regular basis due to the use of machine guns. At that time only MG ammo was crimped for the most part.

For WWI and some of WWII the distinction between rifle ammo and MG ammo was made and only the MG ammo was crimped. Sometime in WWII it was easier to crimp everything to make logistics and manufacturing simpler. This practice was not consistent until later years. All the issue military ammo I have seen has been crimped, including Korean war vintage stuff.

The reason .223 is not crimped is because it is not made under military contract. Same with .308 vs 7.62x51NATO. .308 has a higher pressure but is not crimped.

But, there are always exceptions. I bought some bulk Federal .223 one time. It had the military headstamp and was crimped even though the box said .223. Same with .308Win. I have seen some with crimps, but that was an overseas mfg (S&B?).

[nicholst55]

When ATK (Federal's parent corporation) was running the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, they would frequently use overrun 5.56mm brass for commercial ammo. During that time it was fairly common to buy Federal ammo with crimped primers and military headstamps.