Brass and primer question

pyscodog

Active member
A few months ago, I purchased a set of dies and some brass from a member on a different forum. The brass has been annealed and also came primed. I didn't resize any of the brass before loading due to it already being primed. With primers so scarce I just wanted to take advantage of basically 150 free primers even though I have no idea what brand they are. What I have noticed, when loading a bullet, I can feel some take more effort to seat than others and with a loaded round that some chamber "stiffer" than others also. My thought was to use the primed brass to work up a load or at least find something that was a starting point but the different seating effort and the some stiff and some not so stiff chambering makes me wonder if I just making noise and not accomplishing anything. I'm also fire forming them to my chamber as well as they weren't fired from my rifle. I also am wondering how much the neck tension and chambering issues have on accuracy. I'm thinking it has to have some effect, just how much???

Suggestions? Opinions??
 
Consistency is key with accuracy so the fact that they sound like they have different neck tension is going to skew your results. I Never trust primed brass unless I prime it OR they come factory primed. If I were you, Id run them through a neck sizer or just use them for plinking loads, then resize and work up a load. No sense working up a load with unknown primers either.
 
I kinda feel like I'm just making noise right now. They have all shot good enough to shoot vermin with but I think I'm chasing my tail for accuracy loads. But... at least they weren't my primers. LOL!
 
I agree, that trying to work up loads with that ammo is a waste of time and materials. If they shoot well enough for vermin, use them up and then you can attempted a better load the 2nd time you load that brass.
 
Depriming has its risks, but personally I've never had a problem depriming. Just a regular decapping die with light pressure.

On one occasion I did pick up about 300rds of primed 5.56 brass. I deprimed, and FL resized to make sure they would chamber. Reseated the primers, loaded and had fun at the range.

My $.02
 
You can size primed brass, just remove the decapper/expander rod. Then use a mandrel to adjust the neck I.d. Since the brass was already sized and primed, the necks should be fine. Just get the shoulder where it needs to be for proper clambering. Just make sure there are no proud primers(as always).
 
what brand of dies are you using?

if you're using RCBS or hornady dies you can just pull the decapping pin out of the expander (as if you were replacing a broken/damaged decapping pin) and use the die otherwise normally without your decap pin without any worry about knocking the primers out. just remember to put it back in when you're done
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however at this point - since you have no idea what primers they are - even if you resize them i would still only use them for fun/plinker/fire forming loads this time around and worry about collecting load data on your next firing where you have control of your components.

hth
 
Its a Redding die set. Thought about pulling the stem and resizing, but then again, not knowing the primer, I'm just going to shoot them up and start with known components. Basically now just fire forming them to this rifles chamber. Its 223AI and the brass I bought was already fire formed, just not to this chamber.
 
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