.223 Loading Questions?

[AlphaMike11]

I am ready to take the plunge with .223.
Have loaded a lot of other rifle brass (.308 and 7.5 x 55), but I am told .223 has issues with primer pockets.

Can anyone recommend a pocket tool to de-crimp/de-burr the primers?
A fellow reloader told me he lost 30% of primers doing .223/5.56...

Also any good powder recommendations?
I have 4lb of 4064.

Thanks

 

[greg vess]

If you are using Lake City brass they are military surplus loads and the primer pockets are crimped to keep the primers in during full auto fire. It's just a little ring that kind of like a round stake. You will need a crimp removal tool. Doing by hand is a bit*h so I recommend a Hornady 3 station prep machine. You can put the three tool heads on to use and one time. I love mine. Make prepping brass a breeze and takes a lot of time away from doing it by hand. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/5...LlrE_jbnx8RSx4sOKvgRWUDY0sfnG6ThoCeacQAvD_BwE This is the hand held one. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/804809/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-package This a pic of the hand held one and the head that goes on the Hornady 3 tool prep station which retails right at about 100 bucks. Word to the wise, you will tear your hands to pieces trying to do it by hand. Get the Hornady Prep station or something comparable.

 

[greg vess]

What I do is use the de-crimping tool and it actually give the pocket a little bevel to make the primer a little easier to install. Sometimes I hit it with a chamfer tool just a tad to knock the 90 degree edge off the primer pocket. Then the primers kind of guide themselves in and makes it a heck of a lot easier to seat the primer. If you plan on doing a lot 5.56 loaded to .223 specs then you will definitely need a prep station or it will take you forever.

 

[Jackie Graham]

I run all mine through my 1050. It has a swager. I deprimed and swaged 7k in the last two days. Now I get to wash size and trim them,lol.

 

[greg vess]

 

[greg vess]

That tool up there will be your best friend. Interchangeable heads of course.

 

[rosewood]

I use the RCBS primer pocket tool. It mounts to a single stage press and has parts for both large and small primers.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/235832/rcbs-primer-pocket-swager-combo-2

 

[AlphaMike11]

Wow,
This forum is a wealth of knowledge!

Let me digest the responses and reply in depth...

I should say that right now .223 is cheap enough I won't be loading any volume.
I just want to have my act together in case I ever need the skill set or want to load some up.

Besides, reloading is FUN and Rewarding.

Can you visually see the crimp if you look closely?

Is it usually a complete ring or lock tabs on parts of the pocket circle?

 

[greg vess]

Yes. If you look at the primer of a 5.56 round and say a off the shelf .223 round you can visually see it. On Hornady ammo you can really see the difference. The Hornady round will have a very clean primer to shell transition. Here are two pics. You can see on the second shell almost a bluish tint and that is the crimp. On some shells there is actually two or three little stake marks. The Hornady shell is the first pic. The crimp is highly visable on the second pic. It's the second type shells that will give you fits if you try to insert the primer. It won't happen. You have to remove that ring around the primer after you deprime it. I then use the deprimer to take the crimp out and then I will hit it with the deburring tool to give it a little bevel to aid in priming.

 

[greg vess]

Doing any number of those crimps by hand will eat your fingers up. You will have blisters for days. A prep station like the one pictured above or any other prep station will be your best friend when you are dealing with the crimped style shells. It will literally take hours out of your prep time.