Check out my brass.

[RotARy15]

Been loading ammo for a while now, mostly neck sizing 308.

I have finally spotted some interesting things on my .223 brass. I would like someone with experience to give me their opinion on whether this is impending doom or not.

Remington brass 2x fired.
Both times were during load development on 55gr FMJ/BT over 748 and 60gr SP over Varget.
Never reached book max on either test.
Fired from a Rock River 16" AR.

The brass on the left is the one that caught my eye and the other 2 are randoms from the lot. I have around 6-7 other pieces out of 93 that look like the left. Isn't 2 times a little short? Is Remington brass weak?

The one on the left wouldn't be safe for 1 more firing would it?

 

[SGT TickleFight]

Re: Check out my brass.

I can't really tell what I am looking for. I see some dings in the brass on the right.

Semi-auto guns are always hard on brass and sometimes they will get beat-up really quickly. I always get dings on my brass. If it isn't a clear split, I rub my finger nail over the scratch. If my nail gets caught on it, I toss it. I have buckets of LC 5.56 so I don't worry about it.

Get a brass catcher if you are worried about brass life.

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Check out my brass.

If you're asking about the ring near the base of the case and if that is impending casehead separation, it's difficult to say with certainty from just this picture. How much are you bumping the shoulder back when you resize?

You can try the paperclip trick (bend a paperclip and feel down in the inside of the case for a slight hitch.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/case-head-separation-cause-diagnosis/

 

[RotARy15]

Re: Check out my brass.

Yes, I am concerned about the ring around the web of the brass on the left.

It doesn't look terribly prominent yet. However, this is my first go around with soon to be decommissioned brass.

I'm not really certain that I'm bumping the should back much at all. I haven't spent much time measuring the shoulder on my .223 brass. I measured a few times with primers still in the cases and it averaged around 1.499. I figured the primers were the cause of the varying measurements. I measured the brass after sizing and almost all of them measured 1.500. It is possible that I'm actually growing the shoulder .001.

Either way, I'm getting perfect reliability and excellent accuracy. Never thought I'd get 1 inch groups at 100 with 55gr FMJ/BT out of an AR.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

Re: Check out my brass.

That seems a little too close to the rim to be a sign of incipient case head separation, to me. But as was mentioned, sharpen a paper clip and bend a right angle very close to the tip and run it down the case wall on the inside. If it snags on a crack at the same distance, that is what it could be but you need to find out the reason. It could be impropper full length resizing or it could be excessive headspace on the chamber. Or, it could be none of the above? You might cut a case lengthwise and have a better look.
BB

edit: your photo doesn't show your concern as well as it could.

 

[RotARy15]

Re: Check out my brass.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That seems a little too close to the rim to be a sign of incipient case head separation, to me. But as was mentioned, sharpen a paper clip and bend a right angle very close to the tip and run it down the case wall on the inside. If it snags on a crack at the same distance, that is what it could be but you need to find out the reason. It could be impropper full length resizing or it could be excessive headspace on the chamber. Or, it could be none of the above? You might cut a case lengthwise and have a better look.
BB

edit: your photo doesn't show your concern as well as it could. </div></div>

Working with an iPhone camera so it is limited.

However, your post leads me to believe that case head separation normally occurs higher up the case. I figured it was case head because it is a color change rather than a felt mark. I can run my nail across it and feel nothing.

 

[pmclaine]

Re: Check out my brass.

Were the other two cases sized by you?

What are you using for dies? I load on a Dillon progressive and the dies are chamfered at the base to assist the case into the die. I get a similar mark but I attribute it to the design of the dies. I had the same concerns as you but a paperclip showed me to be good. Maybe I should get out the Dremel and autopsy one of mine.

Brass is pretty thick that low in the web. Pictures of seperation I have seen seem to occur a little further up the case.

 

[RotARy15]

Re: Check out my brass.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pmclaine</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Were the other two cases sized by you?

What are you using for dies? I load on a Dillon progressive and the dies are chamfered at the base to assist the case into the die. I get a similar mark but I attribute it to the design of the dies. I had the same concerns as you but a paperclip showed me to be good. Maybe I should get out the Dremel and autopsy one of mine.

Brass is pretty thick that low in the web. Pictures of seperation I have seen seem to occur a little further up the case. </div></div>

Yes all 3 pieces are the same brand, fired the same number of times, in the same rifle, and sized in the same die.

I looked up more photos of case head failure and it appears to consistently occur higher up on the case.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Check out my brass.

That line is normal, it is where the case stops going into your full length sizing die. If you were neck sizing, the line would not be present.

 

[Twitch2120]

Re: Check out my brass.

paperclip method or sacrfice a case to be cut and look at it. looks like the spot where f/l die stops sizing.

 

[gvanhyning]

Re: Check out my brass.

I shoot 6.5x47 and have had case head separation. The piece of brass is suspect from what I see. It's almost exactly what I look for now on my cases. When I thought I could get one more shot on the case, it failed. That's my 2 cents.

 

[RotARy15]

Re: Check out my brass.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: milo-2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That line is normal, it is where the case stops going into your full length sizing die. If you were neck sizing, the line would not be present. </div></div>

If that is so then why is it only appearing on 7 out of 93 pieces of brass?