I have recently started reloading for my ar-15 and the last ammo i shot was federal bulk from walmart. When i started pushing primers in the pockets i noticed they looked funny and i was told that federal ammo has a crimped primer and not a press fit. Has any one else had this issue with federal ammo or is there a way i can still load this for my ar?
Federal 223 ammo
- Thread starter jd3020
- Start date
praetorian97
New member
If it is crimped you will have to swage it. Dillon makes a great tool for this.
ScottRiqui
New member
Here's a picture (crimped primer pocket on the top, uncrimped example on the bottom):
Once you know what you're looking for, the crimp is pretty easy to spot - it's just a ring of material around the outside of the primer that's been compressed to hold the primer in place. You only have to remove the crimp once - after that, you can reload the brass as if it had never been crimped in the first place.
If you have a bunch of crimps to remove, I recommend the Dillon "Super Swager" - I love mine.
Once you know what you're looking for, the crimp is pretty easy to spot - it's just a ring of material around the outside of the primer that's been compressed to hold the primer in place. You only have to remove the crimp once - after that, you can reload the brass as if it had never been crimped in the first place.
If you have a bunch of crimps to remove, I recommend the Dillon "Super Swager" - I love mine.
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praetorian97
New member
You will be able to tell when you attempt to prime too. In my experience a military crimped brass is not allowing a primer in without significant denting to the primer itself.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
A Lyman Case Prep Tool will cost you less than $25 it has a primer pocket reamer. If the pocket is crimped you will feel the resistance when trying to push it into to the primer pocket. I few twist with it will remove the crimp. I have used mine on thousands of them. If you pick up .223 Rem brass the tool will make reloading a bit easier for you.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
jd I would recomend the tool. Many different manufacturers are using crimpped primer pockets. I know PMC does. At least for about half to three quarters of the ones I have picked up. (PMC is range brand sold in the club house. Almost all Federal are. PPU is crimped, and well as some of the Fiochi I have piced up. I would have had to throw away thousands of pieces of brass if I did not have that tool. Also a lot of LC, LCC (Lake City) are crimped. It is very good brass, it just takes about twenty seconds if that to remove the crimp with the tool.
praetorian97
New member
ok one more thing i just found that i can get a swage for my rcbs press from rcbs. someone on cabelas web site posted a question on it if it eliminated the time for case prep. obviously it dosent do the trimming or any thing like that but the responce was that the primer pocket still needed to be reamed out. is this true for the rcbs primer pocket swager combo? i hate to spend 45 bucks and then it not do what i need it to do.
Just a little $.02 opinion. I know you have Fed brass and you have what you have for now. But I haven't had the best of luck with Fed brass in the past several years (primer pockets loosen quickly). Once your supply start to run thin or show signs of age & wear, you might scan here and see what other options you could go with. Personally, I've found that Winchester and Prvi Partisan brass are good choices as they are inexpensive and run very consistent with each other in weight and capacity.
yes and see thats where i run into issues on brass. I have a savage edge in 223 that i use for my coyote gun. currently i am using hornady brass in it. but shooting ammo through my ar is a different story. I have shot remmington winchester and now federal and american eagle. So keeping one for reloading is a hard decision even tho the winchester and remmington are easier to reload. Then i was thinking of the decision of just going with one ammo shoot it through the ar and then use it for my savage reloads. Hornady brass is nice i like the way it loads but its expensive to start out with. remington and winchester is cheaper but how many loads will they go. Im sure every shell has its pro's and con's. my biggest issue right now if finding data for everything i have. Being im new to all of this i dont know all those good sites that give out the free info so im going off a lyman book and a speer #14 book that came with my reloading kit