Is PMC brass worth reloading?

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Geezerbiker

New member
I picked up a bag of once fired .223 brass. A rough estimate would be about 1500~2000 cases for 20 bucks. In my first sorting session, I pulled out a couple hundred Winchester cases that I'm going to tumble first.

Anyway about 80~90% of the cases are PMC and the rest are mixed. A casual look at them makes me think they were all shot out of the same AR15. The have no dents and almost no extractor marks. The guy that sold them to me has a very tricked out match AR15 but I didn't ask if he was the one that shot all of them. Will I be able to load the PMC cases up to anything resembling match loads for varmint shooting or should I swap them to my shooting buddy for his Mini 14?

I'll post a more complete list of the head stamps later but there were some S&B, WCC and LC of various years but only very few looked to have crimped primers. I plan to recycle the ones with crimped primers.

Tony
 
H

hornetguy

New member
I reloaded a bunch of PMC brass in my 6.5 X 55 Swede. I had several loadings on most of them, probably 4 or 5, with no problems at all.
 
C

crowbeaner

New member
20 years ago I would have told you to trade the PMC brass for something made here; the quality just wasn't there. Today's production brass is 200% better; it's even better than some new production Federal brass I've reloaded lately. I use a LOT of PMC pistol brass and it's WAAAAYYYYY more consistent than some. The primer pockets are tight and uniform, it lasts just as long as any, and usually the price is better because some people still don't like it. I dunno why; it makes good ammo. The rifle brass seems to be a bit thick hence less capacity, but if you uniform the flash holes, it loads just as well and shoots about the same as RP.
 
E

edward5759

New member
I bought 2000 PMC brass 20 years ago and I am still reloading it.
I made some 222 cases out of some of them and used 30 or so cases for bench rest matches in a tight neck BR rifle, Because they shot the best.
 
F

Farmland

New member
PMC will work great. I have been reloading it for a few years now all for my 223. In fact I have a few thousand that I have pricked up one place or another.
 
J

jhansman

New member
I pick up a lot of PMC at the range, and it has all held up as well as any other I've reused. I don't shoot flamethrower loads, so YMMV if you do.
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
Thanx guys. I was afraid that imported brass wouldn't be worth reloading for Varmint hunting. I was sure it would be safe to reload but not that it would be good for my most accurate loads.

I'm not sure if I can make it out varmint hunting this year but I sure want to be ready if the opportunity arises...

Back in '02 when I bought my first Varmint rifle, I ordered 500 .225 Remington bulk bullets, life got in the way and I never got around to loading them. At least now I have the cases for them...

Tony
 
S

Sevens

New member
I have a bit of PMC brass from the early 90's (in 10mm) and it's been very durable brass.

I use current production PMC brass in 9mm to fine effect.

The most recent PMC brass I've used in .45 Auto has been very disappointing. Thin brass that is prone to crushing while seating bullets. It seems thin in the case walls.

I'd certainly give any PMC brass a twirl and see how it works... but recent manufacture PMC in .45 has not impressed me in the slightest.
 
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