Reloading .223/5.56

[SCXDm9]

Could you reload a 5.56 brass more times than a .223? In other word is it worth the money to buy 5.56 ammo if I collecting brass to reload?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[aus71383]

No. 5.56mm brass will be more of a pain, because it is likely to have staked primers, which requires extra work before you can reload them the first time. Other than that - I think they're about the same.....look over on AR15.com for some cutaway pictures of brass comparisons. I don't remember specifically, but the general impression I have is that they're all the same.

Austin

[Fisher10]

5.56 brass may have crimped in primers which are a huge pain to remove in large quantities if you don't have an expensive tool. The brass is slightly thicker, which means it may be more prone to splitting at the neck.

You should be able to load slightly hotter in 5.56 brass, but that's the only real advantage. I think brass life is about the same between .223 and 5.56 and I mix the two together. I have well over 3,000 once fired 5.56 brass I still need to resize, trim and remove the primer crimp...

Is it worth spending more just to get brass to reload? Probably not. But for a SHTF or self defense stash, I would opt for the slightly hotter 5.56 pressure ammunition.

[OldVet]

Almost all I've ever shot in my .223 is 5.56 brass. Removing the crimp is no big deal if you have a reamer and chamfering tool. I never found the need for "hot" loads and haven't had to discard any brass yet.