cuban11182

So I've been doing alot of research on realoading. While i was home on R&R I bought the ABC's of Reloading and have been referencing it. I've decided I will stick with a Kempf Lee Classic Turret Kit Upgrade for 223: https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...hk=1&Itemid=41 , the Lee Safety Powder Scale, and about 2 loading trays.

I assume that is all I need to begin. I'm not concerned about a Tumbler yet. I do plan on eventually reloading 9mm as well, so I will need another turret and the Deluxe Carbide Kit for 9mm.

I have been reading about trimming and cleaning the primer pocket. I read on THR that one guy hadn't trimmed cases for 223 since 1981. I am USCG, so I plan on collecting spent 223 when I go to the range. So am I to understand that for the most part you wont need to trim the cases? I'm not concerned about the cost of the tools needed (they are about 20 bux or less), but I wonder how much time I would save if I don't have to trim.

Is there anything I am missing that would make life easier when I start to reload? Thanks for any advice.

HotGuns

That depends. If you are just going to plink and shoot for fun, then you don't need to trim the cases.

If you want to go for the maxi mun accuracy, then you need to trim the cases.

Trimming the cases ensures that each case is crimped exactly the same amount. If a case is a bit short, it wont get as much crimp, if its a bit long it will get more.

The biggest thing about getting quality reloads is uniformity. For accuracy, all your loads need to be the same. Same length, same powder charge, same crimp on the bullet.

You can shoot the cases until they crack ,or they just wont chamber. When that happens you just chunk them and get some more cases so yes, technically you wouldn't have to trim.

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cuban11182

I've never competed with my shooting except with my dad, and for my qualification with the military. For the most part it will be just for plinking and to keep from having to purchase. Like I said, when I go to the range with the CG I can pick up a ton of brass so thats my major motivation to begin. My wife also recently realized she likes to shoot, so I plan on getting her a gun.

Thanks for your advice.

dukalmighty

In an AR if the cases get to long they will cause failure to feeds the bolt will not close all the way or the bolt will stick shut if it is held open a hair the firing pin won't strike the primer annd you will need to stick a small flat blade screwdriver at the front of the bolt carrier and pry it open,to trim cases fast i got a lee case trimmer cutter and lock stud with a case length gauge for 223,and figured out instead of depriming each case prior to trimming i ground down the pointy end on the length gauge that fits in the primer pocket hole a little at a time and chucked the cutter up in a 1/2" drill i then trim a case and check with caliper once i have the depth on the length gauge where it's trimming them to 1.750 I just grab a case by hand and slide it on the gauge pull the trigger and after it's done trimming that case grab another one,you only take off about .010 off each case and some won't need them.once the length gauge is adjusted you won't need to change it unless you have some deprimed cases which means you will need to use the lock stud to hold the case in and adjust the cutter out a little so it doesn't over trim them,if you trim too much off around 1.730 or less the bullet will not crimp in the case.

Also most military brass has the primer crimped in you need to get a tool to remove the primer crimp or your primers won't seat and you will crush them

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cvhoss

In my experience, any brass that headspaces on a rim or shoulder rarely needs trimming even though they may get a little long. The ones you have to watch are the straight wall, rimless pistol cases that headspace on the case mouth. Though they "grow" very slowly, if they get too long, you can end up with a cartridge that will prevent the gun from locking up and firing.

Hoss

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Shizzlemah

If you want to crimp centerfire rifle rounds, they will need to be trimmed.
If you want accuracy in a centerfire rifle, they will need to be trimmed.

.223 brass stretches a lot when fired, and I'd suggest it for anything other than informal plinking.

Case trimmers are cheap - get one and set it up for .223 and don'tchange it. Pretty simple to do.

Also, if you pick up a lot of USGI brass, the primer may be swaged in place. After depriming with a die, you'll need an additional operation to remove the crimp from the primer pocket. Dillon makes a de-swage tool for ~$80 or so that does a fair job. RCBS used to make a de-swage die and I was lucky to pick one up, but they are scarce. To get around this swaged primer thing, start by reloading some commercial brass to get the hang of it.

9MM will be a slam dunk.

To make life easy, I recommend hornady one-shot case lube. Spray some on, much nicer and cleaner than the old roll-on lubes.

A tumbler should be on your short list of gear. Dirty brass can scratch dies, then the scratched dies scratch other brass, etc.

automatic slim

I have quite a bit of experience reloading military brass. I have found that military brass varies wildly in it's length. Some are so long I'm amazed they chamber, while others are well below spec. Also remember that military brass is thicker and your powder charges should be about 10% below what the manual recommends. I initially loaded some .223 using the STARTING load the manual recommended and experienced very flattened primers (high pressure). Also, excessively long brass may result in high pressures. Lee makes some excellent and inexpensive trimming tools. I would definitely recommend trimming. You will probably have less difficulty by using "small base" dies on military brass.

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sui-juris

Does anybody else clean the primer pockets?
I don't for 40 cal...

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coffeecup

Excellent advice from Auto Slim---heed it!

Shizzlemah

I never do for pistol - most of my pistol shooting is 25 yards or less. Rifle - if you load for accuracy, clean em. If you just want to blast away and go boom, no need.