Equipment To Load 223

[theunrulychef]

Okay, for the lube. If I make some of that lanolin/alcohol mix, do I have to use 99% or is 91% okay? What is the downside of 91% and where in the world can I get 99%? I looked everywhere. I think I would put say 50 in a bin, spritz, shake and spritz again. Now, do I have to clean the stuff off or just wait a few minutes for alcohol to dry and resize? Meaning, after trimming and chamfering and all that, do I need to clean the cases again before I reload? I assume people run again through their cleaning system if so?

91% is fine. I think the extra would be water? Spritz & toss to cover, wait a few minutes for the alcohol to evaporate & then you have a very light lanolin coating over most of the casings. A little bit will stay on the die after, so any spots that didn't get enough should be fine. You don't want to use so little lube that the case gets stuck, but not so much that you start getting dents in the cases - like Goldilocks, you want it to be just right.

Now, if I clean, then lube, then deprime and size. The say trim, chamfer, debur and then swage, now I need to get a primer in. With the Lee, it primes on the downstroke so then would I reload the brass in the die, run through the entire decapping and sizing operation so then on the downstroke I can re-prime? It seems that would be the only way since I don’t prime off press. Thoughts?

Correct, you're basically going to do all of your case prep as one big lot, then load as another separate operation. So, if you have a bunch of cleaned, sized, trimmed, chamfered & deburred cases, all you have to do is load them. On my Dillon 550, I just have an empty spot in the first station (instead of the resizing / decapping die). I put a case in, down stroke to prime & then move it to the next position. I'm not sure on how the Lee operates, but essentially it would be the same sort of work flow I think.

As far as swaging, this only happens once ever for a case since I will never add a crimp, sounds logical? I guess I can either buy a separate turret and swaging die like the RCBS primer pocket swager? Other than that, I would have to set up a single stage press just to swage or am I missing the obvious here? Also, cleaning the pocket after swaging is how important? I know, personal preference.

Correct. Swaging or reaming the primer pocket crimp only ever happens once, and only on brass that needs it like military 556 stuff. I'm not sure if I ever had anything marked as 223 that had a crimp, but I'm sure some does. I would always make sure to have the primer pocket cleaned, but some people never clean the primer pocket & don't report any problems. Most of us reloaders get OCD pretty bad though, so it would keep me up at night knowing I didn't have clean primer pockets.

So, this leads me to which LEE dies I need. I will have to full length size and bell and deprime and charge and seat and crimp. So, which set? Collet or ultimate or pacesetter? I’m so confused on this one part. Sorry, I’m being thick.

No bell die on rifle brass. Depending on how the powder gets from your thrower into the case, I think the Pacesetter would be fine. You get the full length size / depriming die, seating die & crimp die. The collet one looks like it's just for the neck & since you're loading for AR, you want the full length die.

[Twoboxer]

Thanks again to everyone. I have had a chance to digest and think I have it a little more straight today ha ha!

Okay, for the lube. If I make some of that lanolin/alcohol mix, do I have to use 99% or is 91% okay? When one has no experience, its not a bad idea to use a commercial product that comes with instructions on their first attempt. Later you can make your own mix, and you will actually have something in YOUR experience to compare to. Your call, of course. What is the downside of 91% and where in the world can I get 99%? I looked everywhere. I think I would put say 50 in a bin, spritz, shake and spritz again. A bin is not as good as a plastic bag. The bag and the cases will transfer lube back and forth . . . the bin will only do that occasionally by comparison. Now, do I have to clean the stuff off or just wait a few minutes for alcohol to dry and resize? Commercial products made for this purpose come with instructions. Many of them, eg Hornady, Dillon, etc, do not have to be removed. Meaning, after trimming and chamfering and all that, do I need to clean the cases again before I reload? I assume people run again through their cleaning system if so? If they clean again - and many of us do - yes, of course.


Now, if I clean, then lube, then deprime and size. The say trim, chamfer, debur and then swage, now I need to get a primer in. With the Lee, it primes on the downstroke so then would I reload the brass in the die, run through the entire decapping and sizing operation so then on the downstroke I can re-prime? It seems that would be the only way since I don’t prime off press. Thoughts? You can resize again as long as the cases retain lube, or you can remove the sizing die from your turret's tool head. leave that hole empty, and prime etc.


As far as swaging, this only happens once ever for a case since I will never add a crimp, sounds logical? This has been answered before. Removing the crimp need only be done once. Just keep newly acquired brass that MAY have been crimped separate from brass you have already processed . . . until you swage/ream it. I guess I can either buy a separate turret and swaging die like the RCBS primer pocket swager? This was also answered before - maybe you missed the answer because it was imbedded in your stream of questions like this is. If so, go back and find my earlier post. Other than that, I would have to set up a single stage press just to swage or am I missing the obvious here? You could use an empty hole on any tool head, and set your turret to NOT auto index. You could temporarily rmove a die. Or you can buy an extra tool head. Also, cleaning the pocket after swaging is how important? I know, personal preference.

Trimming, I see a lot of suggestions so I will have to see what works for me. The little crow or the lee case gauge with cutter to name a few.


So, this leads me to which LEE dies I need. I will have to full length size and bell and deprime and charge and seat and crimp. So, which set? Collet or ultimate or pacesetter? This was also answered. You must full length resize to insure the rounds will feed cleanly through your semi-auto rifles. The neck sizing die is an alternative to full length sizing that you do not need unless you have bolt action rifles, experience, and choose neck re-sizing only until full length resizing becomes necessary. I’m so confused on this one part. Sorry, I’m being thick.

Answers to your questions are in BLUE above.

You may have missed my previous answers to your questions because they were embedded in your quote . . . just like my answers are this time. If so, going back and finding that post (Post #15) should prove helpful

[wanneroo]

I see people that make their own lanolin and alcohol mix, but in my opinion by the time you fart around trying to figure out the right amounts, mix it all up, bottle it and the time and money you spent doing that you could have just bought the Dillon lube for $10 and been done with it.

To me with rifle brass after having the lube on it and then brass shavings from trimming, then it's a given that the brass will be cleaned again.

As I have said before in other threads when I do my initial clean on the brass before I even go to resizing, I'm not anal about it or looking for perfection. I just want most of the dirt, carbon residue and other crap off the brass so I can run it through the die. After case prep is done and I go to clean the brass again I can be more anal about getting the cases looking good.

[Gunowner99]

Sorry, need to read closer, my mistake. I guess I am a little foggy on the lube part. It seems if I clean, lube, resize (you need the lube on the case the resize), do the rest of case prep, even if I tumble again, when I put back on the press to prime the lube will get back on the case from the full length sizing die unless I disassemble as stated however I am wary of doing this. Man I am beating a dead horse ha ha!

The reason I say this is Lee primes on the downstroke, but that same die also decaps and full length sizes. Maybe I need to look at more videos?

And can someone give me a link for a headspace guage? I can't seem to figure out what I need. Unless I just use my calipers but that wont check shoulder. Ugh!

[wanneroo]

Sorry, need to read closer, my mistake. I guess I am a little foggy on the lube part. It seems if I clean, lube, resize (you need the lube on the case the resize), do the rest of case prep, even if I tumble again, when I put back on the press to prime the lube will get back on the case from the full length sizing die unless I disassemble as stated however I am wary of doing this. Man I am beating a dead horse ha ha!

The reason I say this is Lee primes on the downstroke, but that same die also decaps and full length sizes. Maybe I need to look at more videos?

And can someone give me a link for a headspace guage? I can't seem to figure out what I need. Unless I just use my calipers but that wont check shoulder. Ugh!

Ah what? You shouldn't be running the case through a resizing die again and this is why I never bought a turret press. Nor do I prime on the press because that is out of order with what I do. Like I said think of this as 2 different modules of activities. One is case prep, the other is loading, crimping and quality control.

Let me repeat. Do NOT run the case back through a resizing die after you have completed case prep(resizing, trimming, chamfering, deburring, swaging primer pockets if need be, etc.). Whatever you need to do, however it is you need to figure it out, Do NOT run the case back through the resizing die.

If you want to simply your life, for 223, use the turret press as a single stage press.

I mostly use Lyman case gauges to help check my work:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/268...-223-remington

[Gunowner99]

I watched a video and now I see what I need to do. Remove the sizing die and then prime in the empty position. So simple now ha ha! Video helps!

Sorry I m so thick! ;-)

[Twoboxer]

. . . Man I am beating a dead horse ha ha! Yes Or not remembering reading the answer.

The reason I say this is Lee primes on the downstroke, but that same die also decaps and full length sizes. Maybe I need to look at more videos? NO! No more videos . REMOVE the sizing die, and proceed as if it were there. The press will prime just fine. And it primes on the upstroke, ram down lol.

And can someone give me a link for a headspace guage? I can't seem to figure out what I need. Unless I just use my calipers but that wont check shoulder. Ugh! With the Lee Turret and Lee dies installed according to instructions they provide, you do not need a case gauge. Make a dummy round or two - no primer, no powder - and run it through your gun. Your gun will tell you if anything is wrong.

Answers above in blue again.

[Gunsnwater]

You could hand prime. But I wanted to write on the lube the inside part. On a bottle neck cartrage the decapping pin has a ball to expand the resized neck on the way out. It can stretch the case over all length doing this. The bench rest guys lube the inside neck with graphite to prevent this as case lube will kill powder and primers. Then you brush it out so it doesn't interfere with the case pull on the body of the bullet. Reloading is as involved or not as you want it to be. By involved I guess you could substitute slow. Because you are loading for several auto loaders you need case gauges to check that they will drop in and fall out of each chamber. You will be working the brass hard. Good inspections are a must. 45acp and 38special cases last forever, almost.

[JoshIronshaft]

I've read that the M-193 was loaded with a stick powder, then the Army asked for ball propellant. If I remember WC844 was for ball and a different version (WC846?) was for tracer. Today the M855A1 (?) uses a different propellant.

BLC2 was supposed to be the powder for 7.62 NATO. Works great for the 55gr 5.56 too.

Sounds about right, and the WC844 is the military version of commercial H335, different being the WC844 can have slight variation across lots where more effort is taken to keep H335 uniform across all lots.

[JoshIronshaft]

Okay, for the lube. If I make some of that lanolin/alcohol mix, do I have to use 99% or is 91% okay? What is the downside of 91% and where in the world can I get 99%? I looked everywhere. I think I would put say 50 in a bin, spritz, shake and spritz again. Now, do I have to clean the stuff off or just wait a few minutes for alcohol to dry and resize? Meaning, after trimming and chamfering and all that, do I need to clean the cases again before I reload? I assume people run again through their cleaning system if so?

You just have to reduce the amount of lanolin by the 8%, it's basic chemistry. I never clean lube off.

Also, cleaning the pocket after swaging is how important? I know, personal preference.

Never done that either.

So, this leads me to which LEE dies I need. I will have to full length size and bell and deprime and charge and seat and crimp. So, which set? Collet or ultimate or pacesetter? I’m so confused on this one part. Sorry, I’m being thick.

I like the ultimate 4 die set.