.223 Trimming

[ThunderStruck]

My wife picked up a few hundred pices of .223 brass yesterday at a yard sale for $2.00.

When I went to clean and size them, I found that most are trimmed to 1.945 and not 1.950 minimum as called for.

I need to know if .005 under minimum are ok to use ...

Thanks,
Ed

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[Twodogs]

You will be ok.

 

[bellarum]

Unless you know for sure that it was once fired (easy to tell with crimped brass) check for case head separation, loose primer pockets, and cracked necks with every loading. Just because the brass is short does not mean that it isn't at the end of it's life. Most of my FC brass never reaches trim length even after being loaded 6 times.

 

[ThunderStruck]

Thanks guys

 

[deadshot2]

Trimming short is not that big a deal. In fact, if you use one company's sizing die they want you to trim the case below the suggested mimimum the first time so you'll supposedly never have to trim again. If you have a case short enough to fit into the chamber and long enough to hold the bullet, just remember what the case's purpose is. To hold the bullet and powder whole transporting and loading, then form a gasket to keep burning gasses in the bore. Nothing else.

 

[AMProducts]

Factory brass is frequently under the minimum, it may grow during the sizing process (usually you don't have to trim until after sizing anyways). After you've spent enough time reloading, you'll realize "spec" and reality can have some huge variation. I worry less about short cases than I do with long ones. The big problem with short .223 brass (and I'm talking much shorter than .005) is neck tension issues and bullets not being retained properly.