5.56 reloadable?

[jmiller45]

I know this has probably been asked before but my search results still leave me wondering. Is all 5.56 brass reloadable? I've heard talk of different priming and maybe some isn't. I have a 100 rounds or so and was curious how I could tell if it was reloadable. Thanks in advance.

 

[azmrb]

Look in the primer pocket and see if their is one hole that looks like this:

If so it is reloadable.

If it has a primer pocket that looks like this:
[Broken External Image]
It's not reloadable, at least not easily.


Only problem I have had reloading 5.56mm is that most military brass has crimped primer pockets and you have ream those out or your primers won't go in right most of the time.

 

[jmiller45]

Sweet! Thank you very much for your help. I definately have the top pic. Thanks again.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

If you have berdan primed, like the one in the bottom picture, you probably won't be able to decap. The priming hole isn't in the center and the decapping pin would just hit the bottom and stop. If you're lucky you won't bend or break your decapping pin.

Look in from the top of the case and if you see two holes in the bottom, it's berdan primed and non reloadable. If you see one hole, it's boxer primed and reloadable.

 

[jmiller45]

I got lucky, I clamped my new press down to my bench and put my die in the press and punched the primer out with out any (real) problems! They are boxer primed. Thank you. FYI I am soo new to this I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm just getting geared up to try to do some loads and see if I like it. It's a little confusing since I just just bought a used one with a bunch of stuff with it and trying to figure out what goes where and so on.

 

[blackknight22]

If you get that setup I may have some brass that you can have.

 

[jmiller45]

Thanks, but actually I don't have my AR any more and I was going to either try to trade for something I need or give em away or whatever. I was just wanting to make sure that they would work for someone else.

 

[blackknight22]

No problem ! I do not have alot right now. I have given most I had away in the spring.