Damn Stupid Guatemalans!!!

[Mr White]

A few years ago I came across several hundred rounds of Guatemalan 5.56. really cheap. It shot OK and was boxer primed so after I shot it, I cleaned and bagged the brass for a rainy day. Well, that rainy day was today. I had a hundred 55 gr fmjs that I wanted to load up for practice ammo. I saw that bag of Guatemalan brass on the shelf and decided to use it for practice ammo.

As I started sizing the brass it felt like the depriming took more effort to do than usual for .223 and after less than 10 rounds, I broke the decapping pin. I put a new pin in and started again. Three more cases and pow, another broken decapping pin. Now I'm thinking WTF? I suspected that I'd bent the rod that the sizing ball connects to. I replaced the pin again and tried to straighten out the the rod. I tried again and broke another pin!

I looked closer at the cases and the flash holes looked small. I compared the cases to some Lake City and Federal brass and found that they were much smaller than the holes on NATO and commercial cases and the decapping pins were breaking by pushing through the flash holes.

The lesson I learned tonight is that all 5.56 cases are not created equal.

Anyone want 200 pieces of once-fired 5.56 brass? Free. All you pay is the shipping.

Note: If you are Guatemalan or are friends with any Guatemalans, or are a Guatemalan sympathizer, I don't actually believe ALL Guatemalans are stupid, just the ones who design their 5.56 ammo.

[230RN]

Aren't there primer pocket reamers that size the flash holes?

I remember that being recommended for target loads with .30-06 non-Match brass.

[BikerRN]

yes there are reamers.
It's an easy fix that doesn't require you giving away that brass.

As for this:

Note: If you are Guatemalan or are friends with any Guatemalans, or are a Guatemalan sympathizer, I don't actually believe ALL Guatemalans are stupid, just the ones who design their 5.56 ammo.

[name change notwithstanding, we still need to keep to the High Road here -DRZinn]

BikerRN

[kev74]

You can get a flash hole uniformer from MidwayUSA for about $8.00 that will take care of the problem.

[redacted]

[ants]

Second, tiny countries Guatemala doesn't have the resources to make their own ammo. They buy it on contract.

Rather than "Damn Stupid Guatemalans" perhaps you can help us decode the headstamp so we find out what ammo manufacturer made it. Then we will know what headstamp to avoid in the future.

[ants]

Third, you can't ream a primer pocket until you decap the spent primer. A flash hole uniformer won't work if he can't decap.



Mr. White, see if you can do a search on the hydraulic (water) method for decapping primers. Fill the case with water and set it in a shellholder on the ground (outside would be best). Get a dowel of the right diameter to fit somewhat snug in the cartridge neck (maybe a 3/16 with some duct tape wrapped around it to make it about 0.220" or so). You stick the dowel in the mouth, then rap it with a mallet. The water pressure pops the primer out.

Then you can resize the case with the decapping pin removed from the sizing die. And then prime and charge and seat bullet normally.

If you want to use the brass again, just use a drill to ream the flash hole. For practice ammo, a #45 drill works fine. Or try a 3/32" if you can't find a #45 but be careful to center it carefully when you ream.

[catspa]

In that situation, I'd find a long 3/32 bit and reach down the case, drilling right through the primer, then remove the remaining primer debris with a small screwdriver.

If the anvil started to spin, at least I'd be through the flash hole by then and could decap normally.

Parker

[Guns and more]

Or.....................you could just buy some new ammo.

All this discussion about reloading, then someone will say, "It only takes an hour or so to load up a hundred rounds of XYZ." Sure.

If it's fun for you to sit at a reloading bench, great. I just don't think you save money by reloading.

[kev74]

A flash hole uniformer won't work if he can't decap.

The tool can be used from the bullet side of the case, before depriming.

This is the one I have. They put on a nicer handle and raised the price since I got mine.

I just don't think you save money by reloading.

It costs me about 30% (for 9mm and 38spl) of the cost of store bought ammo for me to roll my own. I paid for my Lee Pro1000 press in savings after the first 800 rounds.

The savings is a bit better for rifle ammo.

[ants]

Excellent tool, Kev! That would certainly do it.

[Mr White]

I talked to my buddy who's a walking encyclopedia of gun knowledge. He told me that a Lyman decapper will have a smaller diameter pin than those found in my RCBS dies and should also work.

However, In looking even closer at some of the cases to read the headstamp, I noticed that most the holes aren't even centered, so I don't know that a different decapper, or a flash hold uniformer like the one Kev posted would do me much good. If they were at least centered but just small, I could drill them, but it's starting to look like a lot of work to salvage 200 pieces of brass that aren't eveh very nice looking to begin with. It's not like I'm hurtin for .223 brass. I have maybe 2000 pieces that I haven't even started reloading yet, and close to 1000 pieces in active use. Right now, what I AM hurting for is decapping pins!

Thanks for the suggestions. I might get a flash hole uniformer and reamer anyway for my match brass. I'll spend a few bucks on anything that might help accuracy.

And seriously, if anyone wants it, it's free for the taking.

As for the headstamp,




As for the title of this thread, I'm guessing that any Guatemalans who may have read it were not offended once they read my post and took it in context. If I did offend any actual Guatemalans, I'm sorry. If I offended anyone else's politically correct sensitivities, I hope you eventually get over it.

[ants]

Save money by reloading???

HA !!!

You spend twice as much per year!!!


But you shoot 20 times more than ever before.


Reloading is a LOT cheaper than buying ammo, but the hobby consumes you.
You wind up shooting a lot more for the same amount of money.

[ants]

Yes, I think everyone got over it, White. I know I stopped crying after a while.


That single G headstamp (according to Cartridge Collectors data base) signifies contract ammo from Federal Cartridge Corp, Minneapolis MN.

One would sincerely doubt that they would make cases that badly. To get the low bid on contract ammo, they may have purchased the brass from a low-bid third party somewhere, then loaded it to the required specification in the contract and shipped it to the purchaser.

I have the same problem with 5.56 ammo headstamped AD. It is contract ammo made by PMC for Abu Dhabi. It stops the decapping pin just like your G headstamp.

Thanks for the additional info.

[RecoilRob]

Lee dies have a collet type decapping pin holder so you can substitute a smaller drill bit shank that will fit in the hole. I think. Also glad you mentioned the Guatemalan 5.56 as I loaded a crapload of the brass a while back and would have found the smaller flash-holes when I get around to shooting them. Didn't notice them when loading, so I'd imagine they aren't THAT small, are they? I know it doesn't take much to stick and break the pins. Thanks for the heads-up!

[Griz44]

I just don't think you save money by reloading.

Absolutely TRUE!

The cost per round for the average of the 13 calibers I reload is about .39% the cost of new ammo. That breaks down like no savings at all on 9mm, and about 83% savings on .460 S&W mag.

What seems like it should be saving money though, is the fallacy. I used to go to the range and shoot 50-100 rounds of the small stuff MAX. And I would only shoot 3 or 4 of the big boys, since they were running close to 2 bucks a round. Now I go to the range and shoot many hundreds of the small ones. One trip with my son saw over 1,000 38 special, 9mm, .357, 44 mag, 45 ACP and 460 S&W go down range. What a wonderful day.

Nope, I do not save anything by reloading, but I sure do have a lot more fun!

[ants]

Lee dies have a collet type decapping pin holder so you can substitute a smaller drill bit shank that will fit in the hole. I think.

You'll have to try yours to see. The collet on my dies won't go nearly that small. Not even half way small enough.

Since the 5.56x45 is only 45 millimeters long, I guess you can use a drill bit and a mallet to decap.



Looks like Mr. White is just going to pass on those cases. He has a stock of other brass to load. He knows what to do.

[243winxb]

Most commercial cartridge manufacturers specify a 0.082" flash hole diameter. There are an increasing number of manufacturers using a 0.058" to 0.062" flash hole on some of the target cases such as the PPC, 6BR, and 223 Remington. If you are checking the .082" flash holes, use a #45 wire size drill bit as a gage.

[franx1911a]

A good friend once told me, "we don't reload to save money, we reload to shoot more!"
So very true!

[flynlr]

as an FYI here is another common Guat Brass Head stamp with the same issue./ I bought 1000 of these as new brass and they had a slightly smaller flash hole.

it has IMG 5.56 and the year

[7.62 Nato]

I'm not a seasoned reloader but IMG 5.56 is the only brass I have ever had a problem with because of flash holes.

[1911Tuner]

Yep. Some military contractors use brass that isn't exactly reloader friendly. Crimped primers and undersized flash holes and the like abound. When they bid on the contracts, they have to cut costs in order to make a reasonable profit. That's their bottom line. Reloadable brass isn't even a consideration.

[HankB]

Maybe there's a reason for the old adage that you shouldn't shoot ammo that comes from a country where you wouldn't drink tap water . . .