Sorting .223 vs 5.56

[drewfoo]

Is it worth sorting .223 vs. 5.56 brass before reloading? I've read so many things on this and other forums about the dimensions being the same but the chamber for the powder differs making one 'hotter' than the other.

I'm leaning towards purchasing some once fired .223/5.56 brass and so there may be a mixture of the two and different headstamps.

I guess my main question is - how do I even tell the difference between the two? Thank you.

[alland]

There is so little difference in the brass that I would not worry about it for blasting or plinking ammo. If loading for long range I would use matching headstamps. I would sort the brass that needs the primer pocket swaged, but most of them probably will.

[Guns R Tools]

Typically 5.56 will have slightly lower capacity due to thicker brass. If you sort brass by 5.56 vs .223, it will help with consistency of grouping.
Also all 5.56 brass will have primer pocket staked. Some .223 marked brass will have primer pocket staked.
You will want to swage primer pocket of all the brass just be sure.
Head stamp will be 5.56 vs .223 rem typically.

[alpha_romeo_XV]

I would sort it, they are going to wear out differently. I've gotten 15-16 reloads of some R-P 223 brass but only 5-6 out of some LC 5.56 brass.

The 223 almost always has 223 on the headstamp vs the 5.56 will have the NATO mark - a circle with a cross inside it as below. Oddly the primer crimp goes both ways I have LC 5.56 w/o crimp but Aquila 223 with crimp.

[bhilliker@comcast.net]

I don't sort it---all goes into a bucket to be run through case prep trim. Sort pit what is crimped then swage those and reload. But I am not trying to make clover leaf's at 200 yards

[mrbigsteel]

I would not sort them, unless:

a) You are making precision loads and trying to eliminate sources of inconsistency. Sorting is a blunt way to try and eliminate one source of inconsistency.

b) You are making really hot loads at the upper pressure limit. Supposedly, 5.56 cases have thicker walls than .223, so a load that you develop at the bleeding upper edge with a .223 case will produce more pressure in a 5.56 case. You would not want that.

[divingin]

I would not sort them, unless:

a) You are making precision loads and trying to eliminate sources of inconsistency. Sorting is a blunt way to try and eliminate one source of inconsistency.

A better way is to buy a batch of good quality new brass. You will be as sure as you can be that the brass is consistent piece to piece, can track usage, and you know the history of each piece.

[kcheung2]

What does “the chamber for the powder” mean? I don’t sort. They all get prepped the same.

[JagerDog]

I sort all my brass by headstamp (albeit all LC/NATO cases get combined). I have different recipes identified by case/headstamp and sometimes other features.

[hambam105]

A) Yes. Definitely sort newly acquired .223 slash 5.56 military brass.
B) Obtaining military brass for reloading purposes has economical advantages.
C) Military brass is durable and often times abundant.

[Divernhunter]

not worth it to me. I have so much of it that I do not need to try and get 6-8-10 or 12 reloads out of it.
As far as the loading I do not have pressure problems. IF I were doing important(competitive) target shooting then I would. I would also do more brass prep and sort by weight. I just fun shoot and shoot ground squirrels and PD's

[FLIGHT762]

I sort by head stamp because I have time to do it.

[mrbigsteel]

A better way is to buy a batch of good quality new brass. You will be as sure as you can be that the brass is consistent piece to piece, can track usage, and you know the history of each piece.

I agree with you.

[Sailormilan2]

Sort the brass. Especially if one has to swage the primer pocket crimp. If one has to make an adjustment for a specific brand of brass, one can make that adjustment and deal with that one brand all at once.