.223 Cratered Primer Pockets with Factory ammo?

[jpbaker]

I went to the range several weeks ago, and after my session, I went over to the Barrel where everyone puts their used ammo boxes, brass, etc.

I picked up aprox 60 .223 brass and some .300wm and Ultra.

Anyway, today I went to reload some and I noticed the cratered pockets on the .223 (hornady brass). Cratered bad enough that a new primer will not seat.

This is Factory ammo, was in a superformance box.

Has anyone here ever used superformance ammo and did it crater the pockets?

Is there any hope for this brass, or do I chuck it?

 

[112Savage]

I have noticed that in my savage the superformance 223 with 53 grain V-max the primers are slightly cratered. I have not tried to reload them yet, so I cannot comment about that. These factory rounds shoot unbelievably well out of my rifle (0.3's regularly). The primer was not flattened very much, only cratered so I disregarded it and thought something was wrong with my primer hole in the bolt.

As a side note, I also thought that the muzzle blast and recoil was significantly more from the superformance than other factory ammo.

 

[KRP]

What do you mean by cratered primer pockets? A photo would be helpful. Are you sure they aren't crimped?

 

[jpbaker]

A photo would be helpful. Are you sure they aren't crimped?

Dont look like any crimp I have ever seen. I will post a couple pics tomorrow.

It is from the v-max superformance ammo.

TKS
JPB

 

[B23]

I've been shooting the Superformance 53Vmax stuff as fireforming loads, until my dies get here, in my new .223AI and I can't believe how well they shoot in my .223AI chamber and they're being jumped over .125thou to the lands.

Defensive Edge built my new .223AI and I asked Shawn to save me some time and do a quick sight in for me using this Superformance 53Vmax ammo. Now everyone knows Shawn Carlock is a very fine trigger squeezer but he had it sighted in and shot a 3 shot, 100yd, group that measured .112 in the first 6 rounds out of the box. Hell, I hope I can make my formed reloads shoot that well.

After reading this I went looked at my fired cases and they're a little cratered also. Here are a couple pics of my cases

 

[jpbaker]

Here are some pics.....

 

[Tikkamike]

if they wont hold a primer firmly they are no good

 

[jpbaker]

if they wont hold a primer firmly they are no good

lol, I cant even "ream" a primer into them, the pockets are so screwed up.

 

[Mikecr]

You know that 'Barrel where everyone puts their used' TRASH?
Now you know why they put it there, right?

 

[Wile E Coyote]

They're scrap brass if the primer won't stay put.

I used a box of "Superformance" 223 last summer and the brass was beat up pretty bad after the first firing. I was able to resize/reload them 2 more times with a Varget/ 52Gn AMax load my gun likes. After the third firing, most of the cases were done with splits and cracks. They all went in the scrap pail.

 

[jpbaker]

You know that 'Barrel where everyone puts their used' TRASH?
Now you know why they put it there, right?

All the other brass is good to go. People that dont reload put all their stuff there. Its not the trash barrel, its for brass and boxes only.

But yeah, I hear ya!

 

[KRP]

Here are some pics.....

Those look crimped to me.

 

[jpbaker]

I have heard that Hornady brass is not all that it has "cracked" up to be...