Disappointing 223 Remington brass from Lapua

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
A few weeks ago I saw that Midsouth was selling pre-weighed 223rem. Lapua brass. I'd heard that lapua had gotten some bad brass from a sub-contractor but the idea of the pre-weighed brass was appealing to me so I went ahead and ordered 200 rounds for my 223 Ackley (DAA I'd ordered this before you said to get the IMI brass). Well it arrived the other day and I was shocked. Initial inspection showed a beautifully annealed piece of brass, but a look at the flash hole instantly rang a bell. The hole was off centered, I think that it must be a fluke so I inspect a BUNCH of others. Out of the 20 that I looked at only ONE (1) was centered. I was under the impression that Lapua was some of the very best brass in the world. Thats why it cost more than 2.5 times as much as your standard Win-Rem-Fed fodder that we all use. $5.00 a thousand military brass is better than this crap. HECK Lake City brass is FAR superior.

DAA - I've been doing some looking and can't find any new unfired IMI brass. Do you have a supplier that sells unfired brass or do I have to use once fired brass?
 
MJM,
Did you send it back to Midway for a refund?? Lapua brass is tops when they make it. The .223 stuff is made by someone else on contract. This is why the quality and quality control of the bad stuff got out. FWIW, standard Win or L/C is hard to beat both performance and price wise.
 
Michael
Sinclair carries IMI brass. $62.50/500

The USMC marksmanship unit has been using some real good 223 brass, but it is a proprietary brass and I have not been able to find out where it comes from. Just Hearsay, but the Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning is supposedly using the same stuff, with different markings.

I managed to get some of the USMC brass, once fired, a while back. They are loading it to pressures that make it pretty much trash after one firing. I would guess 70,000 psi or more.

Oh, to have a shooting budget like the military teams have!!!!!

Jack
 
SteveM - I don't want to point fingers wrongly here, the supplier was Midsouth Shooters Supply not Midway, No real bitch on them I've ordered plenty of stuff from both of them and I have no complaints, but they are deffinately getting the Lapua brass back. Awful stuff.

Thanks for the direction on IMI suppliers. I ran thru several of my usual suppliers but could only locate once fired brass. If DAA says to get IMI brass then IMI brass it is, thanks.
 
Michael
Buying brass is a whole lot like a crapshoot. You might get a good lot, might not.

The problem is that there is rarely time to evaluate the first 100, before the rest of the lot is gone.

If you are high enough in the rankings, the suppliers who cater to competition, will reserve the rest of a lot for a while, if you ask them to. But staying that high is very serious work. Best left to younger people who are more interested in winning than living.

Jack
 
Michael I had read in precision shooting one time that the Lapua 223 was made by someone else, same as Steve M said, and that the quality is not there in that particular cal. But i have a bunch of 6br and 220 russian that is the best I've ever seen. I also have a lot of the imi 223 from weideners, and it is good looking stuff. Just started shooting it, so don't know about durability.
Barry
 
On the subject of lots, good ones vs. bad ones. I've found that the guys at Sinclair "usually" know how good the lot they are currently shipping is and are "usually" willing to be truthful about it. I've had them warn me off a couple of lots (when I asked). Likewise, they have turned me on to a couple of particularly good lots, which I then ordered extra large quantities of. It's just one of the reasons I buy most of my "stuff" from them.

- DAA
 
Michael,
A real bummer. I'll bet the stuff is outsourced to job-loters. I have been using Lapua in my 6.5x55 and .308Win. for quite a while. It's good stuff, quite uniform. Christ, don"t tell me another superior product has bit the dust! VihtaVouri powders is affiliated with Lapua. It a super source of excellent powders, quite popular with benchrest shooters. I hope whatever is wrong doesn't spread to them as well. Is this problem with the brass widespread or caliber specific? I'll check my cases a little more closely now. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
Cal, it is caliber specific. The Lapua .223 has been pretty poor for a long time. I've always "heard" that it is subbed out, but I've no way of knowing for sure.

- DAA
 
DAA - Got the IMI brass today and initial inspection shows some pretty good brass. Sized about 20 cases and turned a the necks, I found them to be muuuuuccchhh better than the Remington cases that I started with.

This has been interesting in an unexpected way though. I guess that this can be put down to, "Don't ever be sure of something that you think that you are sure of." I started out sizing 5 cases, but when I turned them I noticed that they were not running true in the neck turning tool. So I went out and inspected my sizing die. That little monster expander button was bent out of alignment (I have no idea when the button got bent), wham bamm I have the answer to my cases sticking and inconsistent rub marks on an unfired bullet. These cases will be sized with a Redding type S FL sizing die with the expander button removed. Now to order the sizing bushing. This is really what the initial case prep was all about, finding the proper bushing size.
 


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