Reloading for an AR

Hunter55

Hunter55

Well-known member
I've reloaded for MANY years and ALL my reloading has been for pistols and bolt guns.
So I'm thinking of reloading for an AR-204r. From what I've read a taper crimp is the way to go, which leads to the question of just getting a new set of dies with a taper crimp? Or buying a Lee taper crimp?
Not sure IF the Lee taper crimp will fit in my press "with the LNL bushing"?
The next question would be the "type of small rifle primers"?
My reloading setup is a Hornady LNL progressive and I have 2 presses. One setup for 9mm and the other for reloading bottleneck rifle.
Your input is appreciated!!!!
 
While I've never loaded for a 204, I don't see, nor have I ever, had the need for any crimp in any AR reloads.

The only issue I could see is if your sizing button is on the large side, & doesn't give enough tension.

You can chuck the button in a drill press & sand it with emery paper for more neck tension too.

I normally shoot all Remington 7 1/2's in anything that takes a SRP.
 
I have an AR in 20P and use a FL Bushing die to adjust a strong neck tension. The only cartridges I've crimped are the 22H, 218Bee lever action and my 358 Norma Mag.
 
I had Lee make a crimp die in 20p for me. I was using a dry graphite lube inside necks on cleaned brass, the bullets would seat deeper even with a 0.003 under bushing. When a round was rechambered a couple times hunting. A light crimp no more issues.
 
Yup, me three. I was bumping my AR loads the same as my bolt guns, & ran into bolt closinglocking problems.

I generally bump 4 thou, possibly giving up a little case life for proper feeding now.
 
I had no issues with slam fires using CCI 200 and 400 primers in the ARs but the military primers do offer a bit more insurance against slam fire. I never crimped for any rifle, including the Garand and followed that practice for AR's until I ended up with an action full of powder one day. Figured out it had been a round that I had chambered and rechambered many times during normal hunting sessions. Normal use it is not necessary, but if you have to load and unload frequently slamming the bolt as is usual practice several times can loosen the crimp enough to give you an issue. I used a lee collet crimp die in the fourth station when loading for the AR.
 
hm1996 said:
I had no issues with slam fires using CCI 200 and 400 primers in the ARs but the military primers do offer a bit more insurance against slam fire. I never crimped for any rifle, including the Garand and followed that practice for AR's until I ended up with an action full of powder one day. Figured out it had been a round that I had chambered and rechambered many times during normal hunting sessions. Normal use it is not necessary, but if you have to load and unload frequently slamming the bolt as is usual practice several times can loosen the crimp enough to give you an issue. I used a lee collet crimp die in the fourth station when loading for the AR.
Click to expand...
It got so excited from being in and out of that hole so many times it just dumped it's load, eh?🤣
 
I shoot and reload (Lee and RCBS rock chucker press) for my 204 AR. I’m using Lee dies and use the factory crimp die just to avoid any unwanted bullet movement surprises.

I’m also using CCI 41 small rifle primers. Maybe not necessary but if using them increases my confidence in avoiding any unintentional gunfire, so be it. The last thing I want is a slam fire heading downrange after I’ve been purposefully quiet getting everything setup.

It would be my luck, get everything set, … put the rifle on the tripod, push the bolt catch…..BOOM! Crap! Okay kids, let’s go, back in the truck…...
 
I had about 40 others saying 'impossible' when it happened. Nobody hurt but surprise!! Took a big chunk out of the concrete floor. I've heard titanium FP solves the problem. Just case gauge your loads and check shoulder is a few thous back - pretty much solves the problem. I was using CCI400s IIRC.
 
I've loaded for 2 different bolt guns in 204r without issue however, the AR-204r, ummm, not so much.
When I went to sight this in the 1st couple rounds chambered fine, the 3rd, "click", the 4th click, 5th boom, 6 & 7 pushed the bullet back into the case. Stopped right there, went and bought a couple boxes to hunt with till I get this sorted out.
Some of the cases were out .003 that's why they wouldn't chamber. Cleaned my dies, and made a minor adjustment, now they chamber just fine. Bullets pushed back, well, think I'll crimp moving forward.
This MUST go boom when I squeeze that trigger. :)
 
I'd set your shoulder back at least .004 from fired case dimension and try chambering by hand. If bolt closes hard, might go another .001". Pushing bullets back could be too little neck tension or a feeding issue. Also might polish your expander ball a bit and try some dry lube inside necks; could be getting a bit of stretch as expander ball is extracted.
 
I couldn't tell you how many 204, 20p, and 17/223 rounds I've loaded for ar's but it's a several thousand. The shot out barrels leaning up in the corner can testify lol. I never crimped a single one and never found it necessary. My guess is that you have some sort of feeding problem, like was mentioned above. I like steel mags that allow a 2.3" oal, that has improved accuracy for me more than once. Good advice on about .004" bump. And it is wise to use a hard primer, namely just avoid cci400 and rem 6.5. I really like those Fed 205m AR primers they have now like was mentioned above but have used more 450's than anything else.
 
I'll have to echo the non crimp crowd.. just not had the need.
Sounds like the OP is running down a problem that might not exist yet. In the crimping .. which he "might" need it IDK, but based on my experience with the AR generally not the case.

If the brass is "range" brass a good FL die should work well. If fired from the OP's chamber yeah regular FL dies will most definitely work for the Ar.
IF MIL surplus brass fired from a MG then Small bases dies "might" be needed as the MG do have a sloppy chamber.
bumping the shoulders back 0.004" to as little as 0.002" is a solid choice. I would start at a 0.004" setback for sure.

Primers, use a hard cup.. CCI-450's (yes the magnum primers have a harder /thicker cup. CCI 41's have worked well for me as well as the winchester for the AR as well . Federal 205 Match and the AR version offering as well. Remington yes I've used then as well.

Pretty much everyone covered the bases well enough, I'm just jumping on the band wagon. And actually just for edification my mentioning Small bases dies is really a last resort.. 99% of the time simply not needed and honestly overworks the brass anyway.
 
One of the major causes of slamfires in the Garand & M14/M1A is proud primers or anything that prevents case from fully seating in the chamber. (Dirty chamber, primer seated too shallow, not pushing shoulder back far enough, etc.). The same applies to M16/AR15. All service rifles from the Garand to the M16 are engineered to prevent firing pin from striking the primer before bolt is in battery, but if primer is high, all bets are off.
On the M1 & M14's primer is always pecked by the firing pin when bolt slams forward. Service ammo uses harder primers to assure no slamfires, but if round does not fully chamber, all bets are off, no matter the primer. Don't recall ever seeing the primer strike on the AR's due to inertia as is common on the M1/M14.
 
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