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[UpTheIrons]

I'm calling it "Crimped or Not Crimped?"

I'm sorting through my ~3000 .223/5.56 cases looking for the .mil stuff that needs the crimp removed. And I've run into an interesting question. Are some civilian .223 cases crimped, too? This is a pretty fair representation of the headstamps I've come across so far and my educated guesses and questions about their crimpy-ness.



Top, L to R:
NATO Lake City '04 (Crimped); Lake City '10 (Crimped); ATI '09 (Staked); Malaysian '83 (Crimped)

Bottom, L to R:
Federal .223 (Crimped?); Win .223 (Crimped?); Federal .223 (Crimped & Sealed?); Win .223 (NOT crimped), Remington .223 (NOT crimped)

Are my guesses correct? And, if so, those need to be de-crimped, too, right? Or is all of the FC and Win .223 crimped originally, and the one WIn case on the right a possible reload? All of the Remington is uncrimped so far.

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[G.A. Heath]

I have seen .223 and Milspec 5.56 with crimped cases. If it is a Remington head stamp they typically don't take kindly to having the crimp removed (they usually don't retain primers afterwards). I have also heard the same about some federal case, never experienced it myself w/ federal but lots of times with remington. Almost all my brass is milspec stuff or uncrimped .223.

[LivewireBlanco]

I've run into plenty of civilian brass that's crimped. Usually it's the kind marketed towards law enforcement.

[UpTheIrons]

I've run into plenty of civilian brass that's crimped. Usually it's the kind marketed towards law enforcement.

Well, that would explain the crimped Winchester. I picked it up after a DPS qualification class. Some was Winchester Ranger .223 (there were some empty boxes in the trash cans), so I know it was LE branded.

[LivewireBlanco]

Yep I have some Ranger brass, all crimped. Also lots of Speer brass crimped.