Reloading for auto loaders (and even some lever guns and single shots) is different than loading for bolt guns. The differences are driven by the fact that bolt guns have a camming action inherent in the initial bolt lift to open and last half turn or so of closing that these other actions lack. This camming action allows us to chamber and extract very tight fitting cases. Lacking this camming action, the auto loaders, lever guns, and most single shots require a different approach to prepping the brass.

With military spec auto loaders, one can usually get away with standard dies. These rifles have somewhat oversize chambers that allow a broad variety of ammo assembled to somewhat sloppy tolerances to chamber. Accuracy is sacrificed for reliability with these loose chambers. In sharp contrast, commercial auto loaders, "match" auto loaders, and the lever and singles hots, typically have chambers cut much closer to the low end of SAAMI specs. They sacrifice some reliability for the accuracy demanded by civilian shooters. These often require special "small base" dies that will size the brass down more than standard dies. RCBS lists small base dies in all of the calibers typically used in these rifles. Please note that even these "small base" dies still do not size brass fully back down to its original factory size. They do, however, size brass small enough to chamber in tighter chambers when no bolt-action sort of camming is available.

Collet dies and neck sizing dies, regardless of which genre (military or commercial) of auto loader is being fed, simply do not work in the long term. You will definitely get one reload and one shot from a piece of "fully prepped" or factory new brass, and if you just leave it on the ground and walk away, that's great. That's not the point of reloading, though, is it? We hope to reload each piece of brass multiple times. The only reason this once fired "fully prepped" brass even chambers the first time is because full length sizing - with small base dies - is part of that "full prep". If you hope to pick it up and reload it again, it will need to be full length resized with proper small base dies. With plenty of case lube, by the way, lest one get stuck in the sizing die. This is precisely where the greatest savings are in reloading - the continued reuse of the same brass. Shooting it once and discarding it makes no sense - might as well buy surplus stuff and save some time and effort.

So, if you plan to keep reloading the same brass, brass prep and inspection become quite important. Clean brass is easier to inspect, and just nicer to work with. I consider a tumbler a necessity. Auto loaders tend to be very hard on brass, due to their loose chambers and less solid lockup than bolt guns or single shots. The brass tends to split more often, and it grows in length faster. A visual inspection of each and every piece after each and every firing is mandatory for your safety, and the safety of those around you when you shoot. Checking a sample for length is also mandatory after each and every firing. If one piece is found to be too long, the whole lot must be trimmed. Too long cases can actually have their mouths stuck into the leade, limiting their ability to open and release the bullet, thereby driving pressures through the ceiling.

Primer pockets are another area of concern. Carbon deposits build rapidly in them, both from the priming compound and from the burning gunpowder in the case coming back through the flash hole. This residue should be cleaned out after every firing. Progressive presses do not allow one to do that. Additionally, primers should be seated by hand, so one can "feel" how tight they are and, therefore, how loose the primer pockets are getting. Progressive presses do not allow for this, either.

Anyway, there are no shortcuts in this endeavor. It's an exacting hobby that rewards attention to detail and punishes sloppiness and laziness. If you are going to do this, and be safe and successful, there really are no shortcuts.

Agreed. For me, economy and being able to reuse the same brass multiple times was nice, but it was secondary.

My goal, particularly with 5.56, was to make the best, most accurate, ammo tailored to my rifle available. With the price of military 5.56, reusing the brass fails the time/effort/pain in the ass vs. cost calculation test, and fails it miserably.

How long does it take to clean, lube, size, clean again, trim, etc 500 cases? If I did nothing else, I could probably do it in a full day at the bench. There are some folks who see reloading as a hobby, and would be perfectly happy doing that, but I am not that guy. I have no desire to spend 4 or 5 hours in the garage, when I can get 500 cases that are essentially ready to load for $65. Agreed, they just did it on huge arsenal quality equipment, and dealt with the lube, and cleaned up the mess. Well, if I can get surplus, with moly-coated 80 grain Sierra Matchkings, Remington benchrest primers, and my specified quantity of Varget, seated to my specified OAL, I will ;)

To clarify though, this only works with 5.56/223, just because there is so much once fired military brass available. Everything else, I am right there with you, crawling around trying to fetch every last case.

Have I mentioned I hate full length sizing rifle cases? :D

:D

Yup, it really sucks and I avoid it at all costs. I only have two bottlenecked rounds I like enough to have chambered in more than one rifle, the old .30-'06 and .375 H&H. I am very fortunate in that I can set my dies to neck size only for these, and the brass still fits everything chambered in either caliber.

I'm also no fan of autoloaders, except for rimfires. My only autoloader chambered in a centerfire I have ever kept for any length of time has been a 1911 of one description or another. Every time I get the bug and grab another M1, M1A or something, I am quickly reminded why, as a handloader, I so despise autoloaders. Groveling around on hands and knees searching for brass sucks. Not so bad for cheap .45 ACP brass, where I can accept a certain percentage lost, but I hate losing big, expensive rifle brass. Especially if I'm emotionally attached to it, as one tends to get after hassling with full length sizing in small base dies...;)

Jeff, things like this: UTG Deluxe Brass Catcher AR-15 Nylon Mesh Black - MidwayUSA and this: CTK Precision Universal Brass Catcher - MidwayUSA can take the indignity out of reloading.

Yup, I've used all kinds of contraptions like those, and they do work. Truth be told, though, I'll just never be an autoloader fan, for way more reasons than just chasing brass or the reloading hassles. They just don't do it for me. They are just so completely inelegant compared to, say, a fine single shot. I'm sure I could appreciate one in battle, but at 50 years old, in my civilian life, I don't see that happening. And if the zombies ever come, I have a pretty good collection of high capacity lever guns that should keep them at bay. I'll just shoot them with the .45 Colts or .30-30's, and the horse they rode in on with the .45-70's. Try that with the little .223 mouse guns.

Yeah, but the little ".223 mouse gun" projectile has a muzzle velocity of 3200fps and the physical damage caused by "cavitation" causes massive wounds...

Very shallow, "massive" wounds. And only at very close range. The only bullets that can be driven to those velocities are the lighter 50 and 55 grain bullets, which lose velocity like a badminton shuttlecock. Even then, they will only achieve those muzzle velocities from full length rifle barrels of 24" or more. The teeny little carbines that are now pretty much standard issue lose an easy 300-400 fps from that. Load them with heavier bullets and velocity drops even further.

The .223 is a great small varmint to coyote round out to a couple, maybe three hundred yards. I would not use it by choice on anything bigger at any range, or on those critters at longer range. It becomes quite ineffective in either case.

As a battle round, it is meant to wound, not necessarily kill. It's main advantage, though, is in the sheer quantity one can carry into battle. Modern tactics employ a great deal of indirect "suppressive" fire, to make the other guy keep his head down and stay put until you can direct some real hurt his way. Anyone tasked with actually hitting with every round, and killing with every hit, is issued something much bigger.