[oletrapper]

Has anyone reloaded the steel case 223s? If I could find dies I would try it. No dies available. All out of stock like the ammo in the Cincy area. I reload 222 brass but getting close to being out of bullets and primers. There all gone also. If you want to see something interesting, just google, DHS bids on ammo and watch comes up. It has been reported they have purchased 2.6 billion rounds (all calibers) in the last 10 months. What's up with that.

[Overkill0084]

I'm sure someone has tried it. That doesn't make it a great idea. Or practical.
I suspect that much of it is Berdan primed, which is it's own set of problems.
Depriming is a PITA & then I've read that Berdan primers are odd sized compared to Boxer primers. Finding Berdan primers is something of a challenge as I understand things.
Even if they are boxer primed cases, you will very likely run into sizing and neck tension issues.
Along with issues like wear on your equipment there are probably other issues I haven't thought of.
Steel cases, you don't reload them, you recycle them.

And yeah, everywhere is out of .223/.5.56 ammo. Even without the DHS order, supplies were tight.

[locutus]

I have loaded just over a thousand .45 ACP American made steel cases.

I did not choose to do so, but at that time, 47 years ago, they were all I had, so I made do.

Can you re-load .223,308, etc steel case?? Hell yes. But I'll be damned if I'll do it.

Maybe in time of all out war.

Believe me, I speak from experience, it's not worth it!

As for the 2.6 Billion purchased by DHS, if you investigate, that's actually 26 million. It got bumped up by the conspiracy people that misread the purchase order.

When you consider that this ammo is for LE training of local, state and federal LE, that's not really very much. An officer in a week long program will normally shoot 1,000 rounds. Therefore, 26,000,000 will only be enough for 26,000 officers. There are damn near that many in New York state alone.

[robocop10mm]

There are some steel cases in .223 that are Boxer primed and potentially reloadable. I toyed with the idea about a year ago when someone slid some once fired steel cases my way. I found that after a time in the vibratory polisher, the laquer coating was FUBAR and tossed them.

While it is possible, I believe it is impractical as there are still millions of once fired brass cases in the pipeline.

[Rick1967]

Steel cases are hard on dies.

[oletrapper]

That idea just went to hell in a hand basket. Can't find any dies anyway. Thanks guys. OT

Picked up 240 rds of .223 Sat. RU made, steel case. Very small gun store and he had a limit of 6 boxes per customer. Regardless of how loyal of a customer you are. Had a friend stop by and get the other 6 boxes. $7.75 a box. Not to bad considering what some stores and internet sites are charging. If you can find them.