Any Bulk Ammo problems?

[Toejam503]

I recently purchased some bulk ammo and it seems to be a little too long (maybe .010") for my (20r) magazines. Do I need to try a different brand of magazine or go with a 30r mag? My son uses 30r mags and said he didn't have any problems and he has 1/2 the ammo of our bulk order. (.223 FMJ). Has anyone else run into this problem and what are your fixes?

[ZCarFan]

Assuming you're running an AR so using 5.56 spec.

If the overall length is in spec, then it's the mag, if it's over then it's the ammo.

57.4 mm or 2.26 inches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C...x45mm_NATO.jpg

[duffy]

Who manufactured the bulk? Steel case or brass? Just a reloader with an inquiring mind here......

[Toejam503]

Brass, manufactured by U S Cartridge and it's brand new. It's definitely longer. A friend said the casings may have been machine trimmed slightly off before they were loaded.He's got a couple of military mags for me and those things you can load with rocks

[ZCarFan]

What you are looking for is overall length. That's the critical part for mag loading.

If either the cases or overall length are out of spec it's a big f-up on the supplier's part and a possible safety issue because it would be missing the basics. This could be the case, but ammo companies are really careful about this stuff.

The only time you should see 5.56/223 that is too long for mags is with special loads for competition. This is due to the length of the heavier projectiles needed out to 600 + yards. Not in bulk FMJ loads!

In any event, until you actually measure it you are just guessing as to what is going on.

[Toejam503]

I use Magpul 20r mags and when I load these bulk in them, the tips seem to drag. I bought a 30r Magpul mag today and the bulk loaded fine, no tip drag but still looks tight. None of the Federal, Winchester, Hornady, IMI etc. drags in the 20 round mags so I think I'll just stay away from the US Cartridge rounds. Overall length, the US C seem to be 1mm longer at the case neck. Thanks for all your help, they'll still shoot.

[madnss]

Originally Posted by Toejam503

I use Magpul 20r mags and when I load these bulk in them, the tips seem to drag. I bought a 30r Magpul mag today and the bulk loaded fine, no tip drag but still looks tight. None of the Federal, Winchester, Hornady, IMI etc. drags in the 20 round mags so I think I'll just stay away from the US Cartridge rounds. Overall length, the US C seem to be 1mm longer at the case neck. Thanks for all your help, they'll still shoot.

So, is the round 1mm long out of spec?

Just curious what you paid per round? I would contact the manufacturer if indeed it is out of spec.

[Toejam503]

$1 a round. I don't have the tools available to accurately measure them but when I stand them next to the other stuff you can see a slight difference in height. The spec measurements that "ZCarFan" linked me to shows that these rounds are in specs (with my crude measuring techniques). All my other ammo are shorter by 'thousandths'.

[ZCarFan]

current prices and supply are pretty depressing. I picked up a variety of 223 and 5.56 leading up to this so insulated for now. Not too long ago, I was getting Federal XM193 and M855 on clips cheap. The good old days.

Air rifles are still cheap to shoot though.

[Toejam503]

Originally Posted by ZCarFan

current prices and supply are pretty depressing. I picked up a variety of 223 and 5.56 leading up to this so insulated for now. Not too long ago, I was getting Federal XM193 and M855 on clips cheap. The good old days.

Air rifles are still cheap to shoot though.

I know, I just picked up some Red Army Standard for 34 cents a round. (40r) steel jackets. I'll try them out when the temp goes up.