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The part that I hate about converting blackout brass

John A.

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OK, just to be perfectly honest, I hate everything about it. There isn't a single thing that I find enjoyable about it. I find none of it particularly relaxing, fun, or anything else.

But, I do appreciate being able to do it. Using plentiful 223 pickups to convert to 300 blackout takes a lot of the bite out of sourcing brass. And lets' face it, a lot cheaper too.

I know there are a lot of other tutorials out there that is probably better, but since I finally sat down and converted a bunch of it this evening, I decided to take a few pictures for anyone that was curious about it.

Step 1

find a bunch of 223 brass. I sorted out a bunch of my brass and only chose to use the lake city brass. Mainly just so everything is consistent.

Step 2

Clean it. It doesn't have to be all shiny and new looking, but I don't like clumps of old mud rolling around inside of the brass either.

Step 3

Here's where it starts to get interesting.

Use the jig and small chop saw to cut the existing shoulder of the 223 off.

blk 002.JPG

Next up after you get them cut, you have to run them all through the sizer and deprime them and decrimp them. It works so much easier to keep the die lubed up well for this step.

blk 004.JPG

After that's done, you have to trim the length. I try to have my jig bolted down in the saw so I have very little to trim because it's the most difficult part of the whole process.

I do like the WFT brand case trimmer. It chucks up in a cordless drill and I leave the depth of cut slightly below the max length so I only have to do it the first time I reload the cases.

blk 007.JPG

And once all that is done, it's ready to be reloaded. new primer, powder and bullet.

I have been loading some of my original brass for a couple of years now and many of them have been loaded more than a dozen times.

Granted I only shoot subs out of them, but don't think that it's easier on the brass than full house loads because the Enforcer and #9 powders that I mainly use burn fast and quick and reach chamber pressures almost up into 223 territory. At least upwards of 50k psi chamber pressures according to those online calculators.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a run down of what's involved if you were thinking about converting your own brass.
 
Thanx, John. I have a friend who bought a Blackout a couple of years ago [but hasn't fired it yet?????]. I'll copy this for him. Also I'll remind him that my offer to take him out to my club to shoot is still good.
 
You're welcome guys. I hope someone finds it useful or at least amusing LOL

It's been a while since I made new brass. I've been careful trying not to lose any in the weeds, but it happens.

I was down to about 50 or 60 pieces of already sized reloads/brass and I finally took the time to dig through my 223 range pickups and convert some more while the temps has been so cold to do much else outside.

Today I plan to load them all up so I'll be ready when I do want to pull it out of the safe. A while back, a friend of mine gave me some cast bullets he made, along with some Lapua and Hornady bullets to try that I'm going to work up and see what I think of them.
 
Yeah, with the below zero temps, I've been finding all kinds of little projects to do while the weather has been bad.
 
Yes, I've been watching it for a couple of years now and I was hoping last year was going to be the year, but maybe this year will prove to be better.

I'm interested somewhat, but with no brass or bullets for reloading, and wolf being an importer with no product on the shelves, I see no point of it.

Yet.

But once those are addressed and handled, I think it'll be pretty popular.

There is a company in NC (I think--piedmont something or another) that are already selling AR15 barrels for it. And only about $150 too.

It's based on the 7.62x39 case necked up to essentially 9mm. But the bullet is going to be about 100 gr heavier than what we're used to.

Here are 2 somewhat older things that peeked my interest. The first pertaining to Doc Dater from 2011, and the next is a video showing it in the field. It may even have the blackout beat in suppressed sound, which admittedly is a little of a let down at first anyway unless you handload.

http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=372

 
I hadn't heard about it until just recently. And I think it was only because I got emails that the barrels were for sale. I'm sure it will catch on in some capacity. Mayne not huge, but the market will open up as it gains popularity

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I think it'll have a lot more drop than 300blk due to the shape of the bullet at longer ranges.

Velocity and bullet weight is similar between the two, but the shape of the blackout is more aerodynamic, from lack of better description.
 
Neither is really intended for range though. Although they can be an effective hunting round, I personally view them more as a heavy hitting, suppressable close range round. To be fired from an SBR, or braced pistol.

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With supers, there are guys that are getting moa out to 400 yards or so.

But I agree, I like them for short range suppressed subsonic thumping.

The Lehigh and Makers brass bullets expand well down into the lower 800 fps territory so they are more than suited for HD or deer hunting from your tree stand or blind.

But they're not cheap. The 194 gr Lehigh max expansion costed me about $65 for 50 of them. Those are not plinking rounds. Those are dedicated SD/hunting only.
 
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