Carbon on the side of my brass?

[5.56 Bonded SP]

Hey guys, I am having an issue with my reloads. I am getting a ton of carbon fouling on the side of my brass wall, almost all the way to the case rim. It usually starts to devolope after a mag or two.
Never happens with factory ammo.

I've done everything I feel like, double checked sizing, length, and have got my loads so hot I'm scared to go hotter.

I've been using wolf gold brass, and various different components.

[markm]

I've seen this in low charge pistol brass. In that example it's the mild charge not swelling the brass walls to the chamber.

For rifle, this is usually found when adding a suppressor. Are you chronoing the load? What's the powder?

[bigedp51]

Normally carbon on the outside of the case means low pressure and the neck of the case not sealing in the chamber.

What is your powder and loading info and can you post photos of the cases.

[5.56 Bonded SP]

I get it on hotter loads too.

For example

25gr ramshot tac with a 69gr hpbt still gets powder on the side of the case.

25 gr of h335 with a 60gr ballistic tip, still gets carbon on the side of the case wall.

Im wondering if it's the wolf gold brass?

[TomMcC]

I've shot a lot of Wolf Gold .223, never had a soot prob. Your other loads look stout enough, so I don't think it's that.

If this is the only brass you've ever had this prob with...it's the brass, but why I don't know. Did you shoot the Wolf as a factory round and then reload it? Did it soot when it was a factory round?

[5.56 Bonded SP]

I've shot a lot of Wolf Gold .223, never had a soot prob. Your other loads look stout enough, so I don't think it's that.

If this is the only brass you've ever had this prob with...it's the brass, but why I don't know. Did you shoot the Wolf as a factory round and then reload it? Did it soot when it was a factory round?

The factory rounds do not do that. I'm wondering if the brass is getting too hard or something. It doesn't seem to last very long either.

[TomMcC]

The factory rounds do not do that. I'm wondering if the brass is getting too hard or something. It doesn't seem to last very long either.

MMMMMMM. Work hardening does happen, but one firing is faster than I've ever seen. Usually what I've seen is the work hardening first causes case necks to crack. Even then I haven't seen an over abundance of soot.

This the only brass doing this?

[markm]

It doesn't seem to last very long either.

In what way? Primer pockets get loose?

[5.56 Bonded SP]

In what way? Primer pockets get loose?

Usually fails about 2mm above the case rim, will crack or become thin and looks like powder burnt through it if that makes sense. After a few loads I consider the brass trash.

I do size and trim every load because I am pretty anal about making sure my loads are safe.

[markm]

Usually fails about 2mm above the case rim, will crack or become thin and looks like powder burnt through it if that makes sense. After a few loads I consider the brass trash.

I do size and trim every load because I am pretty anal about making sure my loads are safe.

You're getting case separation. I bet your sizing die is set too low. Do you have a case guage?

Wolf Brass might have thinner webs than other brass. So if you're bumping the shoulder too far back, it could be showing up on brass that's weakest in that area. Based on my experience, I expect 1 separation for every 20,000 rounds I load. So if you're seeing them regularly, there is a problem.

In .308, I killed many pieces of Lapua brass by sizing it back to SAAMI, instead of to the actual bolt gun. 223, however, works fine off of the case gauge