How do you tell a rifle case is unsafe?

[WEATHERBY460]

I am reloading for large calibers and would like to know how do I tell if a rifle case is unsafe to reload for again?

Thanks I would love pics.

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by WEATHERBY460

I am reloading for large calibers and would like to know how do I tell if a rifle case is unsafe to reload for again?

Thanks I would love pics.

I don't have pictures but there are several things I would require before I loaded dangerous
game ammo.

Number of firings, No pressure signs on brass,General condition of brass should be good.

Belted cases thin just in front of the belt and if you look close you can see a bright ring
in this location. This is where you will get case head separation if you keep reloading it.

On large dangerous game cartriges you normally full length size to make sure they will chamber
under the worst conditions and this works the brass a lot so you should not re load over
2 or 3 times under the best of conditions.

If you are loading for other people you should be very conservative for there protection,
and for your self you have to answer to your self if a mishap occurs.

If Hunting deer and elk a case head separation or stuck case can ruin a hunt but on
dangerous game it could ruin your life of someone Else's.

No mater how many times brass has been fired if I find one piece with signs of potential
failure I cull all of that batch because there will be more that are bad and can't be seen
easily.

You can't be two cautious !!!!

J E CUSTOM

[carl irvin]

lots of your reload manuals show you pictures of pressure signs in the how to sections. Also may show you how to check for case stretching by visual signs and with paper clip checking the inside, look for extracter marks on brass. Signs of overloads and loose primer pocket and so on. Using your fired brass or and not some that someone else has loaded is always good.

I bought some reloads real cheap once, 30-30 rounds 100’s of them. Had lots of fun with them until I had one head separate leaving the body and neck in the chamber of a lever action, no one was hurt it just wouldn’t take the next round.

I also have had some win 454 brass split in a strange way in a Zig Zag but down the brass ½ inch but did not notice it until after I re sized so I don’t really know when it cracked. I guess the moral to that is I should have cleaned it better and inspected it better before sizing. Like the gent said before you cant look close enough or be to cautious.

I do all those checks and still take a side cutter and split a piece or two from a batch to check for any sings of stretching.

On top of that I still have the same questions with the higher pressure rounds like the 454 and 7 RUM.

If anyone out there has any further info it would be appreciated. Especially on those 2 rounds I mentioned.

[boomtube]

"Belted cases thin just in front of the belt and if you look close you can see a bright ring in this location. This is where you will get case head separation if you keep reloading it."

Ditto with non-belted cases. And, with the fact that many of us tumble polish our cases between uses, looking for a visible web stretch ring is sorta meaningless, it won't be there.

Splits are usually safe enough, head sperations may not be. Only useable test is the bent paper clip feeler thing, very carefully done, will tell us anything.

[bigngreen]

I measure how much thinning there is at the bottom of the case wall. I have learned that with my 270WSM that @ .010 of thinning I have one shot left, when I resize for the next loading a definite crack will show. It has proven to be very reliable for my casings, both the Norma and the Win brass showed the signs of eminent failure at the same thickness, Rem brass only shows .002 thinning in more than 2x the firings so no failures there.

[justgoto]

The lower case had too much of a charge in it.



Notice the lighter color? That is where it stretched.
I will not be using that one again.

Here are the same two cases from the bottom.



The case on the right has a protrusion where the extractor was; which is also from too much pressure.

I have only been hand-loading for about 6 months or so and have had cases I thought were good go bad. I don't think you can tell just by looking.

Every time I shoot my rifle, when I extract the case I take note if the bolt is sticky, then I clean it with my fingers feeling for cracks or whatnot while inspecting it. If I find anything remotely questionable, I get rid of it and review my procedure to determine if I am doing something wrong.

[carl irvin]

Originally Posted by bigngreen

I measure how much thinning there is at the bottom of the case wall. I have learned that with my 270WSM that @ .010 of thinning I have one shot left, when I resize for the next loading a definite crack will show. It has proven to be very reliable for my casings, both the Norma and the Win brass showed the signs of eminent failure at the same thickness, Rem brass only shows .002 thinning in more than 2x the firings so no failures there.

Are you measuring these before you clean and size?
Are you measuring at a certain spot or just lookin for a smaller dimension above the head?

Interesting, I will have to look at my cases like that. I have been inspecting my 7 M RUM cases one at a time. Looking for the line and using the paper clip method. Not finding anything after 2x use. I have split some brass into with a side cutter to inspect inside. Cant see anything with a mag class. Going to reload again.

Will try the measurement and see if I can see the difference.

Thanks