garage sale find

[buckyne]

So I am done deer hunting for the year and am starting to do some brass prep. I just got to some .308 win brass my wife found at a garage sale. "fired once" on the label it says. 20 pieces of brass for a $1. Not too bad of a deal until you look closely at them. They all have that tell tale ring near the bottom of the catridge and none of them would fit in the shell holder when I tried to full length size them. Pitched them all.

I really really doubt that they were "fired once". It is only a buck but come on. When the brass needs to be retired- throw it out. These look they are close to case separation and handing them off to someone else via a garage sale is bush league. Plus someone might actually manage to reload them and end up with a damaged gun or worse.

 

[Steel Rain]

I hear you. A buddy and I bought 1k once fired Winchester cases which were supposedly all factory ammo shot out of a Savage 10FP .308. I looked at a few cases which looked normal when I purchased them. Later as I was resizing I noticed a few that would fit into shell holder and the necks were so ugly they looked like they had been fired through some kind of out of spec Chinese machine gun with a blown chamber. I chalk it up to a learning experience. Luckily my friend has a lot more experience than me and was able to help me cull the unsafe cases.

 

[Reloader222]

I am a brass keeper. I do not easily throw away brass. Rather cut one in 1/2 with a grinder of cutting tool and see if there is a thinning on the inside of the case. If the cases does not show thinning on the inside, use them. Some rifles do give this ring, but it is not always to say that it is thinning.

 

[buckyne]

I think if they had fit in the shell holder I might have just cut 1 to see what it looked like. Since none of the 20 shells actually would go into the shell holder to even attempt to resize I just pitched them.

Live and learn I guess. it was only a buck. Still seems pretty shaddy to do that to someone.

 

[Gunpoor]

I have one better than that, back over 25 years ago my dad bought some reloaded 20 gauge shot shells at a garage sale. I told him I was a dubious about buying somebody else's reloads and he said I am too distrustful of people. Well to make a long story short dad and I were shooting them at some hedge balls thrown in the air and we both missed every time. We opened up several of the shells and they were loaded with sand instead of lead shot.

 

[429421Cowboy]

If the price is right, i buy any brass at yardsales and such to resell for scrap since i don't trust odd shells unless i know they are factory. My little brother came home with a bin of reloads and brass be got from a garage sale this summer, maybe 100 .22-250, 100 .25/06, 50 7mms and loose .30 carbine .45 acp and .38 rounds, plus two bricks of .22 ammo he got all for $2. When i looked up the guy's loads on the .22-250 he was at TWO GRAINS over max listed, and when i pulled them down i found at least three different kinds of powder in them. THat is why i don't shoot other peoples reloads! Tear em down, save bullets and scrap the cases!
I find it not only misleading but downright dangerous what they did to you!