Marking brass technique

[NorthOz]

What is the best way to mark brass for how many times it has been reloaded?
Cheers

 

[MagnumManiac]

I use permanent markers to index (draw a line across) the bottom of the case head.
I Mark mine as follows:
BLACK: new unfired.
RED: Once fired.
BLUE: Twice fired.
GREEN: Thrice fired.
PINK: Fourth fired.
On the fifth firing, I start again with RED, but scribe 2 lines.
This system works very well for me, but I don't count after 8-10 loading, I cull just as many as use around this load count so they all get piled together.
My comp guns don't even get a load count, they get fired 3 times before I do any load development or volume sorting.

Cheers.

 

[mwkelso]

I keep an index card in with my brass and tally reloads. The same card also has my load data on it, so I can't forget it when I reload.
I keep reloading the same 1-2 batches of 20 until they're worn out, then scrap the brass and write a new card for the next batch.

 

[aushunter1]

I keep an index card in with my brass and tally reloads.

Me to.
Batch them & bag them accordingly.

I made up laminated cards for various stages of the reloading process, its a good way of keeping track of it all & when you want to do things like anneal etc.

 

[jimbires]

I just put the number of cycles on them . I anneal every time so there is nothing like that for me to keep track of .

 

[J E Custom]

I don't Know a good way to permanently mark cases, because I clean by brass every time I load.
so I just sort and separate to 50 to 100 count batches and keep load times in the load data.

I used to use the primer sealer in different colors and used it to keep track of the number of loading's.

J E CUSTOM

 

[338 dude]

I don't Know a good way to permanently mark cases, because I clean by brass every time I load.
so I just sort and separate to 50 to 100 count batches and keep load times in the load data.

I used to use the primer sealer in different colors and used it to keep track of the number of loading's.

J E CUSTOM

Put a decent scratch on the Base every time it is re-loaded you can tumble them clean all that and still the scratch is there

 

[FEENIX]

I just put the number of cycles on them . I anneal every time so there is nothing like that for me to keep track of .

Yep and store them in a bag or container with the same information.

 

[fiftybmg]

I start with all brass annealed and prepped.

After firing, the brass goes into the fired bin which has a number on a piece of tape for number of firings. When there is no more clean brass, I prep all the fired brass, and add 1 to the number on the bin. After the third use, all the brass gets annealed.

There is no point for me to track more than three uses, once it's annealed the count is zero again.

I did try marking the brass, but other than engraving the metal, there's no way I could find to make the marks remain visible after cleanings.

 

[aushunter1]

There is no point for me to track more than three uses, once it's annealed the count is zero again.

The only problem with that theory is brass does not have an infinite life & things like primer pocket expansion & primer fit will still vary greatly from a case that's fired 3 times to 20 times fired.

I would still want to know how many times my cases have been fired, sized & annealed & batch them accordingly.

 

[fiftybmg]

The only problem with that theory is brass does not have an infinite life & things like primer pocket expansion & primer fit will still vary greatly from a case that's fired 3 times to 20 times fired.

Sorting the brass by number of times fired does nothing for case life.

The case is either suitable to reload, or not. It cannot be marginally suitable.

Neither does it work for accuracy. Cases sorted by weight and volume, certainly, but not by number of firings.

Therefore, I don't need to count how many times each piece of brass was used. It is either suitable, or it's scrap.

 

[aushunter1]

Sorting the brass by number of times fired does nothing for case life.

Each to their own.

 

[NorthOz]

Thanks for the replys Gents. All good.

 

[elf]

I keep an index card in with my brass and tally reloads. The same card also has my load data on it, so I can't forget it when I reload.
I keep reloading the same 1-2 batches of 20 until they're worn out, then scrap the brass and write a new card for the next batch.

I'm with MWKELSO, exactly what I do. I almost always load 20 at a time, and just make a stroke on the card with each loading. This helps count the number of rounds thru each barrel.