Once fired brass

[Rogmay]

What are your thoughts on buying once fired brass, I have an opportunity to purchase some 90% once fired & 10% twice fired brass from gunwerks for my 7mm. It's nosler brass and seems to be in nice shape. What are your thoughts on using this vs new and what are your recommendations for prepping or could I just Fl size and start reloading, thanks for your input!

 

[gohring3006]

Buying once fired brass is based on honesty in my opinion. You have to trust the seller is telling the truth. Buying your brass from GunWerks... I would feel pretty confident that it's good brass. Just full length size and shoot...

 

[J E Custom]

Buying once fired brass is based on honesty in my opinion. You have to trust the seller is telling the truth. Buying your brass from GunWerks... I would feel pretty confident that it's good brass. Just full length size and shoot...

+1

I only use/buy once fired brass if I know it is once fired "ONLY". If it has the original primer and it has not been fired in a machinegun It can be safely used.

The problem with brass that has been fired twice is that you cant tell if it has been fired more than
two times and if it fails in your chamber, it can cause a lot of grief and may damage your chamber.

I have fired brass many times before it had to be discarded, but it had been tracked, annealed and only sized as much as needed to chambered. I keep brass in batches and at the first sign of failure, I discard the entire batch rather than risk case head separation or chamber damage.

IMO I recommend that you Just buy once fired brass only if you can prove it is once fired only.
You save nothing if it fails in your chamber, and it could end up costing a lot more.

J E CUSTOM

 

[FEENIX]

Buying once fired brass is based on honesty in my opinion. You have to trust the seller is telling the truth.

Sad but very true! Having said that, I have been very lucky thus far; conduct a thorough visual inspection for cracks and for any signs of pressure to be discarded. I also discard when the primer goes in with hardly any force. The bottom-line, always proceed loading with caution.

 

[Rogmay]

Thanks guys, might be a dumb question but how do you know if it's the original one primer?

 

[gohring3006]

That's the hard part. One of the reasons I'll buy Federal (factory ammo)once fired brass, is the blue primer sealer that Federal uses. Its on the edge of the primer pocket and on the primers. If its on the edge of the primer pocket and not on the primer. Then its not once fired..

 

[J E Custom]

Thanks guys, might be a dumb question but how do you know if it's the original one primer?

It's not a dumb question at all.

I use a lot of the military ammo and it is easy to tell by the crimp and primer seal.

Sizing marks are another way to tell if it has been loaded.

If you see the shooter fire it and he has the new box it came from that's another way.

"BUT" if you are not sure, It can be a gamble. I see the term range brass and cringe
because it may have 10 firings in different chambers and simply be polished/tumbled to make
it look good. My advice is to stay away from all brass that you don't know it's origin and
the number of firings. nothing is saved ,when you have a case head separation or split case
that can damage your chamber or render the rifle useless during a hunt.

Brass Is hard to find sometimes but worth the effort instead of taking a chance with used brass
that you don't know about.

Just My opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[Corey Schwanz]

From a trusted source, shouldn't be much wrong with true once fired brass. you'll need a full length sizing die before putting it in your rifle.

 

[tbrice23]

One reason I will buy once fire brass for belted magnums is that it saves fire forming.

The heaspace measurement to the datum line grows at least .025" from virgin brass (on belted magnums). That's a lot of capacity gain. So I can never get complete load development until it is fire formed. That's why I keep my old factory Savage belted magnum barrels for fire forming.

I will measure the primer pockets. If the inside diameter is .208 or less for large rifle I'm pretty confident it's once fired.
If there is sizing marks you can cut one in half length wise to see for sure that there isn't thinning above the case head.

 

[Rogmay]

Thanks for all the great responses, that really helps!

 

[Bill Johnson]

I use a lot of once fired brass. I buy from know reliable dealers in batches of at least 200. Them I F/L resize, trim to length, and uniform primer pockets. Now, with uniform outside dimensions, I weigh cases laying them out on a piece of cardboard with lines for each weight in tens of a grain. You end up with a big bell curve of cases. Nock off the top and bottom 10% and you'll end up with a pretty good batch of cases.

 

[just country]

I bought 100 rounds of 257Wea. brass. I check all of the once fired cases. I fl all of the brass. of the 100 15 had pressure signs when fl process was used. When depriming I use a universal deprimer die. A person can tell from this process if u have loose primer pockets. The ones that r loose put to the side. I keep them in empty coffee cans plastic. put label on the can as to what caliber. in the winter or raining days use the punch and anvil method and use brass for punch and anvil.

Brass is getting hard to fine. If at all possible do not buy chrome brass. this brass is very brittle. I have found that chrome brass at times is not worth FL process

when a person fl's brass the person can tell by resistance, normally if the brass is good and the expanding of the brass is nominal u have a good brass

I use a lot of once fired brass especially in my 7wsm. brass is hard to fine.

T U M lightbulbjust country