When to throw away brass

[joe0121]

I'm on reloading number 10+ in my WM with 79.5 Gr of h1000. Rem Brass to me seems to have looser primer pocket to begin with. RWS brass seems to be the tightest out of the box.

What brand of Primers are you using?

 

[Bart B]

Watch for cratering around firing pin, if you see the beginnings, you're keeping the brass too long.

I don't think cratering around the firing pin dimple on primers indicates brass is resized too often. Primers are only used once.

And cratering often's caused by too much clearance around the firing pin or not enough dimple depth which is caused by weak firing pin spring. Or the pin stops short of protruding at least 50 thousandths from the bolt face.

 

[dbhostler]

I don't think cratering around the firing pin dimple on primers indicates brass is resized too often. Primers are only used once.

And cratering often's caused by too much clearance around the firing pin or not enough dimple depth which is caused by weak firing pin spring. Or the pin stops short of protruding at least 50 thousandths from the bolt face.

The cratering I am referring to is on the bolt face. It is caused by hot gases excaping the primer pocket. The good news is there is a fix for the eroded bolt.
db

 

[Bart B]

The cratering I am referring to is on the bolt face. It is caused by hot gases excaping the primer pocket. The good news is there is a fix for the eroded bolt.
db

That's different then. It's around the firing pin hole at a diameter about equal to the primer or a bit bigger. It's usually called erosion as it's caused by the same gas that erodes the throat and leade in the barrel and metal's removed by the process.

Cratering usually refers to surface material being raised up around the crater put in it by some force; a firing pin tip dimpling the primer and some cup material's raised above the primer's flat surface. No metal's done away with with cratering.

 

[dbhostler]

Yeah, you're right, cratering and erosion also happens when you're old like I am. See, I used the two different words to describe the same condition. LOL....
db

 

[MNbogboy]

40 years ago I spent my time looking for that "fast" load...And during those days I figured out that brass doesn't like to be punished like that....I had everything from split necks, loose primer pockets and an occasional head separation....Now my brass seems to last a long time...I inspect...inspect and inspect.....I no longer run anything "hot" and am now getting 35-40 or more loadings from my .260s...15-20 from my 25-06s and smaller stuff like the .222 and .221 seem to last forever.....Mostly out of Rem brass and some Nosler and Win too.....

Bart B has the best handle on this....Full length resizing in a well fitted chamber is all I do too.....I neck size on occasion but neck sizing for me has been the start of do-nuts for me several times where FL from the start seems to prevent it at least in the calibers I am loading now.....

When brass is new it is the softest it will ever be (disregarding those over zealous with neck annealing)....BTW I have never annealed with flame only cold-working with an expander to "soften" necks for seating pressure consistency....

New "soft" brass is the most vulnerable for primer pocket expansion and "hot" loads do their most damage to new brass....Along with primer pocket expansion also the start of head separation is common with "hot" loads in new brass....

Any time your pockets leak, You are not only damaging your bolt and losing consistency on the target, You are jeopardizing your eyes and your own safety.....I have seen this on my own rifles and felt those gasses....This in my opinion is beyond brass life...A simple inspection with a flash light after you have de-capped your cases will show where the primers have sealed....as the "gray" soot gets closer to the head-stamp it is time to ask yourself do I crush it and throw it or do I feel in another primer and try it one more time?.......The sooty ones will also measure bigger and show out of round.....The primers seat easier....If I feel an easy seat I mark it with a felt tip for closer inspection after the next firing.....

A mistake people often make is trying to get factory velocities or more from their reloads...This is OK if you plan on shooting them only once....But if you want to your brass to last with safety and reliability in mind then work up to a comfortable load and don't stretch it beyond that (no pun intended)......

My $.02,
Randy

 

[SidecarFlip]

Mo 02 is....

I keep a medium sized wooden crate under the bench in the shop where I reload and all the old questionable casings go in there along with any brass turnings or scrap parts. I have another for aluminum, another for stainless, anotther for HSS and finally a smaller one for Tungstgen Carbide and when they get full, it's off to the recycler (watching scrap prices of course). In the past my crates have netted as much as $1000.00, not bad for junk.

Scrap prices are dowm right now, as I understand China isn't buying, but they will come back. I'll be ready with some full crates.....

Don't throw that brass away, recycle it, for cash, for guns, fot more brass.........