differences in brass?

bwa

Does brass vary in hardness, etc. between manufacturers? I was preparing cases today, and it took more muscle to resize Speers than the other brands. If there is variation, does it affect pressures, velocities, etc.?

As always, thanks for your input.

leeblackman

Yup, from my experience they do. That and sometimes, they might have thinner or thicker case walls, all well withing SAAMI specs.



If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !

jonk

Some brass is tougher than others; furthermore age hardens brass.

"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf

leeblackman

wow, i didn't know that. How long does it take before theres a noticeable difference?

If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !

Mr. Lobo

I noticed the same thing reloading 45 acp. This seemed to cause a loose crimp on some cases while others were perfect. I sorted all cases by maker just to be safe.

Jim

Pearyw

I have found that US military brass has a smaller volume capacity than most commercial brass. It used to be common knowledge that you reduced the powder charge when you used military brass. I have found over the years that Remington nickel brass, 38 Special and other pistol cases, would crack with fewer loadings than Federal or Winchester. I have noticed that Speer brass seems to have thicker side walls than other brands. I try to group my brass by manufacturer to get more consistant accuracy.

Shootist3006

quote:Some brass is tougher than others; furthermore age hardens brass
Weeellll, yes and no. Some brass is indeed 'tougher' than others but age does not harden brass. Working the brass (sizing, firing etc.) does harden brass and can be 'fixed' by annealing the brass.
quote:I noticed the same thing reloading 45 acp. This seemed to cause a loose crimp on some cases while others were perfect
As above, firing causes primer pockets to expand. Some brands seem to be more susceptible than others but all will eventually expand.
As suggested above, sort your brass not only by brand but also by lot. When one lot shows signs of primer pocket problems or work hardening - toss the lot (or anneal it if work hardened and it is difficult to find brass).


Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis

bwa

It doesn't appear to be possible for me to sort according to manufacturer or lot. I've bought my brass from reputable people on GB, but it is in bulk and is mixed head-stamp. I might get a few boxes of one manufacturer or another, but would always end up with some that are mixed. Which cases belonged together in lots to start with can't be determined absolutely, so they will be mixed also. I'll just use my best judgment and examine the cases each time I load them. Great accuracy isn't a big issue, since most of these are for close ra nge pistol work.

Thanks for your advice, guys.