Inspecting brass, what makes you throw it out?

sweaver

I've been going through a bunch of brass I picked up at the range and I would like to know what you guys look at when judging whether to keep it or not. I look for deep scratches or too much bulge.

shane

sandwarrior

Sweaver,

Flame cuts in the neck or body. Really thin necks (they usually crack before getting too thin.

If you reload belted magnums (I don't anymore) there is an issue with case separation just above the belt. This is important if you full length size belted magnum cases. -just some thoughts

We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>

jimbowby

[8D]pistol or rifle BIG difference[:o)][:p][:p][:D]

I'm only wearing Black untill they make something darker

sweaver

Talking mostly about straight walled pistol (.40 S&W).

shane

Tailgunner1954

Pistol brass, excessive bulge at the base, Berdan primers, crack at the mouth, burn thru's, steel or aluminum.
Rifle brass, Berdan Primers, steel or aluminum, burn thru's, sign of inceptent head seperation (takes a little experance to spot this one), cracks.

---

Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.

gunnut505

I NEVER pick up brass at the range because there might be some loads much hotter than normal, could've been fired in a loose chamber, I didn't load them, might've been fired in a G-rod with an unsupported chamber, some other idiot might have found them on the mesa and reloaded them, there's usually any number of very good reasons to leave brass on the ground at the range!

As far as for MY reloads; I keep extensive records of loads, dates, recipes, chrony results, match results and NUMBER OF TIMES FIRED for each box of ammo I make. When a case in a box gets a case mouth split or a shiny line around the base; I dump the whole box on the ground at the range.

"Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID

westlund_125

if i have any doughts in my mind. Cant be to careful.[;)]

"A good scope can end a bad situation"

Bittersweat

I have reloaded a ton of .40 s&w. The biggest problem that I have found with 'pick-up brass' doesn't show until I full-length size them. The newer brass will have straight walls. The junk brass will have a bulge, like a 'spare tire', right above the rim. It seems that the resizing die won't resize the last 3/16 inch above the rim. So this bulge grows over 5 or 6 firings. When this bulge gets large enough that I can see it or feel it, the finished cartridge won't chamber in my pistol.
Hope this helps.

JustC

loose primer pockets, shiny rings showing case head seperation will occur (see my safety thread for pictures of what to look for), cracked necks. As long as those are OK, I'll keep loading it.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

FrancF

quote:Originally posted by gunnut505
I NEVER pick up brass at the range because there might be some loads much hotter than normal, could've been fired in a loose chamber, I didn't load them, might've been fired in a G-rod with an unsupported chamber, some other idiot might have found them on the mesa and reloaded them, there's usually any number of very good reasons to leave brass on the ground at the range!

As far as for MY reloads; I keep extensive records of loads, dates, recipes, chrony results, match results and NUMBER OF TIMES FIRED for each box of ammo I make. When a case in a box gets a case mouth split or a shiny line around the base; I dump the whole box on the ground at the range.

"Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID


I agree with 505, & JustC. Very seldom I will use someones brass left at the range. In a way, I think of brass at the range like cheap sex (if you will )[:I] You are taking a risk. I prefer to know that my brass is clean.

Sorry about the Tongue in cheek. [:)]


NRA Life Endowment Member

jimbowby

[8D]All my semi-auto pistols are .45acp, so I'm afraid that I only pick up MY used cases-sometimes hard to do depending on the mess.[:p][:p][:)][:D]

I'm only wearing Black untill they make something darker

deadeye46

sweaver,the brass I pitch is any that I don't know how many times it's been reloaded.

Iconoclast

Beyond the visual cues discussed above, I prefer to prime my brass as a separate operation. Any which seem to offer too little resistance (as in the pocket is becoming loose) are tossed in a separate box for loading one last time. When I have loaded them and have them in the styrofoam or whatever, I run a green marker across the bases. This doesn't leave residue in the action as lacquer can, it is distinctive, and when those show up in my fired brass, their next stop is the scrap dealer.

"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)