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Military brass in a civilian gun

Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,597 ✭✭✭
edited January 2008 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I have two 30-06s....a Garand and a Savage 110.

I found a good buy on surplus 30-06 ammo through the CMP. I assume that ammo is safe for my M1, but after I fire it I plan on reloading the brass and using it in the Savage.

I know that chamber pressures are different between civilian and military ammo, will it be enough to matter? Do I need to keep "surplus" brass and "civilian" brass seperate?

Thanks for any help
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    SCorversSCorvers Member Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Been shooting US military '06 brass for years with nary a problem. Reload'em till they crack, unless your shooting full house loads.
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    dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,969
    edited November -1
    After you fire it in the bolt gun, I would keep it seperate and just neck size it.
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    CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,520 ✭
    edited November -1
    What dcs said. Makes your brass last much longer.
    W.D.
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    scrubberguyscrubberguy Member Posts: 219 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rack Ops:
    The thing to remember here is the Savage, being a bolt gun, will be very flexable in it's diet. A lot of shooters vary loads, within reason, for the bolt guns with no problem.

    The Garand on the other hand was designed for a specific pressure curve! go one way or the other of the "peak Performane" load and you'll get failure to eject and/or feed or, worse, bent operating rods and premature wear on gas piston area.

    The old Speer number 8 manual had a section devoted to 06 loads for the Garand.

    So the answer is yes you can use surplus brass in both guns BUT once it's reloaded keep the loads seperate![8D]
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    jtmarine0831jtmarine0831 Member Posts: 908 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not much into details on the 30-06, but if it is like the 308 and 7.62NATO differences the mil-spec has a lower SAMMI pressure rating. In the 308, 7.62NATO subjects max chamber pressure is around 50,000PSI for 7.62NATO and 62,000PSI for 308 Win. Due to the higher pressure and roomier chamber, 308 ammo is not recommended in a 7.62 chamber. Like I said, I assume that these differences are in the same ballpark as 30-06 commercial and mil-spec. And as ScrubberGuy mentioned, it can be very hard on Garand actions because they were designed for a specific presure curve. When reloading for it don't go with a powder any slower than IMR4320 or comparable powder and do keep the brass seperate.

    Here is a link that might explain some difference in loading for one.

    http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reloadbasics/gasgunreload.cfm
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    It would not cause an issue. You might stay a grain off the max as military brass is often slightly heavier and has less volume internally. You may have to remove a primer crimp. Otherwise it is fine; I do it all the time. I have several thousand military cases (and slowly accumulate more and more)- and what do I reload? The same batch of 50 over and over. Neck sized only, for a bolt gun. They're on their 10th load now and I have had maybe 1 or 2 crack at the neck. The rest are just fine. [:)]
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    Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,367 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There is no reason not to use military brass (or ammo) in a commercial bolt action rifle.

    You should try a small batch to start with. Savage rifles have been known for minimum chambers and a case fired in the M1 might not chamber freely even with full length resizing. You might have to buy a small base resizing die to pursue your plan.

    I think I'd just shoot some of the ammo in the Savage to start with and keep brass for bolt and auto separate.
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There is no reason not to,..in any nato/saami crossover. Nato stuff is lower pressure for operations in semi-auto and full auto rifles where SAAMI stuff is more tuned to single shot type rifles (bolt or otherwise). Remember, the military brass is thicker in many cases,..so drop back a little and work back up to your bolt gun load, it may be a grain or so less in military brass. A chronograph is helpful here to determine when you reach the same pressure in the military brass that you had in the factory brass.
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    Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,597 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know there is a (slight) difference in the manufacture of 5.56 and .223 and 7.62x51 and .308

    Does this also apply to the 30-06?
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    yes,.....same principle.
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    ww2buff9067ww2buff9067 Member Posts: 472 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My recipe for reloading for my M1 - Full length size cases, 45 gr IMR4064 powder and the standard 150 gr FMJBT bullet. Not sure too many bulletmakers are making the 150gr FMJBT anymore, I had Winchester, BHSS, Hornady, and Speer bullets, they all work fine. Try to stay away from the slower burning powders in the Garand, as they can, as stated above, cause damage to the rifle.

    Hope this helps,

    Mike
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