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case life semi auto UPDATED
nemesisenforcer
Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
how many loadings/firings can one expect with brass put through an FAL?
My 4 cases have survived 6 firings and 4 trips through the sizing die.
Don't want to press my luck and risk a rupture/FTE so I'm cashing them in.
My 4 cases have survived 6 firings and 4 trips through the sizing die.
Don't want to press my luck and risk a rupture/FTE so I'm cashing them in.
Comments
Take a picture or your spent brass and post it. Look for a big flat spot on the casemouth.
FWIW I'm doing an experiment with 4 cases: fire, reload, repeat. So far I'm on 3 loadings with no signs of wear or fatigue that I can see.
I'll keep you posted.
Just wanted to see if there was anybody with first hand knowledge of the sort I'm attempting to acquire.
Since, no doubt, you will be full length resizing your cases each time you reload them, you will want to watch for case head separations. You will see a shiney ring about 3/8" from the base of the case. You can make a "gauge" from a large paper clip. Just straighten it, put a right angle bend in the end, and sharpen a chisel point on it. Then you can insert that gauge into your case and feel for the groove that forms when the case stretches. There is a limit to the amount of camming action that a self-loading rifle can exert on closing, so we are forced to create a tiny bit of headspace in our cases each time we reload them. That will eventually cause the case separations. Assuming your rifle does not beat up the brass (crushing the mouth, etc.), case separations will be the limiting factor. My latest project involves reloading for 3 Garands. I have a small batch of cases that have been fired 3 times and are loaded, ready for the 4th. Your experiment sounds like a good one and I would be interested to know the results.
At 4 so far and I use a paper clip on the inside looking for that groove or trench. Nothing yet. I have 4 cases (2 commercial and 2 milsurp) that I'm watching.
I'll get at least another firing this weekend.
I know FAL guys who throw their brass away at 2 firings. If you do everything right you might get to 7 or 8. 4-5 is more realistic.
FWIW, NO factory FALs have fluted chambers(Bubba might have used an HK barrel in a drunken stupor at some point).
It is all about how much difference there is between your head space setting on your reloading dies and your rifle. If you keep the numbers at .002-.003" apart, they will last much longer. The down side of this could be reliability.
I know FAL guys who throw their brass away at 2 firings. If you do everything right you might get to 7 or 8. 4-5 is more realistic.
FWIW, NO factory FALs have fluted chambers(Bubba might have used an HK barrel in a drunken stupor at some point).
I was estimating 6 and will probably stop there as I don't foresee a need to keep brass longer than that. I knew I could get at least 3. Tossing after 2 firings/sizings seems wasteful to me, but I'm cheap.[:)]
That's about the case life out of my M1A. 4-6 loadings. With the Amount of surplus .308 brass available, you could buy enough to last years.
nemesisenforcer-
That's about the case life out of my M1A. 4-6 loadings. With the Amount of surplus .308 brass available, you could buy enough to last years.
I think I'll stick to commercial virgin brass, more expensive per piece, but you don't have to ream out the primer pockets and the case walls aren't as thick, relieving pressure problems. I've got enough milsurp brass for the time being.
quote:Originally posted by FrancF
nemesisenforcer-
That's about the case life out of my M1A. 4-6 loadings. With the Amount of surplus .308 brass available, you could buy enough to last years.
I think I'll stick to commercial virgin brass, more expensive per piece, but you don't have to ream out the primer pockets and the case walls aren't as thick, relieving pressure problems. I've got enough milsurp brass for the time being.
Look for a law enforcement sale. They usually have tons of .40 and .223 but once in a while you get a good .308 lot. No de-crimping, mostly matched brass (same lot) as that's how they get it cheaper.
quote:Originally posted by nemesisenforcer
quote:Originally posted by FrancF
nemesisenforcer-
That's about the case life out of my M1A. 4-6 loadings. With the Amount of surplus .308 brass available, you could buy enough to last years.
I think I'll stick to commercial virgin brass, more expensive per piece, but you don't have to ream out the primer pockets and the case walls aren't as thick, relieving pressure problems. I've got enough milsurp brass for the time being.
Look for a law enforcement sale. They usually have tons of .40 and .223 but once in a while you get a good .308 lot. No de-crimping, mostly matched brass (same lot) as that's how they get it cheaper.
any ideas where to look for such sales?
The gunshop site is: www.gunstop.com
Here in MN it's: http://www.fss.state.mn.us/auction.htm
If you live near a big city they may do the same thing. It probably won't be cost effective to buy it two states over, even if it is two big 55 barrels of brass. You have to get it or have it shipped and either is kind of spendy. Something the think about before you register on a state auction and buy something.
you will want to watch for case head separations. You will see a shiney ring about 3/8" from the base of the case. You can make a "gauge" from a large paper clip. Just straighten it, put a right angle bend in the end, and sharpen a chisel point on it. Then you can insert that gauge into your case and feel for the groove that forms when the case stretches.
I've had better results at preventing case head separation by taking time to look for a difference in color ring (shiny ring) at the ending of the web area of the cases and always look after you have reloaded over 3 times AND IF you find a case that needs more trimming for proper length, such as it's .005 or more longer as compared to the other cases) that have been reloaded the same number of times is also a indicator that this brass case is thinning out and needs to be tossed! I get better results by inspecting the brass instead of relying on the bent feeler gauge method!
Also if cases have been trimmed from max length to minimum length about 3 times, it's a indicator for heads up for thinning at the web and all will need discarded for regular velocity loads! (constant trimming of brass indicates that the excess brass being trimmed is normally coming from the web and wall area of the case resulting in thinning of the case)
Reason I say discard regular velocity loads, I have single shot and bolt guns of several calibers that I save the stretched discarded brass and use it for low velocity reduced loads with no problems, for example 223 loaded at 22 mag velocities (for use on small game and plicking) and 30-06 calibers loaded at 30-30 velocities for recoil senstive shooters to practice, etc!
Our local gunstore gets info on them. He usually has a few buckets of it for sale at his shop. Other than that just do a search for what state you are in and their is usually an ongoing auction site for that state.
The gunshop site is: www.gunstop.com
Here in MN it's: http://www.fss.state.mn.us/auction.htm
If you live near a big city they may do the same thing. It probably won't be cost effective to buy it two states over, even if it is two big 55 barrels of brass. You have to get it or have it shipped and either is kind of spendy. Something the think about before you register on a state auction and buy something.
No need for that much brass. I got 300 loaded/reloadable rounds plus a few hundred steel cased that I add to regularly for my strategic reserve.