I getting ready to start reloading .38 Super. I've been sorting the brass I've accumulated and found I have 3 different brands:

Fiocchi
Federal (American Eagle)
Magtech

Does anyone have experience reloading any of these brands and, if so, what's your opinion of each? Is one of them better than the others?
Thanks.

They are all three good quality. I cannot tell you how long they last, or anything like that. Federal brass is always good and has been my first choice for magnum revolvers for many years. I think you will be fine with all three, but Federal would be my choice as the one to start with, if that is what you are asking.

I do not load my .38 Supers very hot and have never noticed any problems I would attribute to cases. Weigh the cases and compare them. I think I recall the Fiocchis were the heaviest - just a couple grains. Thick brass is not necessarily the best brass. It's just another piece of the puzzle.

I load 38 Super for use in two of my S&W revolvers with mild loads. I have encountered some case splits with Remington nickel cases but otherwise all the mixed brass has performed well.

In IPSC where they load their 38 super, to HOT HOT levels, to get the comps to work better, and make major. Starline is a favored brass. For medium to mild loads it probably doesn't matter much.

Federal, Winchester and Remington are what I use most but Fiocchi, Magtech, PMC, CCI, Speer and a host of others are all good to use too. The only brass I wouldn't reload is A-Merc brass which isn't worth your time or effort. Of course Starline brass is also high quality too.

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SWCA #3437

Thanks for the excellent feedback everybody, I appreciate it.

not the caliber you are asking about, but...In my 45 Colts and 357 mag's, Starline brass grips the bullet tighter than say W-W brass. That is, It takes a bit more handle force to seat identicle bullets after prep'ing the cases in the same die.

Just my observation.

I don't load .38 super, but I do load for .45 auto, .38 special, and .357 mag. I've used the following brass:

.45 auto:
Federal, Winchester, and RP (Remington).

.38 special:
Federal and RP

.357:
Starline, Magtech, Federal, RP.

For auto cartridges, my favorite is Federal, followed by Winchester.
In .38, my favorite is Federal.
In .357, Federal, Starline and Magtech have worked well.

In auto cartridges, I would avoid RP like the plague. The brass is very thin, I could never get enough neck tension to prevent setback. My .45 auto RP brass is used ONLY in my 625.

I would also ignore advice to crimp the hell out the cartridge as a solution to setback issues (if you have any). Setback is not solved by crimping - it is solved by using good brass that has sufficient neck tension and properly sizing it.

not the .38 super but several others - magtech is good stuff, federal too. fiocdhi is ok.
starline and hornady is about as good as it gets IMO.

I bought 5gal buckets of brass for $5 and have every kind of brass known to man, (a slight exaggeration) and I have yet to come across any brand that could not be reloaded successfully other than the Berdan primed stuff.

Fiocchi is great brass and my 45ACP has been loaded a ton of times. CCI/Speer is an odd duck, as the primer pocket seems to be tight and the head concave, kinda. It still gets loaded.

Remington and Federal is good too. Winchester is usually on the short side, but again, it gets loaded too.

Starline is fair in my opinion. With all of the brass I have, I don't buy new unless it is for a specific purpose, such as new hunting rounds for one of the kids, friends of wife.

I even load steel 45ACP cases and have had good success doing so.

FWIW

CBC headstamp, which I'm told is Magtech, is the only brand of .45 ACP brass that gives me problems, namely splitting. I no longer use it and toss it while I find one. I haven't had problems with any other brand (and I pick up all sorts at the range).

It wasn't stated, but I've had trouble with nickel plated brass, from most makers. Seems to crack in a few loading cycles and can score your sizer die if not using carbide.