Is there a problem with putting a shallow dimple somewhere on the case head to indicate it’s one of my reloads and how many times based on number of dimples?
I’m talking like a shallow ‘period’ dimple

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“Look life in its iron face”

Dimpling the base can affect case head spacing. I don't count firings, I inspect and reuse.

You didn't mention caliber. I've got some .45 brass I bought in the 60's that have been fired so many times you can't read the head stamp.

Better to keep ammo/brass in groups and mark the container.

On shot gun shells, I would often find hauls with magic-marker lines on them counting the times reloaded. I shoot them until the crimp, won't!

On metallic cartridges, I never found a way that didn't come off in cleaning, but to remind you you could color the primers after loading. Example: "This the last loading for these cases, so the primers are RED!" Then you know let the red primed empties lay or put in trash. (Or give to somebody you don't like!) 9mm's fired in open bolt submachineguns, often get Glocked. (they have a "pot-belly" just above the web) They are really trash! but I have been known to give them to "frenemies" who make demands for "free" components!

Ivan

Would dykem work?

For small numbers of say test reloads I sometimes mark the base with a fine point sharpie, like 2 dots for 6.8 grains, and one dot for 6.5 grains.

I mark mine with a black sharpie. Not sure why, but I can tell my own when I pick them up.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Just use a sharpie. If you want to segregate, use dff storage containers for diff times fired.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I mark my loads with one line on the side of the case base or
blacken the primer or just both sides of the primer or if the case
is one it's last firing..........
all the way across the whole base, so I can spot it and toss it,
when I get home and don't waste time cleaning or sizing it.

Black or red felt pens are my go to colors.

A Red primer is a "High pressure" loading, to let me know to be on my toes.

Thanks, that Sharpie is a better and easier idea. Will it stay on through a case cleaning?

__________________
“Look life in its iron face”

Dimpling, or center punching would raise a ring on case metal if done on the case head and affect headspacing. Probably not enough to make much difference and may be "ironed out" on the first firing, depending on how hard/deep the case is dimpled, but definitely a factor. I've read of some reloaders using a small jeweler's file to notch the rim for identification, but I normally keep the cases separate for those that I count reloadings, mainly for my 308 bolt gun and my Garand. Easy to do and no big deal. No need to count for handgun cartridges, just inspect prior to reloading (but I do for one 44 Magnum case/load, that's my T-Rex Killer loads consisting of max loadings of WC820 under a 265 gr bullet in nickel cases)

Not really so tumbling In segregated batches if it matters to you.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Quit a while ago, the Army Marksmanship Unit suggested making a file mark across the base or a small dimple each time a case is loaded for record keeping, on their blog. That is what they did to some of their brass for testing.
I do the same with some brass revolver cases.

Best bet is to just keep cases in lots and keep the lots separate.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

Here is how I keep my brass after tumbling. I use old plastic peanut butter and coffee containers. Been saving them for many years and have several dozen that are being used to store dried goods. On test loads I'll use Sharpies to mark.

FYI, last image keeps falling over...

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I just use mine over and over until they split. Don’t keep track of how many times that is.

It's never lasted through a tumbler for me. Neither has brass black or marking dye.

Keep cases in their own numbered box and the box has a label were you write how my times these cases have been fired and trimmed (rifle ctg cases). Leave the load label on the box till you reload those cases then apply the new label with all the load data.
Custom design and print your own load labels. Avery makes the app and label sheets. Don’t buy the labels marked permanent as they are too difficult to remove from the 50 count MTM ctg boxes.

For pistol, I just shoot until I see signs of splitting. Most pistol calibers last a long, long time, especially if your not loading real hot loads. I’ve been reloading for about 15 years now, and this method has worked well, and much less cumbersome than trying to track number of times fired for each case...! IMO, tracking exact number of times fired makes sense for rifle rounds, but not with pistol. And no, I find no need to clean primer pockets for pistol cases, unless you’re bored!

That said, in an effort to not load one case more times than another, I keep two pails/containers for each caliper, an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ container. The ‘A’ container is the starting point, and the ‘B’ container holds the brass that is subsequently fired from the ‘A’ container. Once all the ‘A’s have been loaded and fired, those casings from the ‘B’ container are then cleaned and put back into the empty ‘A’ container and the cycle is started again. Probably sounds confusing, but it works for me, and again is done in an attempt to keep the rounds-fired count even among the casings.

I use Sharpies to mark the case heads when I’m testing different powders and/or loads. If I’m testing accuracy among three different loads using the same powder by increments of say .01, I will mark the lowest ones with a blue Sharpie, the mid with green, and the highest with red. Even when separated in different ammo boxes, the Sharpie helps to keep things organized when I’m at the range, and when I’m inspecting cases for pressure signs. I’ll do the same when testing different powders in the same caliber.

Hope this helps.

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NRA Life Member

Here is an option. I use this on my rifle cases. just push it down, the point leaves a small dimple when spring releases it.


punch.jpg

Like many people on this thread, I segregate my cases into lots. I keep the lots in plastic bags with a small data sheet showing lot number and other info. They're about the size of a 3x5 index card. I print them as a blank form and scribble down appropriate data. Then these bags are stored in plastic bins by cartridge.

This all works fine for everything but semi-auto. Thanks to semi-auto cases escaping to the 4th dimension, I just use big lots. I start with unfired cases. As they're loaded and fired they go into a second bucket. When I'm out of unprocessed cases, I just start using the bucket of fired cases, processing and loading them. Kind of a circular "waterfall" process.

I only bother to mark cases if I need to distinguish different loads in a given lot or if I want to recover my own brass in a match. I use a thick felt tip marker on the case heads. The marks come off easily with alcohol or tumbling. I just jot down the markings on my load sheet for that lot. (yeah, I have a self-generated for for that too) I think permanent marks would confuse me going forward. Better to be able to "erase" the marks.

Am I OCD? Perhaps, but I have to ask: Am I OCD enough?

I use a sharpie, it does rub off after a tumble, But, I only use it to identify mine from the range pickups, when I get home, I separate and bag before tumbling.