.357 Magnum Brass Life?

longr · Feb 27, 2011

I realize there is no precise answer...but approximately how many reloads can I expect to get from some new Win. brass, when loading them on the warm side. ie: 14.5gr-2400 w/ 158gr hard cast swc.

Is it possible to get a casehead seperation like with bottlenecked rifle cases? Whats the typical case failure?

TIA

Maximumbob54 · Feb 27, 2011

longr said:
I realize there is no precise answer...but approximately how many reloads can I expect to get from some new Win. brass, when loading them on the warm side. ie: 14.5gr-2400 w/ 158gr hard cast swc.

Is it possible to get a casehead seperation like with bottlenecked rifle cases? Whats the typical case failure?

TIA

The combo of how hot you load and how hard you crimp will set your case failing rate. For range fun I max out at 1200 FPS and I have brass on it's seventh reloading. I say 1200 as that is what the loading manual says, I don't chrono any of it. None of mine has stretched enough to start looking at case head failure. I think that is only at far more pressure than a handgun load has. I could be wrong, again, I don't load hot and heavy.

growr · Feb 27, 2011

Many years ago The American Rifleman did some longevity tests on various cartridges and I believe the .357 Mag was one of them. If I remember correctly, they loaded it over 70 time before stopping the test as it was proving little to them at the time. You may have the same results.
Randy

Fla_Sun · Feb 27, 2011

longr said:
I realize there is no precise answer...but approximately how many reloads can I expect to get from some new Win. brass, when loading them on the warm side. ie: 14.5gr-2400 w/ 158gr hard cast swc.

Is it possible to get a casehead seperation like with bottlenecked rifle cases? Whats the typical case failure?

TIA

When I started reloading I was taught to discard .357 cases after ten re-loadings. I have since learned to discard after seven due to case neck weakening. With your load mileage may be less.

ACP230 · Feb 27, 2011

My most common failure on .38 Special, .357 and all other handgun brass is cracks at the case mouth. Next most common are splits in the wall of the case.

My loads are generally fairly light and my guess is some of the .357 cases I have have been loaded 15 times or more.

cp1969 · Feb 27, 2011

I don't even keep track of how many times handgun brass has been reloaded. I've got one piece of .45 acp military brass that has a 1952 headstamp. I'm still reloading .45 Colt brass that I got in the '70s.

I've gotten to where I just shoot them until they split. I've never been able to tell when firing that a case has split; you only see it when they get ejected.

moonshine44 · Feb 28, 2011

I keep loading them until the case mouth splits. I see no reason to toss brass until it tells me that it's worn out. I shoot Cowboy Action and I've been using the same pile of .357 brass for about six years...

Rule3 · Feb 28, 2011

cp1969 said:
I don't even keep track of how many times handgun brass has been reloaded.

I've gotten to where I just shoot them until they split. I've never been able to tell when firing that a case has split; you only see it when they get ejected.

Pretty much the same here. I have had a few splits. I have brass from so many different sources I have no idea.

If you start with new or once fired brass and do not over flare the brass you surely can get more than 10 reloadings.

acl864 · Feb 28, 2011

I bought a couple hundred pcs. of Winchester 357 Mag brass and kept it separate for 9 loadings. Then I just dumped it in with the general population of 357 Mag brass and keep loading it as it comes up. I'm loading mostly mid-range loads in the 1000 to 1000 fps range with 158 gr. SWC's but I'm guessing that some of it is probably sneaking up on 20 loadings with no problems. Like most everyone else I only cull out when the case mouth splits.

acl864 · Feb 28, 2011

Fla_Sun said:
When I started reloading I was taught to discard .357 cases after ten re-loadings. I have since learned to discard after seven due to case neck weakening. With your load mileage may be less.

Next time you get ready to cull some out after 7 loadings I'll be more than happy to pay postage if you'll send it to me.

longr · Feb 28, 2011

Thanks to all for your answers.

I should asked my question a little more clearly.

Can I expect case head failures eventually in a strait walled, high pressure cartridge like the .357? I know the case mouth will split at some point from the flaring and crimping.

I've recently started shooting my old 586 again( after being neglected for 22yrs), with the intention of wearing it out

learning to shoot full house 357's double action. In the past I've probably shot 10,000+ rnds of 38 spec. through it, but never shot more than 1500 Mag loads in it, but never kept track of times reloaded on the mixed lot brass from various manufacturers.

I recently bought 300 pieces of new Win. brass and will keep track the number of times reloaded this time.

Not that the 357 is a brute, but it sure makes my 1911's( loaded to max, but not +p) feel like a pussy cats, and am shooting better groups with them.

parabarbarian · Feb 28, 2011

Can I expect case head failures eventually in a strait walled, high pressure cartridge like the .357? I know the case mouth will split at some point from the flaring and crimping.

About 30 to 35 years ago I regularly reloaded 357 magnum to the maximum listed in the Speer #9 manual for the Speer 160 gr SP using W296 powder and CCI 550 primers. I cannot recall ever tossing a case expect for splits at the neck or damage from something other than being fired. I finally concluded that 357 pressures just do not get high enough to thin the case wall before the neck splits from cold working.

Rule3 · Feb 28, 2011

longr said:
Thanks to all for your answers.

I should asked my question a little more clearly.

Can I expect case head failures eventually in a strait walled, high pressure cartridge like the .357? I know the case mouth will split at some point from the flaring and crimping.

I've recently started shooting my old 586 again( after being neglected for 22yrs), with the intention of wearing it out learning to shoot full house 357's double action. In the past I've probably shot 10,000+ rnds of 38 spec. through it, but never shot more than 1500 Mag loads in it, but never kept track of times reloaded on the mixed lot brass from various manufacturers.

I recently bought 300 pieces of new Win. brass and will keep track the number of times reloaded this time.

Not that the 357 is a brute, but it sure makes my 1911's( loaded to max, but not +p) feel like a pussy cats, and am shooting better groups with them.

There is no way to tell. Not being a smart arse but they will split, or crack when then do. I think they will split before any major case head separation.
When loaded with the right powder the 357 can be very much a brute. Switch over to H100 or W296

Some brass brands may last longer than others. Just load them to a safe level and have fun. No sense beating up your gun or yourself. I think you will be shooting those 300 for a long time.

longr · Feb 28, 2011

parabarbarian said:
About 30 to 35 years ago I regularly reloaded 357 magnum to the maximum listed in the Speer #9 manual for the Speer 160 gr SP using W296 powder and CCI 550 primers. I cannot recall ever tossing a case expect for splits at the neck or damage from something other than being fired. I finally concluded that 357 pressures just do not get high enough to thin the case wall before the neck splits from cold working.

Thanks, thats the kind of answer I was looking for.

OCD1 said:
There is no way to tell. Not being a smart arse but they will split, or crack when then do. I think they will split before any major case head separation.
When loaded with the right powder the 357 can be very much a brute. Switch over to H100 or W296

Some brass brands may last longer than others. Just load them to a safe level and have fun. No sense beating up your gun or yourself. I think you will be shooting those 300 for a long time.

It dosnt sound like anyone has had a case head failure. Great.

I've shot a few lbs of 296 with near max loads, but never with bullets heavier than 158gr. My 586 has a 4" bbl. and pachmayrs so it kinda keeps the brute at bay. I'll bet the 180's kick a lot harder.

The load I'm shooting(14.5gr-2400/158swc) is more accurate than I am, has enough power to make it interesting, and cheap enough to load for quantity practice and I dont think too hard on the gun...besides, I cant take it with me.

Thanks for your help.

Fishslayer · Mar 1, 2011

Fla_Sun said:
When I started reloading I was taught to discard .357 cases after ten re-loadings. I have since learned to discard after seven due to case neck weakening. With your load mileage may be less.

acl864 said:
Next time you get ready to cull some out after 7 loadings I'll be more than happy to pay postage if you'll send it to me.

^^^ THIS!

Or... you could load up light target loads with fast powder & taper crimp only.

longr said:
It dosnt sound like anyone has had a case head failure. Great.

I've had some split. Didn't even know it till after cleaning & inspection for the next go round.

smokinwoody · Mar 2, 2011

if you are loading that hot, I would say anywhere from 6-8 reloads..maybe a few more..

I use W231 at 5.2-5.8grs using 158gr LSWC..very accurate, reduced recoil, around 1,000fps in .357 brass..I get approx 8-10 reloads and then I dump em...some have gone 14 times...

what I have started using is Starline brass...especialy for my .45 Colt loads..they have more meat around the base of the primer and a thicker wall meaning hotter loads for a great round...

flash60601 · Mar 2, 2011

I shoot 357's hot enough (14.5 #2400, 158 CLSWC, smartly crimped) and have NEVER had a case-head separation in 357, and I've loaded and shot so many thousands of rounds of it that I lost count back in the 70's. Yes, I have brass from that era too, and they are still shooting regularly.

My ony losses are case-mouth splits - both in nickel and brass (about 90% of what I do loose), and case-wall splits, generally in nickeled cases, for the remainder. I inspect cases when separating them just all dumped together in a big bag back from the range before tumbling, and again after tumbling, before going into the case collator on the Loadmaster.

Flash

BigBill · Mar 2, 2011

The hot loads, the stout loads or the regular magnum max loads all the time will stretch the case more, very quickly so the more case trimmer your doing the less case life you will have. When i was younger the more power the better as i'm sure we all were at onetime. As i got older i shoot more leadcast now and less of the magnum jacketed rounds. Of course with the lighter loads the cases will last much longer.

Food for thought;

With the Prvi-Partizan rifle brass in 6,5mm swede some have reloaded this high quality brass up to 15 to 20 times and maybe more by now. Its the best brass that i have ever worked with in reloading. After reading this i wonder how there handgun brass is too. I reloaded a lot of the prvi brass so far. Grafts has it under the Prvi and graft name too.

javguy · Mar 6, 2011

annealing reloading brass

Have any of you ever tried to anneal the brass to extend its useful life? If so, please summarize your results. I remember seeing somebody on TV use 2 propane torches hitting the mouths of the case from opposite sides simultaneously and heating it until it got red, but I don't remember how well this worked.

Fishslayer · Mar 6, 2011

javguy said:
Have any of you ever tried to anneal the brass to extend its useful life? If so, please summarize your results. I remember seeing somebody on TV use 2 propane torches hitting the mouths of the case from opposite sides simultaneously and heating it until it got red, but I don't remember how well this worked.

Wonder what the cost benefit would be doing that to a thousand or so cases?

.357 Magnum Brass Life?

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

US Veteran, Absent Comrade

Active member

US Veteran

Absent Comrade

New member

US Veteran, Absent Comrade

Similar threads