ColbyBruce
Member
I was given about two hundred 7.62x51mm blanks. Is it safe to use the cases for reloading? I have found differences of opinions concerning this subject.
Blank cartridge cases, are they reloadable?
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Don't those have unique brass that's about same length as a loaded cartridge?
AJ
US Veteran
My question would be why bother? There are enough empty .308 cases laying around at most ranges to keep reloaders happy.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
They are reloadable! But will require extensive trimming! I have passed on military blanks for 40 years! The ones with wooden bullets (frangible) have always been the same cases as ball ammo.
Ivan
Ivan
Not worth it.
Blank cases typically are of longer length that standard cases so that the case mouth can be crimped over wadding or a disc. Unless it is a caliber for which new or once fired brass is difficult to obtain, it is not worth the effort to trim them to standard length.
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ColbyBruce
Member
A neighbor's kid got a Kimber .308, one of the re-barreled Swedish Mauser action/synthetic stock guns from years ago. He wanted to learn to reload, so I figured free primed brass might be a good start for him, as he would only need bullets and powder, as I have dies.
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Weight the blank cases and compare to ball. Not only will they be lighter, the bdass isn't the same hardness, I wouldn't do it, especially for a kid that isn't an experience reloader.
4barrel
Member
I have 100 of those in a machine gun belt with a red sealer.
I found some blank mil surplus 30-06. The crimp was a deep ring about 5/16" from the case mouth. I could not remove the entire crimp groove and wasn't going to shoot any "forming rounds" in my Garand, so I tossed them
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I wouldn't use blank brass for handloading, but from a safety perspective it may be okay. Brass may be more expensive and harder to find now than ever before, but I'd prefer to use brass that I know is of good quality rather than something that "might" be of good quality.
Not sure about rifle brass, but I was gifted several hundred new 45 Colt brass that are market blank. All dimensions are the same except the flash hole is about double the size of regular brass. I've loaded it with light loads and can't tell any difference
Skyhunter
Member
Years ago, I "converted" 5.56 and 30-06 blanks to usable brass with no issues.
Had to trim the crimped tips (think like .22 LR rat shot cartridges) on the 5.56 brass using a "file trim" die. Then FL sized, trim to length and load. Worked well. time consuming, yes - but I had the time and needed the brass.
The 30-06 brass was fired. I cleaned it, lubed inside the necks well with Imperial & a dab on the body and FL sized. Trim to length, remove lube, and load. Again, time consuming - yes, but they worked.
Would I do it now? Probably not because I have plenty of brass, but it worked for me.
I never had or needed to convert .308 blank brass. It might be different.
WYT-P
Skyhunter
Had to trim the crimped tips (think like .22 LR rat shot cartridges) on the 5.56 brass using a "file trim" die. Then FL sized, trim to length and load. Worked well. time consuming, yes - but I had the time and needed the brass.
The 30-06 brass was fired. I cleaned it, lubed inside the necks well with Imperial & a dab on the body and FL sized. Trim to length, remove lube, and load. Again, time consuming - yes, but they worked.
Would I do it now? Probably not because I have plenty of brass, but it worked for me.
I never had or needed to convert .308 blank brass. It might be different.
WYT-P
Skyhunter
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Rogeronimo
Member
The extra length would benefit a reloader necking them down ... 243 win, 260 rem, 7mm-08, common enough, but 25 souper is quite a unicorn.
