Couple of question for shotgun reloaders

[SW CQB 45]

I did a bundle purchase which includes some shotgun reloading

*wads in bags (a lot of 20 gauge)
*large bag low brass 12 gauge hulls, WIN AA. spent primer don't appear to be beat up
*and quite of few of Yellow Rem 20 gauge shells...either in a box or loose in a bag.

this was from a person who I knew who got all his grandpa's stuff when he died a few years ago. he never got into shotgun reloading, so I did a bundle buy of what he had, some stuff I kept and others I will try and push.

my questions
some of the plastic bags the wads are in are starting to deteriorate (only the bags) so I am assuming they probably been around for a while and likely stored in the heat of Texas. there should be no issues with the wads...correct? each bag shakes like a box for cereal.

the Yellow Remmy 20 gauge shotgun shells appear to have a dark stain where its crimped. When a shotgun shell is reloaded, does it discolor the crimp area of the shell? just trying to figure out if these are reloads or not.

the grandson did not know the history of this stuff.

thanks in advance

 

[alwslate]

I have loaded thousands of shotgun shells for trap shooting, all 12 ga.
Your wads are probably ok. A crimping die will get dirty from crimping
dirty fired shells so yes it could stain light colored hulls. Some sizing
dies on basic loaders will scratch the metal head of a hull so this can
indicate it has been reloaded before. Look at the fired primers and if
possible compare a fired hull to a factory shell and see if the primers
look the same. It doesn't matter if they have been reloaded before
as long as they are in good shape. Some trap shooters load their hulls
so many times that they are in tatters before finally tossing them.

 

[socal s&w]

The wads are probably alright, but they can get brittle if they are stored for long periods in high-heat. You might try bending one of the petals back and see if it breaks. Breaking equals brittle, but no unusable.

The same holds true for the hulls, they become brittle as well, however, they are not useful because when crimped, they will not hold or they will split at the crimp edge corner.

Usually reloads have a darker stain at the crimp area, it's especially noticeable with the yellow hulls of the 20 ga. The hotter the powder/load, the darker that area will be.

 

[s&wchad]

Winchester AA hulls are all interchangeable. Maybe eight years ago, they changed from one piece compression formed to extruded hulls with a separate base wad. I've loaded them even after the crimp developed splits without any problems. I've even melted wax into the crimp to keep the shot from falling out, but it's not worth the effort. Load away!

Years ago, 20ga hulls were produced in different colors, but the industry standardized on yellow to prevent accidentally placing a 20ga shell in a 12ga gun. I still have some red AA 20ga hulls! Not all Remington hulls are interchangeable, so you'll need to determine exactly which hulls you have. What's printed on the side?

Wads are definitely not all interchangeable and are specific to the shot charge and the hull. Tell us what's printed on the bag and we may be able to tell you what they're for. Modern wads can be purchased in bulk for about $13/1000, so it's no big deal either way.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Never buy or take hulls from trapshooters! They use hulls until the primers will fall out, the plastic is ready to separate from head or simply just worn out! I've even seen one feller go out and pick up shot wads off the range to reuse!

Trapshooters are the closest thing to Ebenezer Scrooge that we have in a post-modern world. That's where the word "tight-wad" came from.

Well...except for my brother-in-law.

 

[M29since14]

When a shotgun shell is reloaded, does it discolor the crimp area of the shell? just trying to figure out if these are reloads or not.

They're reloads. The dark color at the crimp likely occurs when the shells are fired repeatedly, especially with some of the dirtier powders that were in use at that time.

I generally do not trust handloaded ammunition unless I make it myself. I would tear the shells down and save the primers and lead. Throw away the powder and wads.

The wads you have are probably long discontinued. Unles you can positively identify them, I would throw them away. Wads do have an impact on chamber pressure. I don't really think using an unidentified wad will necessarily cause dangerous chambers pressures, though it could. The point is more that by attempting to use up unknown components your ammunition becomes the proverbial pig-in-a-poke. You don't know about the quality, effectiveness, and safety of your cartridges. In target shooting, the last thing one wants is to have doubts about his ammunition. In field shooting, where much time and money can be invested in the opportunity for only a few shots, questionable ammunition is never a bargain.