How many times can brass for reused?

[Bkreutz]

Last June I put a cup next to my press and when I found a split case I threw it in the cup. I load (and shoot) ~1000 - 1300 rounds per week so the pictured 15 split cases is what came out of loading over 50K rounds (I had to take a 2 week, non shooting, vacation...bosses orders) I have no idea how many times the brass has been loaded, I lose some and gain some every range trip. If I ever get to the point where the split cases become an epidemic, or the primers start falling out the back end, then I'll dump the lot and start on my reserves (range pickup that I haven't handloaded yet, I fill up old 8# powder jugs with them).

 

[m657]

I started SASS with a couple hundred 45LC "used" brass. Over the 12-15 years I shot the moderate cowboy style loads, a couple times a month, plus my buddies, every now & then we'd add some new stuff for the bigger matches.

I'm sure I still have about 75% of the original used brass in perfectly usable condition.

IMHO, the only "risk" of a cracked case, is when it won't fit in the carbine and might jam up a string.

I've had cases crack during the reloading process, that were inspected prior to loading, that somewhere along the line developed a crack.

Finally in the group loading process we followed, of about 500 rounds twice a month, we might get 1 or 3 cracked cases after unloading at a fired string.

Incident of case failure was something on the order of "maybe" 5 per thousand rounds in very much previously used 45LC brass.

Except the nickle ones were maybe 25 per thousand.

Never caused much of a problem, except twice it jammed up my 1873 clone extractor in the lever gun requiring a bit of fiddling between stages.

 

[blujax01]

Have had more problems with random range brass. More dimensional variation. More frequent damage in the press.
Fresh batches of Starline brass have been very reliable. Less complications
while cycling thru the press.

And infinitely more expensive.

 

[Snolan4571]

Although NEW to this Forum and new to 5.56, I have been reloading since 1987 in pistol calibers. (.45, .357/38 spcl, 9mm, .40 S&W). All in all for the five calibers I have close to 76,000 rounds ready to go in boxes inside ammo cans. I was out on long term medical leave in 2009 thru 2012 and the above should tell you what I did to occupy my time at home all day. Me and my Dillon RL 550B became very close.

Factory ammo- at least one case and in 2 calibers, 3 cases of factory ammo. I even have most of a case (800+ Rnds) each of .40 and 9mm in the original "Black Talon". (True SHTF ammo and the 40S&W seems to be the hottest .40 ammo I have ever shot.

Then I have my daily/weekly/etc shooting brass in all the stated calibers. In some lots of 38 and 9mm I have over 30 reloads on the brass but it is beginning to have about a 10% case fail on inspection so they will go to the recycle bin after the next firing. I have very accurate loads worked up for competition and they are all in the middle velocity area. Most loaded with AA #5 or W231.

As everyone stated- check your brass for even the tiniest cracks and ditch it immediately. I too have had numerous cases split on me over the years but have never had or heard of a kaboom cause by splitting cases. Too much powder is usually the cause of them.

So much for my 2 cents- - -

 

[walnutred]

Last range session I decided to take my Marlin in 45 Colt, which I've probably not fired in 4 years. Along with that I took some of my old Cowboy loads which were at least 10 year old and consisted of a 255gn RNFP over a loading of Clean Shot powder and mixed brass. 3/4ths of the cases split and stuck in the chamber. This was not a hot load and after close examination I believe that the powder somehow reacted to the brass weakening it.

So other things besides overloading can affect brass life. While I always wear shooting glasses and I found the splits annoying I also found it interesting that I noticed no gas leakage from the split cases. Though I eventually decided to stop shooting and pull the bullets.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
when I loaded for the S.O. we used 38spec to pratice .
The cases were so old that most had no headstamp and the nickle
was rubbed off , but most still loaded and shot OK.
How many times through a sizer does it take to Rub off nickle ????????

 

[blujax01]

How many times?