How many times can brass for reused?

[Whitens Moss]

"Once-fired" brass often touted; what about twice- or more-fired brass? How many reloads can you get before you risk breakage/failure, assuming you're they're not "hot."

 

[Rpg]

I have some 45acp I've reloaded 20+ times. Likewise, some 38 special with similar mileage.

Once fired is as good as new for those calibers, in my experience.

 

[TAROMAN]

There's no single number of loads, too many variables; calibers, age, sizing technique, load, etc.
I have some 45 Auto brass with 1957 headstamps that's still doing fine after many dozens of loadings.
Other times, I've seen cases fail on the first firing.
Bottom line: Inspect your cases carefully before loading and dispose of any that have the smallest crack.
The worst are the big belted magnums that often last only 2-3 loads.

 

[ACP230]

When I got a Ruger Blackhawk .357 in 1979, I bought a box of surplus
.38 Special rounds to shoot in it. I started reloading not long after that using those brass, and a few others. Shot NRA Hunter's Pistol Silhouette with that gun and reloads in that brass. Did some plinking and small game hunting with them too. Always made moderate to light loads.

I got a lot more brass over the years. But, last spring I went on a .38 Special reloading binge, trying to load every
empty .38 case in the house. I found one of the original surplus
brass and loaded it up again. I could tell due to the headstamp and the scratches my original Lee Loader left on the case.

Years ago a gun mag tried to reload one .38 Special case till it failed.
If I recall right they got tired and stopped at the 148th reload.

I doubt if mine have gone that long but I'm sure many are way past
20 reloads. When they crack at the mouth, or in the middle of the case
I throw them out.

 

[Granddad]

This is a common question and the most common answer you'll see is keep reloading until you lose it or it splits. That's exactly what I do. My only caution is that when I load to max (which isn't often) I do use new brass.

 

[rwsmith]

Heavier loads...

Heavier loads reduce case life, but I don't think anybody can put a number on it.

 

[gregintenn]

378 Weatherby Magnum=2-4 reloads.

38 Special=dozens of reloads.

There are a lot of variables.

 

[JBnTx]

I've got 45acp cases that have been reloaded so many times the headstamp markings are almost unreadable.

 

[1MoreFord]

I've got 45acp cases that have been reloaded so many times the headstamp markings are almost unreadable.

So do I and I load .45's till they crack. When I pick up the brass I always shake them in my hands and when I hear a clink sound instead of rings I search for the cracked case(s) and dispose of them.

 

[marathonrunner]

I can't imagine any gun manufacturer that would condone using brass until it cracks. I think kabooms will be a reality for most who use brass past its useful life.

 

[alwslate]

I can't imagine any gun manufacturer that would condone using brass until it cracks. I think kabooms will be a reality for most who use brass past its useful life.

Cases that crack when fired don't cause kabooms. The
pressure loss of a cracked case causes a lower velocity round
and probably a bullet impact away from the group if shooting
on paper. The shooter usually is unaware that a case cracks
until he checks them later. The useful life of brass is until it
cracks which the shooter has little control over. The only
way to avoid firing a round that results in a cracked case is
to give up shooting because an occasional case will crack
on the first firing.

 

[blujax01]

I can't imagine any gun manufacturer that would condone using brass until it cracks. I think kabooms will be a reality for most who use brass past its useful life.

Think about the purpose of a pistol or rifle case. It simply acts as a balloon, filling the already strong enough chamber in order to focus the charge in a uniform manner. If a charge would cause a gun to explode, it will blow up the chamber and take the brass with it.

The reality is that I can't imagine a gun manufacturer who condones reloading in the first place. All warranties become null and void when we undertake this hobby.

The reality is that a cracked case is not a danger and will not cause a "kaboom". It will cause an errant shot, a dirty chamber and goes "pffffft". If the misfire is not strong enough to allow the bullet to exit the barrel (usually where light revolver loads are concerned), and the shooter is not paying attention, a followup shot very well could make for a bad day.

The reality is that many of us do use brass until it fails, if indeed it ever does. Most modern brass pistol cases are good for 20 to 50 reloads.

Just be certain to examine your brass carefully before using it.

 

[marathonrunner]

Thanks guys! This was really good to know! Now I won't have to hoard other's brass when I go to the range. I usually go around asking everybody if they are saving theirs. I got enough brass now I won't have to be a range begger...lol

 

[blujax01]

Thanks guys! This was really good to know! Now I won't have to hoard other's brass when I go to the range. I usually go around asking everybody if they are saving theirs. I got enough brass now I won't have to be a range begger...lol

For whatever reason, I can't stop collecting brass. I probably look pretty funny doing the "crab walk", scurrying here and there, picking up whatever has been left behind.

 

[Rule3]

Of course if you load brass to pressures not recommended for said brass, like +P+, then it will not hold up well and per the experts it should be taken out of service after 2 re-loadings.

 

[gwpercle]

I can't imagine any gun manufacturer that would condone using brass until it cracks. I think kabooms will be a reality for most who use brass past its useful life.

I consider a case has reached it's useful life when it develops a crack in it. Then it gets tossed, until then it's reloaded.
Never had any explosions from a crack developing in the case ...maybe I just been lucky.
I still pick up range brass too...it's a habit...maybe we should start a group and have therapy.... Naw lets go to the range and pick up brass!
Gary

 

[venomballistics]

it's relative to the cartridge and load.
Low pressure stuff, like the 45 ACP, 38 special don't really see the stresses like high intensity cartridges like 220 swift, or 300 Remington ultra mag.

I've seen 220 swift start to split necks within 5 loadings.
I have a few pieces of 38 brass that date back to the 60's and still seem viable, having been reloaded an untold number of times prior to migrating to my care.

seems simple enough as calibers go ... but then, leaving it there without further complication takes all the fun out of it.

lets look at the 44 magnum, and how this could be loaded.
If we are running a 200 grain lead bullet over a charge of Unique, to a velocity of about 800 - 900 these will get some mileage similar to 38 specials, give or take a little.
With a 300 grain bullet over a max charge of H110 for a velocity of all it can give you ... its done in 5 or 6 loadings.

Then there's case length ... 30-06 is longer than a 44 magnum.
Loading subsonic lead loads for the 30-06 gave a low pressure result, probably similar to a 38 specials pressure. that could only get about 12 loadings.

But wait there's more.....
that 12 loading figure was based upon a nice tight modern bolt action rifle. This exact same load, in a 1917 Eddystone Enfield. and its military chamber reamed a bit loose for function on the battlefield reduced the viable loading count to 7.

 

[rwsmith]

Bottle neck brass

I can't imagine any gun manufacturer that would condone using brass until it cracks. I think kabooms will be a reality for most who use brass past its useful life.

A good reloader will toss brass that has any sign of impending failure. It's just that with pistol brass the first sign is usually a case mouth split before anything else. Bottleneck rifle brass is different. It can thin in ways that are hard to detect and you have to be much more careful in deeming brass to be safe to reload.

The gun manufacturers probably don't condone ANY reloading, but accept it as a fact of life. That's why you have to send a failed gun back to them to see if it was the gun or the ammo that caused a problem. If reloads are suspected as the cause, you have a LOT less chance of having the repair or replacement covered

 

[bedbugbilly]

For my 38 specials and my 9mm - I only use "range brass". Unles you shoot it or watch someone shoot it out of a "new box" - then who knows, maybe with range brass it could be fired and loaded several times. That doesn't make it "bad brass".

I load my pistol cartridges until I see a split in the mouth upon inspection during de-priming it. If it's cracked - it goes in to the scrap box. I have a box of 500 brand new brass Star Line 39 Spl cases sitting on the shelf with my reloading supplies - I have around 3,000 38 Spl. "range brass" casings- brass and nickel. I doubt that I'll ever break in to the Star Line box but it's "there if I need it".

 

[Sclays]

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.

 

[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?