Well, it was too cold to shoot last week and I was stuck at home playing “Mr.Fetchitt” for my wife who is recovering from a hip replacement (….and taking full advantage of my better nature), when a bout of OCD must have come over me. I found myself in the basement reloading room wondering about things. It turns out that over the past year I’ve collected around 80 pounds of range pick-up 9mm brass. I became curious about the distribution of head stamps and if there is/was any significant differences between the various brands of the spent 9mm cases. Now, based mostly on discussions here, it’s been my understanding that there is almost no point in segregating 9mm brass by head stamps for reloading purposes and in fact, there is very little interest in reloading 9mm at all. Nonetheless, my inquiring mind and idle hands embarked upon the ensuing science project. All data is based on my accumulated range pick-up brass from a local semi-private range (often rented out to local police agencies). The pick-ups had been cleaned by dry tumbled for 6-12 hours but had not been further processed; the spent primers were not removed prior to sorting and weighing. YMMV.
Now, I have always segregated nickel-plated cases from regular brass due to the fact that the plated casings tend to crack before un-plated specimens, and for some reason I tend to use my nickel-plated cases mostly for trial loads. So, what has been the percentage of nickel-plated range pick-ups? Out of a total of 77.7 pounds of 9mm brass, 5.3 lbs (or 6.8 %) are nickel plated. And of the 5.3 lbs of nickel plated 9mm cases, what was the distribution of manufactures (lot percentages)? Here comes some really useless information:
Federal (F.C.): 38.3%
Winchester (WIN): 19.3%
Speer: 19.6%
Star Line: 7.3%
Hornady: 4.7%
WCC: 3.3%
Underwood: 3.2%
Remington (R-P): 2.1%
All Else: 2.2%
“So what”, you ask? Well, now for some real OCD stuff. In my opinion, assuming consistent powder throws and bullet weights, reloads that are the most accurate should be made from cases that are the most consistently manufactured (or formed, or rendered and processed). The weights of a representative samples of cases from each head stamp should provide an indication of the relative consistency of the various batches of cases. Therefore, the average weights, standard deviations and extreme spread of those weights from representative samples (35 each lot) may provide some guidance as to which batch of cases will provide the most accurate reloaded ammunition. Therefore, more useless information:
Mfg. Avg.Wt.(gr) Stnd.Dev.(gr) Ext.Spread “GRADE”
Federal: 58.1 0.8 2.9 97.2%
Winchester: 61.6 0.5 2.4 98.1%
Speer: 62.6 1.6 6.1 94.9%
StarLine: 60.1 0.3 1.3 99.0%
Hornady: 58.8 2.2 8.9 92.5%
WCC: 61.1 0.4 1.6 98.7%
All Else: 61.3 2.2 7.4 92.7%
There was too little Underwood or Remington nickel-plated cases recovered for a good, representative sample (less than 35 each lot), therefore the last three batches have been combined as “All Else”.
So, which nickel plated 9mm cases would be best for my reloading purposes? Starline clearly wins but there was very little to be picked-up; only around 0.5% (0.4 lbs out of almost 80 lbs collected in about 1 year). Even less for WCC. Therefore, Best Choice for Nickel Plated Cases: WINCHESTER. Although there was not much difference between nickel-plated Winchester, WCC and Federal.
It gets worse. Here’s the same information for my range pick-up BRASS:
HEAD STAMP (LOT) LOT % AVG.(gr) ST.DEV.(gr) EX.SPR.(gr) "GRADE"
Winchester (WIN) 19.9% 61.6 0.6 2.8 98.0%
Remington (R-P) 18.8% 61.0 0.6 2.1 98.2%
Federal (F.C.) 18.0% 61.5 2.8 7.1 90.9%
Blazer 13.5% 62.3 2.1 8.2 93.2%
Speer 6.4% 62.8 1.4 4.9 95.6%
PMC 4.4% 60.3 0.5 1.5 98.5%
S&B 3.9% 61.3 1.3 5.3 95.9%
NATO 2.5% 63.6 0.6 2.5 98.0%
All Else 2.5% 60.4 1.7 6.2 94.3%
Perfecta 1.7% 60.0 0.8 3.5 97.5%
G.F.L. 1.7% 59.9 0.9 3.7 97.0%
X-Treme 1.1% 67.7 0.6 1.8 98.2%
Aquila 1.1% 64.5 1.5 5.9 95.3%
GECO 1.1% 61.0 1.7 6.8 94.3%
WCC 0.8% 59.1 1.8 7.8 94.0%
CBC 0.8% 61.5 0.8 3.0 97.4%
Hornady 0.8% 56.8 1.3 5.2 95.4%
TULA 0.3% 62.0 1.3 4.9 95.9%
MaxTech 0.2% 62.5 1.0 3.6 96.7%
DblTap 0.2% 59.7 0.3 1.1 98.9%
PPU 0.2% 58.9 0.8 2.9 97.2%
SIG 0.1% 58.2 0.4 1.3 98.6%
Lapua 0.1% 61.7 0.3 1.0 99.0%
StarLine 0.1% 60.8 0.7 2.3 98.0%
There’s a bit more work in the above table than meets the eye. Specifically, the data was repeated; same lots of head stamps, but a different set of random sample cases (35 each lot). Anyways, there were some surprises, to me at least. But first, lets separate the winners from the “also rans”. I would divide these results into three categories: “EXCELLENT” (grades over 98%), “GOOD” (grades over 95%) and “…MEH” (grades under 95%). Grades are simply the calculated value of 1 minus 2 times the SD divided by the AVG, expressed as a percentage.
“EXCELLENT”: Lapua, Double Tap, SIG, PMC, X-Treme, Remington, Winchester, NATO, and StarLine.
“GOOD”: Perfecta, CBC, PPU, GFL, MaxTech, TULA, S&B, Speer, Hornady, Aquila.
“…MEH”: GECO, All Else, WCC, Blazer and Federal.
Lapua and StarLine were no surprise, but X-treme and Double Tap grading above 98% were. Perhaps because of their relatively small lot sizes; I dunno. R-P scoring so highly came as a surprise, as did Federal scoring so low. Federal’s nickel-plated cases scored much higher than their brass. Hornady’s low score also was a surprise; I’d previously regarded Hornady brass as being somewhat ahead of the pack. PMC and NATO’s high scores and low extreme spreads will induce me to place higher values on these products than I’ve had in the past. Bottom line: I will continue to sort my range pick-ups by head stamps, specifically segregating and reloading those that scored as “Excellent”, but I will greatly increase the number of head stamps that get thrown into the “JUNK BRASS/RECYCLE” bucket.
All this bodacious conogonizing probably won’t improve my shooting scores very much if at all, but it kept me entertained for a while and should reduce the effects of one small variable in my effort to find the perfect 9mm reload, if only in my head. Perhaps just some useless information to drive my imagination (…sorry Mick), but who knows, maybe it will be of interest to others. -S2
Now, I have always segregated nickel-plated cases from regular brass due to the fact that the plated casings tend to crack before un-plated specimens, and for some reason I tend to use my nickel-plated cases mostly for trial loads. So, what has been the percentage of nickel-plated range pick-ups? Out of a total of 77.7 pounds of 9mm brass, 5.3 lbs (or 6.8 %) are nickel plated. And of the 5.3 lbs of nickel plated 9mm cases, what was the distribution of manufactures (lot percentages)? Here comes some really useless information:
Federal (F.C.): 38.3%
Winchester (WIN): 19.3%
Speer: 19.6%
Star Line: 7.3%
Hornady: 4.7%
WCC: 3.3%
Underwood: 3.2%
Remington (R-P): 2.1%
All Else: 2.2%
“So what”, you ask? Well, now for some real OCD stuff. In my opinion, assuming consistent powder throws and bullet weights, reloads that are the most accurate should be made from cases that are the most consistently manufactured (or formed, or rendered and processed). The weights of a representative samples of cases from each head stamp should provide an indication of the relative consistency of the various batches of cases. Therefore, the average weights, standard deviations and extreme spread of those weights from representative samples (35 each lot) may provide some guidance as to which batch of cases will provide the most accurate reloaded ammunition. Therefore, more useless information:
Mfg. Avg.Wt.(gr) Stnd.Dev.(gr) Ext.Spread “GRADE”
Federal: 58.1 0.8 2.9 97.2%
Winchester: 61.6 0.5 2.4 98.1%
Speer: 62.6 1.6 6.1 94.9%
StarLine: 60.1 0.3 1.3 99.0%
Hornady: 58.8 2.2 8.9 92.5%
WCC: 61.1 0.4 1.6 98.7%
All Else: 61.3 2.2 7.4 92.7%
There was too little Underwood or Remington nickel-plated cases recovered for a good, representative sample (less than 35 each lot), therefore the last three batches have been combined as “All Else”.
So, which nickel plated 9mm cases would be best for my reloading purposes? Starline clearly wins but there was very little to be picked-up; only around 0.5% (0.4 lbs out of almost 80 lbs collected in about 1 year). Even less for WCC. Therefore, Best Choice for Nickel Plated Cases: WINCHESTER. Although there was not much difference between nickel-plated Winchester, WCC and Federal.
It gets worse. Here’s the same information for my range pick-up BRASS:
HEAD STAMP (LOT) LOT % AVG.(gr) ST.DEV.(gr) EX.SPR.(gr) "GRADE"
Winchester (WIN) 19.9% 61.6 0.6 2.8 98.0%
Remington (R-P) 18.8% 61.0 0.6 2.1 98.2%
Federal (F.C.) 18.0% 61.5 2.8 7.1 90.9%
Blazer 13.5% 62.3 2.1 8.2 93.2%
Speer 6.4% 62.8 1.4 4.9 95.6%
PMC 4.4% 60.3 0.5 1.5 98.5%
S&B 3.9% 61.3 1.3 5.3 95.9%
NATO 2.5% 63.6 0.6 2.5 98.0%
All Else 2.5% 60.4 1.7 6.2 94.3%
Perfecta 1.7% 60.0 0.8 3.5 97.5%
G.F.L. 1.7% 59.9 0.9 3.7 97.0%
X-Treme 1.1% 67.7 0.6 1.8 98.2%
Aquila 1.1% 64.5 1.5 5.9 95.3%
GECO 1.1% 61.0 1.7 6.8 94.3%
WCC 0.8% 59.1 1.8 7.8 94.0%
CBC 0.8% 61.5 0.8 3.0 97.4%
Hornady 0.8% 56.8 1.3 5.2 95.4%
TULA 0.3% 62.0 1.3 4.9 95.9%
MaxTech 0.2% 62.5 1.0 3.6 96.7%
DblTap 0.2% 59.7 0.3 1.1 98.9%
PPU 0.2% 58.9 0.8 2.9 97.2%
SIG 0.1% 58.2 0.4 1.3 98.6%
Lapua 0.1% 61.7 0.3 1.0 99.0%
StarLine 0.1% 60.8 0.7 2.3 98.0%
There’s a bit more work in the above table than meets the eye. Specifically, the data was repeated; same lots of head stamps, but a different set of random sample cases (35 each lot). Anyways, there were some surprises, to me at least. But first, lets separate the winners from the “also rans”. I would divide these results into three categories: “EXCELLENT” (grades over 98%), “GOOD” (grades over 95%) and “…MEH” (grades under 95%). Grades are simply the calculated value of 1 minus 2 times the SD divided by the AVG, expressed as a percentage.
“EXCELLENT”: Lapua, Double Tap, SIG, PMC, X-Treme, Remington, Winchester, NATO, and StarLine.
“GOOD”: Perfecta, CBC, PPU, GFL, MaxTech, TULA, S&B, Speer, Hornady, Aquila.
“…MEH”: GECO, All Else, WCC, Blazer and Federal.
Lapua and StarLine were no surprise, but X-treme and Double Tap grading above 98% were. Perhaps because of their relatively small lot sizes; I dunno. R-P scoring so highly came as a surprise, as did Federal scoring so low. Federal’s nickel-plated cases scored much higher than their brass. Hornady’s low score also was a surprise; I’d previously regarded Hornady brass as being somewhat ahead of the pack. PMC and NATO’s high scores and low extreme spreads will induce me to place higher values on these products than I’ve had in the past. Bottom line: I will continue to sort my range pick-ups by head stamps, specifically segregating and reloading those that scored as “Excellent”, but I will greatly increase the number of head stamps that get thrown into the “JUNK BRASS/RECYCLE” bucket.
All this bodacious conogonizing probably won’t improve my shooting scores very much if at all, but it kept me entertained for a while and should reduce the effects of one small variable in my effort to find the perfect 9mm reload, if only in my head. Perhaps just some useless information to drive my imagination (…sorry Mick), but who knows, maybe it will be of interest to others. -S2
)
in practice, I am not the guy who is ever going to bother with it, not even in rifle and for sure, never in 9mm.
