dsbock
Member
I know. None of the other calibers have this issue. Only the .380 ACP. It could be just this batch. I'm keeping my eye on it now.
David
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Sorting Handgun Brass - What Say You?
- Thread starter exnodak
- Start date
I know. None of the other calibers have this issue. Only the .380 ACP. It could be just this batch. I'm keeping my eye on it now.
David
Freischütz
Member
I sort mine. I've noticed different case thickness between makers. For example I've found R-P 45 Auto brass is thinner than Federal or W-W.
That works well when using .452" diameter bullets in my 22-4. W-W and Federal cases are so tight that I can't easily push a full moon clip of cartridges into the gun. With R-P they drop right in.
That works well when using .452" diameter bullets in my 22-4. W-W and Federal cases are so tight that I can't easily push a full moon clip of cartridges into the gun. With R-P they drop right in.
WyoStillhunter
Member
+1 what Smith357 said.
98% of all my handgun loading is designed to duplicate standard pressure and velocity (not +P, etc.). I have small lots of new factory and once fired brass for hotter .38 loads and .357 Magnum loads.
I use a single stage press and handle each piece of brass multiple times resulting in lots of visual inspection. I toss out any case that shows the slightest split, bulge, wrinkle, etc. Otherwise, it's load and shoot.
Peter M. Eick
Member
If you don't sort them, how do you do final inspections? I handle every round as part of the sorting process and occasionally toss some back for breaking down.
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
For me, sorted is not a plus unless it's all Starline, Federal, whatever. Name brand stuff. Surprisingly, PMC is my favorite headstamp for .45ACP.
I've bought several batches of used .45ACP. As long as there wasn't any steel or aluminum or large amounts of Amerc in it I was happy. I do my own cleaning & sorting. Name brands and "others."
Now that we are seeing so much SPP .45 brass sorting by headstamp is kinda mandatory.
.357 Magnum brass gets sorted to major brand name & "others." Brass I buy used serves as range fodder with .38+P loadings to avoid carbon rings. I like to load my target batches with same headstamps.
For full house Big Dogs I use Starline that I bought new.
Just a hint, I'm almost always in the market for used .357 Magnum brass if the price/trade is right.
I'm of German ancestry as well.
ummm... I actually sort 9mm brass...
I've bought several batches of used .45ACP. As long as there wasn't any steel or aluminum or large amounts of Amerc in it I was happy. I do my own cleaning & sorting. Name brands and "others."
Now that we are seeing so much SPP .45 brass sorting by headstamp is kinda mandatory.
.357 Magnum brass gets sorted to major brand name & "others." Brass I buy used serves as range fodder with .38+P loadings to avoid carbon rings. I like to load my target batches with same headstamps.
For full house Big Dogs I use Starline that I bought new.
Just a hint, I'm almost always in the market for used .357 Magnum brass if the price/trade is right.
I'm 5/8 German, after all.
I'm of German ancestry as well.
ummm... I actually sort 9mm brass...
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ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I always separate my handgun brass by headstamp and even store them in 50 piece trays before loading and after shooting. (I can't help myself, I'm a little OCD about stuff)
Rifle brass gets separated and firings are counted. Handgun brass gets shot until it splits or the primer pockets get too large. BUT, I've been shooting the same 1,200 pieces of Remington .38 Special brass for over 6 years now and haven't had to toss one yet!
Rifle brass gets separated and firings are counted. Handgun brass gets shot until it splits or the primer pockets get too large. BUT, I've been shooting the same 1,200 pieces of Remington .38 Special brass for over 6 years now and haven't had to toss one yet!
Frank46
US Veteran
I sort just about all my rifle and handgun brass. When I first started shooting my springfield armory 45 i did not have much money and since a lot of the shooters did not reload they became my source for extra brass. Was a bad day that I did not come home with at least 2-300 empty cases more than I had left with. So basically all cases regardless of headstamp went into the same bucket.What I did do with the 45 brass was sort it and the oddballs that only amounted to less than 100 cases got put into another bucket. All the speer,rem,ww,federal the big 4 were loaded and shot at steel plate matches. The good stuff like wcc match got saved for a rainy day. And I have to say that shooting mixed headstamped cases showed me that there is little to no difference than that of only one headstamp. We'd fing fiochhi, tzz Israeli, mfs hungarian and a few others like sellier and bellot. The s&b's went into a special box for another rainy day. About the only thing bad with the s&b brass was that it would not accept a large pistol primer easily. Took the deburring tool for doing casenecks and chamfered the opening of the primer pocket. After that no probalems. Frank
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
I actually bought the tool for reaming primer pockets. I find a lot of crimped 9mm NATO brass, and while I've never had a real problem seating in S&B cases the reamer does make life much easier.
Easy to find the S&B brass. The primer goes "PING!" when ya decap it.
lazy
Member
I just drop it all off at dads and let him deal with it.
scattershot
Member
LOL Where does your Dad live? I have some that needs attention.
Those of you who load for smallish cases like the .380 ACP, may want to weigh the various manufacturers brass cases and see the variation in weight from one brand to another. I did, and the differences were significant. My point is, if they weigh differently, they "probably" or maybe I should say "could" have different internal capacities. That can be an issue with higher end charges of fast powders like Bullseye.
If you are a contender for master class at Camp Perry, you would want to sort brass. If you shoot like the rest of us, no need.
Chubbs103
US Veteran
I've been sorting all of my brass for a while, although I'm getting lazier about the plinking loads.
I know the OP was talking about pistol rounds, but I wanted to share this week-end's reminder about sorting rifle brass. I was working up a new load for my 7mm RM (I need lead free now that I am in CA). My brass was sorted (or so I thought). When loading the second round at book max I felt a definite crunch as the extruded powder compressed. The previous round at the same charge did not. I took another look and confirmed that the headstamp was different. I had read that the "other" headstamp brass had lower capacity. I think I just confirmed it.
Chubbs
I know the OP was talking about pistol rounds, but I wanted to share this week-end's reminder about sorting rifle brass. I was working up a new load for my 7mm RM (I need lead free now that I am in CA). My brass was sorted (or so I thought). When loading the second round at book max I felt a definite crunch as the extruded powder compressed. The previous round at the same charge did not. I took another look and confirmed that the headstamp was different. I had read that the "other" headstamp brass had lower capacity. I think I just confirmed it.
Chubbs
I sort my brass partially because I feel that the same head stamp brass means that it has the same manufactured characteristics and partially because I am anal and like it that way. Sitting on the couch with a bucket from the range and a dozen or so tupperware containers to pitch it into is a no brainer for me. Mainly I just like things orderly.
Attachments
I pick up nearly all my brass for free, don't bother to separate it for reloading, but if I were buying used brass, I think I'd rather buy it separated, even if paying slightly more. But then I pick it up for free, so. . .
I only reload handgun calibers, 9mm, .38spec., .40S&W, .45acp & I will now need a .45Colt set up for my dillon 550. I am not a compitition shooter, I just enjoy going to the club / range for informal practice.
I have managed to pick up enough brass from the club to fill a 40 gal. garbage can. I sort by caliber using a set of sorting pans designed for the purpose. I no longer sort by headstanp though. For my purposes I found it to be overkill.
I usually find the damaged cases when I and hand feeding my 550. Ocasionaly a bad case might slip through, but I do inspect every loaded round before it goes into the box.
LTC
I have managed to pick up enough brass from the club to fill a 40 gal. garbage can. I sort by caliber using a set of sorting pans designed for the purpose. I no longer sort by headstanp though. For my purposes I found it to be overkill.
I usually find the damaged cases when I and hand feeding my 550. Ocasionaly a bad case might slip through, but I do inspect every loaded round before it goes into the box.
LTC
Coaltminer
Member
Looks as if commercial reload sellers don't sort, but I do, then I box 'em up in factory boxes I pick up at the range. There may not be much brass around, but nobody wants the boxes.
