11e40
Member
why worry about brass that only goes 7 loads. just go six loads & get some more brass. I usually load 4-5 times & discard, just to be sure. in my m1a only three loads. brass is cheaper than blown up firearms & eyes & trips to the E R.
What happens when you load too many times
- Thread starter NJM15
- Start date
Where in the link to Wiki states anything about vinegar and brass.?
A 5% acetic acid diluted in water (even with salt) is not going to change the composition of brass. It is so diluted.
1-2 cup of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt diluted in water to make on 1 gal will safely clean brass
If you leave it in there more the 15-20 minutes then the brass may discolor.
"Salt, or sodium chloride, combines with acetic acid from the vinegar to produce sodium acetate and hydrogen chloride."
Vinegar or Lem Shine (Citric ACID) whats the major difference? If you use Lem Shine perhaps just buy pure citric acid.
A 5% acetic acid diluted in water (even with salt) is not going to change the composition of brass. It is so diluted.
1-2 cup of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt diluted in water to make on 1 gal will safely clean brass
If you leave it in there more the 15-20 minutes then the brass may discolor.
"Salt, or sodium chloride, combines with acetic acid from the vinegar to produce sodium acetate and hydrogen chloride."
Vinegar or Lem Shine (Citric ACID) whats the major difference? If you use Lem Shine perhaps just buy pure citric acid.
chaparrito
Member
I use a tsp of citric acid and a big squirt of Dawn and usually wash 500 rounds or so in a 3 gallon pickle bucket. Figuring conservatively that's probably at least 2 gallons of water. It does a great job. The brass is only in the solution about ten minutes before being rinsed and laid out to dry. My water is so hard that that amount of citric acid barely sweetens it back to neutral Ph. No way it's leaching anything.
Only time I saw cracks like those were with a batch of once fired TZZ headstamp I bought some years ago. The whole batch was brittle brass and most split like that within the first few re-loadings.
fredj338
Member
Just google zinc leaching of brass. Exposing brass to acids or ammonia over time will weaken the brass &/or make it brittle. It will depend on how long you expse the brass to the acid or ammonia. A 10m wash now & then, probably not an issue. If the brass turns pinkish, you have removed zinc from the alloy, probably weakening the case.
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Maybe I do it all wrong but I continue to reload until a case splits. That, to me, is the only way you can tell that the case has seen it's last reload. I inspect them when I pick them up and again when I reload and pitch out the split cases. I don't think there would be any chance of having anything catastrophic occur.
Another thought; not all brass starts out the same. Some may already be harder from the git-go and 7 firings is the life of that alloy case. Since I believe case failure is mostly from "work hardening", if an alloy used for cases begins harder/brittler, it'll "work harden" sooner and fail sooner. Also the thickness of the case walls prolly helps determine the case life. Thin walled, brittle brass cases won't last as long as thick, malleable alloy cases...
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Bkreutz
US Veteran
I load between 50K and 60K 9mm rounds per year, when I find a split case I throw them in a cup next to my press. The first picture shows how many "splits" I've had in the past year. The next picture is obviously a closeup of the split. The last picture is what happens when a .38 Super Comp gets mixed in with the 9mm cases and goes through the sizing die 
. I have no idea how many times my cases get loaded. When I pick up brass at the range, I lose some of mine (too far forward of the firing line) but I make up by picking up brass that other shooters leave. I haven't bought brass in years, in fact I have a few 8# powder jugs full of 9mm brass squirreled away if I ever need to replenish the supply.
. I have no idea how many times my cases get loaded. When I pick up brass at the range, I lose some of mine (too far forward of the firing line) but I make up by picking up brass that other shooters leave. I haven't bought brass in years, in fact I have a few 8# powder jugs full of 9mm brass squirreled away if I ever need to replenish the supply.Attachments
Possible solutions
Stop counting how many times a case is reloaded. Why care, you've shot your gun, ruptured/split the case and nothing happened.
Stop using Glock fired brass. By new brass, reload as usual and all is good.
You are getting all the X's and 10's possible out of each case so what's the problem?
If you are shooting a S&W semi-auto at rocks, stones, cans, and dirt balls, disregard this post.
Stop counting how many times a case is reloaded. Why care, you've shot your gun, ruptured/split the case and nothing happened.
Stop using Glock fired brass. By new brass, reload as usual and all is good.
You are getting all the X's and 10's possible out of each case so what's the problem?
If you are shooting a S&W semi-auto at rocks, stones, cans, and dirt balls, disregard this post.
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FishingPilot
US Veteran
One reload. 9mm aluminum cases. Just wanted to try and see what happens.
smokindog
Member
We did have 10" of rain and a record low in the area north of Dallas in the past 48 hours. Perhaps I need to go inspect my brass 
I hear Dallas will be a coastal City in the very near future!
I hear Dallas will be a coastal City in the very near future!Attachments
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ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Case head separations in a rifle are very serious but that's not what happened to that 40 S&W handgun brass. That is a simple case split and in a semi-auto pistol the barrel is around the case so nothing "catastrophic" is going to happen. The bullet might have actually hit POA.
Drinking water.......
Some water supplies will dezincify brass pretty handily. Of course the exposure is long term.
Some water supplies will dezincify brass pretty handily. Of course the exposure is long term.
BCDWYO
Member
I recently had a split 357 mag case slip thru and get reloaded. I discovered it since the crimp didn't hold and the bullet backed out with recoil and locked up the cylinder. It wasn't catastrophic since I was only at the range, but it temporarily turned my revolver into a club!
One reload. 9mm aluminum cases. Just wanted to try and see what happens.
I have often wondered this. Thank you for trying it and saving me the time!
Don't forget that anyone with a password can edit a Wikipedia article . . .
Split Cases
Cases splitting increase the possibility that minute fragments of brass can get blown back toward the shooter. Thus, it's always wise to wear safety glasses when shooting.
It's the barrel and chamber that contains the high pressures upon firing. Brass is soft and adds little, if any, strength in containing the pressure.
Cases splitting increase the possibility that minute fragments of brass can get blown back toward the shooter. Thus, it's always wise to wear safety glasses when shooting.
It's the barrel and chamber that contains the high pressures upon firing. Brass is soft and adds little, if any, strength in containing the pressure.
We did have 10" of rain and a record low in the area north of Dallas in the past 48 hours. Perhaps I need to go inspect my brass
If your brass got rained on it could be ACID rain and your brass will dissolve!
