So I disected some of my Garand brass today.

[Ole]

This case has 3 firings on it:

http://mrpburke.com/fileupload/uploads/06brass1.jpg

I was noticing the ring, about 1/4" up from the rim when I was priming this batch of cases, so I thought I would cut into one and see if there was anything bad going on inside:

http://mrpburke.com/fileupload/uploads/06brass2.jpg

Looks like my worries were unwarranted. Looks great to me for 3 times fired brass from a 67 year old rifle. :mrgreen:

[NVcurmudgeon]

With my favorite source (range pick up) of common brass drying up, I am relying more and more on the bent pointed wire dragged up the inside of the case. Low tech non destructive testing. I've been using the same piece of old coathanger for 40 years, ever since I learned about it in Handloader. The coathanger wire is stiff enough that you can feel it follow the inside surface of the case and drop into a crack if there is one.

[garandsrus]

Ole,

I think that the ring you are looking at is the final portion of the case that the resizing die hits. In other words, the sizing die doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the case.

You could put the case in your shell holder and see where the line is in relation to the top of the shell holder. There may be a bevel in the sizing die, so it may not contact the brass all the way to the shell holder.

John

[runfiverun]

ditto what garands said.

[texasmac]

Ditto on what runfiverun & garandsrus says.

By the way, for a discussion on case stretching and separation click on the following link.

http://www.texas-mac.com/Case_Stretching_and_Splitting_in_BPC_Rifles.html

Wayne

[shotman]

Thats normal on Garand brass. If you drop a round in the chamber you will see that about 5/16s are not in the barrel chamberthat is more of a powder burn or heat ring. after about 10 firings I would start the check like NV said. I have had 2 come apart there. both were rem brand domestic

[sundog]

+1 on the stiff wire 'feela gage'.

[ronterry]

Here's some that looks like yours on the outside, but are definitely incipient on the inside to impending case head failure.
I sectioned some 338 before that looked like yours, on both inside & out. Than I relaxed and shot them a couple more times, and had a wake up call.
So if in doubt - throw them out, or section one after each firing once your up there on the reload count.

http://www.ronterry.com/arms/images/308-1755a.jpg
http://www.ronterry.com/arms/images/308-1755b.jpg
308 I bought online, assumed once fired!

http://www.ronterry.com/arms/images/338Head2.jpg
338 WinMag - around 15 firings. At 13 firings, they looked like yours? Notice where the slit is vs the bright ring!

[sundog]

Belted mags are especially bad about this if you FLS. Neck size or if you have to partial FLS and get the head space out on the shoulder. It helps a lot.

That little wire thingy is some of the cheapest insurance you will never have to buy - especially when yer runnin' full throttle...

Pretty good pics, Ron.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Well, Ole, you at least have some cheap reassurance that you're not courting an incipient head separation. Peace of mind is well worth one piece of brass.

What brand are yours? They look quite thick - military?

[Ole]

What brand are yours? They look quite thick - military?

The piece of brass that I cut was a commercial Federal case.

[Dale53]

When I was shooting Big Bore, my favorite 30'06 cases were military. I cheerfully swaged them (only has to be done once, of course).

When I went to the custom M14, I bought all National Match .308 cases. Never had a problem with brass. I was careful to size properly. Most full length size dies tend to oversize if you run them hard against the shell holder. All cases should be sized for the particular rifle, IMO.

When I went to the AR, I, again, preferred military brass. Of course, availability had/has a LOT to do with those kinds of decisions.

FWIW
Dale53