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Thread: Is steel casing worth reloading?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Is steel casing worth reloading?

    I acquired a few 9mm cases marked Talammo? which looked to be steel. Are these worth reloading?

    Jim

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master







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    NO!
    1shirt!
    "Common Sense Is An Uncommon Virtue" Ben Franklin

    "Ve got too soon old and too late smart" Pa.Dutch Saying

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    km101's Avatar
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    Steel does not reload, as it is too hard to resize properly. Trash it!
    "with liberty and justice for all"...must be 18 or older, not available in all states, void where prohibited, some restrictions may apply. D. Stanhope


    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

    "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason Co-author of the Second Ammemdment

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    historicfirearms's Avatar
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    You can reload steel casings. Do a little google searching online. It's probably not worth doing with 9mm unless in survival mode. I've kept all the 223 and 9mm steel casings for a rainy day. Until things get real bad, best to stick with brass.
    I was a dog on a short chain.
    Now there's no chain.
    Jim Harrison

  5. #5
    Boolit Master BCRider's Avatar
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    I would expect the finish on the outside of the steel cases I've seen to gum up the dies pretty quickly.

    Also before you were to even bother to try check the inside flash hole(s) to see if there is one hole or three. One indicates a Boxer primer which we're used to reloading and three smaller holes indicates a Berdan primer which requires fancy stuff to de-cap and proper Berdan primers instead of our typical Boxer primers.

    I've done a test on about 20 to 30 rounds of aluminium reloads. THey worked fine and as a result I've got a bunch of collected aluminium 9's saved up. At some point I'll load and use them for matches where I can't pick up my brass. But I'll mark the heads with a felt pen to show they were reloaded and not use them again. Once only as the aluminium fatigues sooner than brass.
    Witty saying to be plagarized shortly.....

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


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    I have reloaded Wolf steel 45acp cases without a hitch. No problems whatsoever. I do NOT use my SDB press. I use the Lee carbide sizer die, with some Hornaday One Shot dry lube sprayed on them. You can size without it but, I used it because I had it.
    I do not know where folks get the information that "steel" cannot be reloaded, but it is not true. It also shoots just fine.
    I plan on reloading all I can pick up, and put it away for ????????
    Regards
    Jack

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

    MtGun44's Avatar
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    Hogwash. Steel in .45 ACP reloads just fine IF IT IS BOXER PRIMED. I have
    not personally done this with 9mm, but know of no reason why it should not
    work as well.

    Look at the inside of the cases. If there are two flashholes, it is berdan and
    very difficult to work with, recommend tossing. If one flashhole, it is boxer
    and can be reloaded with normal tools. There is a bit more force required to
    size the cases. I do NOT go looking for or intentionally pick up steel cases,
    have PLENTY of brass ones in .45 ACP, but occasionally a few find their way
    into the mix and they work just fine. Used to cull but don't worry any more.

    Bill
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    BD's Avatar
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    I've also loaded a fair number of steel cased .45acp, not necessarily on purpose. I guess if they're not rusty they just get by me. I don't think they last as long as they are disproportionately represented in the cases I cull for split mouths.
    BD

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub
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    As has been said it's not so much the steel case that you have to worry about it's the Berdan primer. You can get Berdan primers on occasion, however I have also seen people remove the berdan priming system and converting it to boxer primed. Takes a lot of work but is doable.

    Regards,

    JP99

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    i too have loaded 45acp wolf cases, i would not admit it for awhile, it was one of my kept secret's. i pick up all that i can find, then i size them with an old RCBS die that is not carbide. i use Imperial wax, and they work like a champ. the cool thing is i don't mind losing a case or two in the grass.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master


    km101's Avatar
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    OK, I mis-spoke. It CAN be done. In my estimation it is not worth the trouble. When steel cased ammos first became available years ago, I tried reloading some. I had problems with resizing and it had so much "spring-back" that it did not size down sufficiently to fit the chamber. Also the shellac coating on the outside of the cases tends to peel off and clog sizing dies. Not to mention the berdan primer hassle. If you want to drive yourself nuts trying to reload marginal cases that's your choice. I find it more productive to trash it and spend my time reloading.
    "with liberty and justice for all"...must be 18 or older, not available in all states, void where prohibited, some restrictions may apply. D. Stanhope


    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

    "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." George Mason Co-author of the Second Ammemdment

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Ok, taking the advice, I checked and they are Berdan. Two holes instead of one. Looks as if the majority of you say trash them.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


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    I'm not a naysayer like many, but if they are Berdan primed I'd have to be pretty desperate before I'd try to reload them.

    I've reloaded some Wolf 45 ACP steel. With carbide dies it was no different than brass. Boxer primed, of course.


    Cat
    Cogito, ergo armatum sum.

    (I think, therefore I'm armed.)

  14. #14
    In Remembrance


    DLCTEX's Avatar
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    No problems reloading Boxer primed, steel 45ACP cases. They will last for at least six reloadings, IME.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I load all the steel wolf cases in 45acp that I can find. I load them and put them in an ammo can and when I go walking in the woods or go to a match at my club I use them. That way I do not worry about loosing them. With brass I always worry about that.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub Mud Eagle's Avatar
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    I also have no issues reloading steel in 45 and 223. Last year a thread or two from this forum inspired me to try it and it has worked well for me.

    All of the Tula and some Wolf cases are boxer primed and reload well. I have observed no problems with die wear.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    True recycling there fellas....might have to try it the next time I see a pile of them....Casting and reloading is a great form of recycling!
    Take a kid to the range, you'll both be glad you did.

  18. #18
    Boolit Bub Mud Eagle's Avatar
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    My "super cheapskate" load: Tula/Wolf steel case with 230g cast RN.



    ...and my "Assault Weapons Ban Scare Ammo Shortage" .223 load!


  19. #19
    Boolit Master 161's Avatar
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    4 gr. Red Dot 230 Lee TL. I've loaded 223 and 40 S&W also.
    "Some times it's just better to smile an walk away."
    -161

    "Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?"
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  20. #20
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    Mud Eagle: those are really nice looking cartridges. Did you tumble the cases to get them that bright? Maybe some Nu finish to keep them that way?

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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