What Pistol Brass is Best?

[Buzzard II]

If I'm buying brass it's Starline. I've been buying it for years and it's priced right and it's good quality.

[Bzcraig]

Since no one mentioned it.....Starline.

[opos]

Certainly I don't load the large quantities I see some of the contributors here use but I do load a number of calibers for shooting a couple or three times a month.

I have been picking indoor range brass where allowed and not "sniping" someone's brass and I often buy processed "once fired" brass from a local guy that hits the police ranges in the area....I'm super picky about inspection when I get the brass....I'm never in a hurry about processing and the brass all get's 3 or 4 hard looks as it goes through the steps...I get many loads from this kind of brass (all handgun..I recycle my own once fired rifle brass as I neck size only). I may have been very lucky but just have not had problems nor mishaps...the brass is super cheap and if I just leave it lay after I shoot I'm not out anything. Being a bit disabled it's tough to focus on picking up high priced brass like Starline or other new brass..on a bad day If I let it lay someone will get the use out of it.

I always hang onto my rimmed pistol brass from my revolvers and have bought some Starline but it's no better than other commercial fired brass in my opinion.
Starline is great stuff but my ammo doesn't reflect the need for stepping up that far.

[DCM]

IMO

Lapua then Starline.

Starline is more affordable and available in Many more calibers than Lapua though.

[murf205]

I love Starline brass and here is the reason to use all 1 kind. I have a mixed bag of R-P, W-W, Federal, Hornady and who knows what other brand. When I load them and start to seat boolits and crimp, I am constantly making minor adjustments to the seat/crimp die because of the slight difference on case lengths. When you buy 500 Starline cases, or any other brand for that matter, you have all the same length cases to start with and it is easier to keep up with the # of times fired, which is a **** shoot with range brass. Hey, I'm no brass snob though. I'll gladly police up any decent looking range brass that hasn't had a boot squashing it!

[472x1B/A]

What pistol brass is best for 9 mm? For me it would be the answers in post # 13 and #17.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Starline is good brass. Lapua too; Nothing much wrong for most shooting with any decent brand, though; In 45ACP I reloaded anything I could snag and never had issues with accuracy, even on the Progressive press I was usually using.

For most "just shooting" or plinking handgun brass, I don't think the brass Mfg. etc. change the accuracy much; Good reloading including consistent sizing and crimping, consistent powder loads, using all the same primers, bullets that are sorta consistent (scrap the bad ones or don't complain about accuracy on those which are only 2/3 filled out LOL), inspecting the loaded rounds for problems, the whole proper reloading procedure being followed, plus you being in good practice, squeezing instead of jerking the trigger, not closing EITHER eye (much less BOTH eyes, LOL) and so on are the things to start with; Once you get to where you know you CAN get better accuracy, THEN would be the time to get all one make/headstamp/lot number brass, if your weapon's also up to the task (If it's a rattletrap old revolver or auto that you've shot to death that's one thing, if it's a Hammerli free pistol or accurized good revolver or auto that's another - THEN upgrade.) First things first

I have had a too-long break due to injury so I am restarting, but I know what to do & have been there before, I still need to go pop a lot of caps to get back where I was. Not there now, most likely, but shouldn't take forever

[murf205]

I've got all kinds of range brass with different head stamps and lengths to use,but was wanting to get some new brass to work on accuracy. What brand would be a good one to buy. I know for rifle I use Lapua and wondered if this would be my best choice? It will be for 9mm if that makes a difference in choices. At least with all new,every thing would be or should be the same.

I just wen to the Midsouth Shooters Supply website and they have some great deals on 9mm brass. If you need some, these guys offer reasonable shipping(by today's standards) and fast shipping.

[brass410]

I like starline but our local range is leased to local leos for training three days a week, sooo free brass trumps all, its mostly Winchester Remington Federal, I don't measure quantity by 5 gal pail anymore, its now by the hundred weight mostly 40cal 9mm 223 308 12 gauge if shipping wasn't such a problem I could furnish a lot of brass to friends. Our club sells a lot for scrap but members have first shot at it if they want.

[vzerone]

Right now today Starline is great brass. Federal rifle brass is ****, but I have some dynamite Federal pistol/revolver brass in 9mm, 45acp, and 357mag that won't give up the ghost and it's very old inaddition to reloaded many times. My older Winchester brass in pistol/revolver is great stuff too. Can't say the same about Remington.

[detox]

Winchester 9mm brass is thinner than most and will allow for a fatter diameter cast bullet to be chambered without resistance. Oversize cast works best in the 9mm.

[GONRA]

GONRA certainly agrees with Starline recommendation.
But to most of you pistol shooters, it really doesn't make any differance!
Most any brass will do!

[RogerDat]

I have bought brass from a couple of the site vendors and gotten nice brass at a most excellent price. I think Orisolo and Grumpa come to mind, as well as others who are vendors, and at least some from individuals. Seem to recall some large batches of 9mm for sale recently for close to scrap brass prices. I don't know about everyone else but I believe the bit in the new brass sales blurb about having to size to deal with dings and denting. I don't know how you crimp but for revolver roll crimp case length really matters so trimming is standard at least once.

[william l evans]

Just got a bag of 100 starline brass for my SRH 44mag. case mouths were uneven and ragged. spent the afternoon fixing them.
steps taken, full length resize, debure and uniform flash holes, uniform primer pockets, trim to length, and de-burr mouths.
They look good and ready to load now. This is my standard procedure for new brass, it is time consuming but some steps only take once.
Loading them now will be a breeze.

[NoAngel]

My 9mm ‘match grade’ loads (for rifle) are all weight matched Winchester brass.
I separate them after depriming and cleaning to 58.0g +/- .5g and I have less than 25% reject, which all get used for handgun loads.
This is all Range pick up. I haven’t found other makers to be that consistent.
Starline may be better but you don’t find a lot of starline brass laying on the ground.

[alamogunr]

I have quite a bit of 9mm brass. Most was purchased once fired, quite a bit was range pickup following LEO practice/qualification(not me) and a little was my PU after firing factory ammo. I don't sort by headstamp or trim. Haven't had a problem yet. My ammunition may not be real accurate but neither am I. Occasionally, a shot may hit the bullseye by the fluke of me being off in the opposite direction that the ammo is off, but I'm not trying for score just effectiveness.

I buy Starline for .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .475 L and now maybe some rifle cartridges but most of what Starline makes is also available OF and I'm cheap.

[toot]

Starline ,rock's!!

[am44mag]

I buy Starline usually unless it's not available or something else is on sale for a really good deal (like 40%-50% off)

[Yogi]

Ive been sorting by headstamp,then a different grain bullet for each one . Its makes it eazy for keeping things straight . The girlfriend knows to get the federals or the Remingtons or whatnot .keeps it simple .

[nun2kute]

Free is best in my book. I bought Starline for my 458 cause I never find any on the ground. 10mm is precious, I woop and holler when I find those, but I got enough I don't need to buy ... yet. The only time I sort head stamp is to keep separate loads for my long guns. Pistols can't tell the difference in my hands. But I keep practicing anyway.