Once fired brass

[fatelk]

I was helping a friend look for pricing for some brass on line, and found something funny. One website listed prices for "Once Fired Brass", but at the bottom in the fine print, they say this:

"Once fired brass" is an industry term that describes used brass cases. We do not guarantee that all brass cases we sell for reloading have only been fired once.

I just thought some of you all might get a kick out of that. On a totally unrelated note, I have a NIB Colt Python for sale, cheap.

Note: "NIB" is an industry term that describes something for sale. We do not guarantee that anything we sell is actually new in box. Also "Colt Python" is an industry term that describes any handgun. We do not guarantee that our handguns are actually Colt Pythons, as they may in fact be High Point or Crossman.


(By the way, I don't really have a Python for sale)

[Dieselhorses]

I was helping a friend look for pricing for some brass on line, and found something funny. One website listed prices for "Once Fired Brass", but at the bottom in the fine print, they say this:


I just thought some of you all might get a kick out of that. On a totally unrelated note, I have a NIB Colt Python for sale, cheap.

Note: "NIB" is an industry term that describes something for sale. We do not guarantee that anything we sell is actually new in box. Also "Colt Python" is an industry term that describes any handgun. We do not guarantee that our handguns are actually Colt Pythons, as they may in fact be High Point or Crossman.


(By the way, I don't really have a Python for sale)

Reminds me about 4 or 5 years I was looking in the classifieds (free paper) and ran across a colt python. I had to look twice because it was listed for 400.00! I immediately called and the fellow said he sold it the day the paper came out-YA THINK? He admitted to finding out what it was worth after the fact. I felt bad for him.

[Hick]

The statement about once fired brass is actually pretty reasonable. How the heck can you expect range pickup brass to be guaranteed once fired?? Do we expect the used brass companies to question everyone who shoots about the source of their brass? I don't.

[RogerDat]

Some ranges only allow new cartridges, no reloads. I would think brass from those would be primarily 1x fired but even then only way to have know 1x fired is to buy it from a member who has access to that range or is organized enough to track his own purchased brass firing and whom you trust to report honestly. Or military brass that still has the primer staked in, that is a good bet to be once fired. With wet tumble with stainless steel pins on can often get brass clean enough to look new so even visual appearance won't provide a reliable indicator of how many times it was fired.

Bottom line for me is I wouldn't expect for sure and certain I was getting 1x fired, nor tell someone I had 1x fired unless I pulled the trigger or saw the new cartridge fired. One can sometimes tell the primer is after market and that is certainly not 1x fired.

[fatelk]

I understand sometimes it’s nearly impossible to tell; I just thought it was funny that the label at the top was “Once Fired”, then in fine print it said not really, that’s just an “industry term”.

Personally I think “once fired” is a bit over rated anyhow. I’ve seen truly once fired brass that is junk (7.62 NATO from an M60 comes to mind, and some .303 British I once bought that was separated). On the other hand, on rare occasion I sell some extra brass I’ve accumulated. I have a bunch of 9mm brass my boys picked up from the range. I have no way of knowing how many times it may or may not have been fired, but I sorted through it and scrapped any that looked at all questionable to me. Most of what I scrapped would probably load fine, but I don’t want to take any chances.

[nicholst55]

The correct term for unknown number of times fired brass is 'range pickups,' NOT once-fired.

[Land Owner]

Certainly EVERY piece of formerly loaded brass that is now unloaded in the "normal" way has been fired (at least) once.

[Lloyd Smale]

easy localy. I know everyone who reloads in town and im the only one that shoots where I shoot that reloads. On line can be sketchy but I trust a guy on here that's been here for a time to be honest and I trust reputable companys that sell it. Would I go to the scrap yard and buy a barrel of brass? Probably not. Shook my head the other day. Went to shoot and when I got to my spot there was brass everywhere. 9mm 40, 45acp and 223. All obiviously fired new ammo. There must have been a 1000 rounds total. I had to shake my head and wonder who could even afford to shoot that much factory ammo in a day. Bottom line is I shoot a lot and if I had to buy new brass instead of once fired it would cut into my budget way to deep so ill take a chance. Same reason I cast bullets. So I can shoot the mostest for the leastest

[lightman]

Over the years I have noticed that the term "once fired" has slowly evolved to become "range brass". Which is more truthful in my opinion. I have sold and given away some once fired brass but only if I know for sure. Most of my shooting is done with range brass except for my hunting and match loads. I hunt with my handholds but it is loaded from new brass or from brass that I bought and fired myself. Match loads start off as new Lapua.

[RogerDat]

..... There must have been a 1000 rounds total. I had to shake my head and wonder who could even afford to shoot that much factory ammo in a day. Bottom line is I shoot a lot and if I had to buy new brass instead of once fired it would cut into my budget way to deep so ill take a chance. Same reason I cast bullets. So I can shoot the mostest for the leastest

Or who would leave all that scrap brass at $1 a pound just lying there. When my coffee can of primers & defective cases I have crushed gets full I take it in for money! Which I promptly spend on lead Left the house with a coffee can inside a bucket come back with the bucket. All looks the same from dear wife's viewpoint.

[Shawlerbrook]

Only guarantee is if you bought the new ammo, fired it and picked up the “ once fired” brass.

[KCSO]

My brother teaches C/C classes and gets to pick up the brass at the end of class. Students must shoot factory fresh ammo so all he picks up are ONCE fired. We keep this separated and if it goes out once fired we know it is for sure. BTW we had a fellow who shot his c/c class with a Desert Eagle 50 that was some brass 100 rounds of that in a day would kill me.

[popper]

7.62 NATO from an M60 comes to mind Works fine but is hard to resize. Still have most of the 1k I bought in the bag on the shelf. Ones I've used have probably 5 re-loads. Doubt I'll ever get through all of it. A can of 223 and most 9mm are once fired, from the boxes in the trash from the range. Too cheap for most to reload.

[HABCAN]

re: Lloyd's post #8.............had exactly the same occurrence here last month. Musta been the RCMP 'practicing' with our tax $$, LOL.

[fatelk]

Sorry, I didn't mean to condemn all M60 brass. I once bought a bucket full of definitely once-fired USGI 7.62 NATO brass that I was told was M60 brass. It must have been fired in a gun with a worn out chamber or bad headspace. A lot of it was internally separating at the base. The whole bucket went for scrap. That and a bag of .303 brass in the same condition were the only times I really had trouble like that.

Nowadays I don't buy brass at all. I don't shoot much, and pick up more than I need. I suppose I could be like a friend of mine. He turns up his nose at any brass that he didn't buy new and "once fire" himself: dangerous, you know!

There's also the story of the guy at the range who picked up his brass as he was leaving, carefully dented the neck of each piece against the table, and tossed them into the garbage. When asked what he was doing, he said it's what he's always done, his dad taught him to do that when he was young. Be sure to crush your brass and throw it away because otherwise someone might come along and try to reload it, and that's dangerous!

[frankenfab]

I guess it depends on what the meaning of "once" is

[FISH4BUGS]

Who cares?
I sort my brass and inspect all my brass numerous times during the reloading process. If it looks the least bit squirrely, it goes in the scrap bucket.
I have shot reloaded brass in machine guns until there is no head stamp left....they still go bang!

[Dieselhorses]

There is a way to distinguish "once-fired" from "reloaded cases"- look closely at rim around neck, if smooth it's more than likely been reloaded, if serrated slightly it's probably once-fired.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

when I describe brass I am selling or giving away, I use these terms.
NEW.
1x (known/confirmed once fired)
Used (unknown reloadings).
Range (which may be tarnished, dirty, unsorted, with unknown reloadings, and may include some culls).


...As to 1x ...There are clues that will tell if brass has been reloaded, even if it's been wet tumbled in pins and super cleaned.


I wish others used similar terminology.

[Dieselhorses]

when I describe brass I am selling or giving away, I use these terms.
NEW.
1x (known/confirmed once fired)
Used (unknown reloadings).
Range (which may be tarnished, dirty, unsorted, with unknown reloadings, and may include some culls).


...As to 1x ...There are clues that will tell if brass has been reloaded, even if it's been wet tumbled in pins and super cleaned.


I wish others used similar terminology.

You're right, everyone needs to stay on same page.