How to identify once fired brass

[Bullshop Junior]

cadillo,

thank you for your comment. If you are willing to take a "pepsi" challenge. I will send you 5 cases. 4 will be once fired or new and one will be many fired. I challenge you to pick out the many fired piece. Pm me with your address and we will post the findings here. Should be fun! Baron.....i'll extend the same offer to you because you started this thread.

Also....no micrometers allowed. Just what you would have with you at the range whe you pick up the brass or your at home instpection techniques.

me me!

[Fishslayer]

I consider most brass that I pick up at the range "Once Fired" - a re-loader would not have left it behind!
(My theory)

AC

That actually makes pretty good sense.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Be careful Fishslayer. There is some really bad brass laying around my club's range and......we have a new threat too , the salvage expert, scrounging everything for the pure scrap value. BvT

[S.R.Custom]

I don't worry too much whether brass actually is once fired, figuring that if it looks good enough to be once fired, it's good enough to be reloaded.

I've learned, though, that any previously fired rifle brass is pretty useless for wildcat case-forming.

[Daryl]

thier call on the ammo you shoot at thier range. they inspect all incomming ammo.
two of the ranges do not allow any exposed lead.......so no cast boolits.....
that would be a significant part of reloaded ammo........
again, because of insurance...their call, no arguments.

ohhh, by the way a customer on thier rifle range took in a single round of ap to see how it shot. it shot right thru the back interior wall, thru the bullet collector, and into an exhaust fan......his bill was something close to $10,000.


mike in co

I would hate to be their lawyer or insurance company. Many business people actually cause themselves trouble by "over involving" themselves. So, if the range prohibits anything but factory, they probably have some leg to stand on and have a claim against someone who injures others because of a violation. But, as soon as my employee starts inspecting and gives the "ok", then my liability has really increased. I could just hear the attorneys in that deposition!! "So, Mr. Rangeowner, you hired qualified, expert ammo inspectors to do this very important job and insure the safety and protection of everyone else on the range?? Where is his certification and degree from??" Yikes.

[Bullshop Junior]

I am still interested in taking the brass challenge, PM me with details.

[mike in co]

I would hate to be their lawyer or insurance company. Many business people actually cause themselves trouble by "over involving" themselves. So, if the range prohibits anything but factory, they probably have some leg to stand on and have a claim against someone who injures others because of a violation. But, as soon as my employee starts inspecting and gives the "ok", then my liability has really increased. I could just hear the attorneys in that deposition!! "So, Mr. Rangeowner, you hired qualified, expert ammo inspectors to do this very important job and insure the safety and protection of everyone else on the range?? Where is his certification and degree from??" Yikes.

NO SIR MY EMPLOYEES check for steel, exposed lead, and what looks to be reloaded ammo. they do not "ok" the customers ammo. we only check for complaince to our range rules, not the customers choice of ammo.

[edsmith]

I am with Shiloh, I shoot my brass untll it splits,I have never had any trouble with it. I shoot .223,.357,38 special,45 colt,45acp,308,7mm mauser, I have been reloading for 56 years. many of my brass cases have been reloaded as least 20 or more times. I can not see why if a case has been fired more than twice,it isn't any good.if the primer don't fall out,it's good to go.

[Alchemist]

Yeah, I mean they either have die marks on them or they don't. How many guys size cases and then polish them after?? enjoy Mike

Me for one...

I tumble dirty brass to keep dies from getting scratched, then after sizing to remove lube. And from other threads I've posted in, I'm not the only one who does it that way.

[dale2242]

I do exactly the same as Alchemist, clean to remove dirt and after sizing to remove lube...dale

[mike in co]

I do exactly the same as Alchemist, clean to remove dirt and after sizing to remove lube...dale

me too...see post 28...


mike in co

[tonyjones]

I have no problem with anyone picking up brass at the range. It's your hobby and your business. For my purposes I never pick up brass except to look at it and then discard it. I want new brass from factory ammo or my loads with factory new brass. That way it is fire formed to my rifles chamber. I resize minimally to maintain good ammo to chamber fit. The best accuracy will result when concentricity about the bore axis is maintained. This is why the bench rest guys shoot tight neck chambers and neck turn their cases so there is about .001" neck clearance around a chambered cartridge. It also helps if your chamber is close to SAAMI minimum specs. Loading this way I get maximum case life for the cartridge I'm shooting. Typically, my primer pockets loosen before necks split or cases stretch.
I realize that shooting a lot of ammo is great fun for a lot of folks. I go about my shooting a bit more slowly and try to shoot bugholes.
Regards to all,
Tony

[ETG]

When you find gobs of brass on the ground and a pile of new never weathered ammo boxes in the trash, its a good indicator that some rich kids were having a blast.

LOL - I look for the dudes with deadlocks that hold their pistols sideways and leave all their **** laying on the ground - guaranteed it's never been reloaded by a hobbyist - maybe commercially reloaded.

[bearcove]

I don't worry too much whether brass actually is once fired, figuring that if it looks good enough to be once fired, it's good enough to be reloaded.

I've learned, though, that any previously fired rifle brass is pretty useless for wildcat case-forming.

I use once fired R-P 30-06 for 338-06 and 35 whelen. Works great! once fired 30-30 to 7-30 waters and 6.5 bullberry improved. The 6.5 needs to be fire formed to 7-30 first.

[Cadillo]

I thought that we were past this!

[evan price]

Magtech/CBC brass from the factory has a sort of "V" shaped mark impressed on the primer. If you see that mark, and even with a strong firing pin dent it can still be seen, then you know it is 1X fired.

As far as pistol brass, heck I don't bother sorting by headstamps let alone how many firings. I lose autopistol brass before it splits 90% of the time. As far as revolver, run it until you see mouth starting to split then chuck it.