Headstamps And Crimped Primers

[ArrowJ]

I am going through several thousand 9mm cases. I know most guys are not that picky, but this is my first time loading 9mm and I want to get familiar with it. The last time I loaded years ago it was with brass I bought new. There are so many stinking headstamps!

I have been looking at a lot of info online about various headstamps, but wondered if you guys had any recommendations about brass too junky to mess with.

Also, and more importantly, I am new to crimped primer pockets. It seems no matter how many pictures I look at I am not 100% sure. I culled all the NATO stuff and S & B (even though some of the S&B does not appear to be crimped), but I read that some WIN brass is crimped and just when I think I have found one I am not sure. I have a lot of RP • headstamps. These things looked crimped, but everyone says RP is not. I wondered if the extra dot at the end indicates they are?

At this point I do not think I have enough crimped brass to mess with and will probably just keep saving it until I have more before I buy a tool to deal with it, but I want to pull it out. When I do process it, will it harm non crimped primer pockets if they are run into a CH4D die for instance?

[leadman]

The S&B brass is decent stuff. On most crimped primers you will also see some sealer around the edge of the primer, usually red, but I have also seen green.
I have the RCBS primer pocket swaging tool. This is used in the press but normally the pocket will still have to have the edge tapered. I do this on my RCBS Trimmate with inside neck tool.
It should not hurt a non crimped pocket to run the tool into it. Usually when you size and deprime the case it takes more effort to push out the crimped in primer so this is another way to tell. If you try to install a new primer in a crimped pocket it will also take much more effort and the primer is usually not installed properly.

[OS OK]

A light 'chamfer' with your brass 'de-burring' tool is all it takes to make those 9's serviceable. Being an OCD 'type' myself has always made me segregate my brass just to try to limit any over pressure I might encounter by mixing different mfgrs. and having case volume differences, the other part is that I like to see all the headstamps the same in each box-o-handloads. I believe that my extreme variation in FPS is lower because of this.
I've had the same set of about 300 rounds PMC .45ACP that I have used in plinking for about 2 1/2 years now and they have been loaded at least 20-25 times each, I could count the case rim splits on one hand with fingers left over and absolutely no head separations.
I deprime before I clean cases and don't prime on the press and I don't have any surprises with crimped primers that somehow sneak into the lot I'm loading…there's that OCD thing again!

[GONRA]

With range brass GONRA suggests watching out for some Foreign Mfg 9mm brass
with .175 inch diameter Small Pistol Boxer Primers that have "too small flash holes".
Might grab yer decappng pin and tie things up...

Good idea to make a probe to check diameters of foreign mfg. Range Pickup Brass Flash Holes.

[Bonz]

S&B brass is good reloading brass and has a 'very tight' primer pocket. The only brass 9mm cases that I would not reload are the ones that look like they have a brass cup pressed into them, which greatly reduces case capacity and increases pressure. I have seen these with headstamp IMT and FM but there are probably others.

[OS OK]

S&B brass is good reloading brass and has a 'very tight' primer pocket. The only brass 9mm cases that I would not reload are the ones that look like they have a brass cup pressed into them, which greatly reduces case capacity and increases pressure. I have seen these with headstamp IMT and FM but there are probably others.

What the heck is that about…it looks like an attempt to make a case from two different pieces of brass rolled together at the base?

[wv109323]

As you already know the crimped primer is a military requirement. I believe all NATO ammo has a circle with an X inside. So most ammo that is for the domestic market is unmarked with uncrimped primers.
I don't know your priming method but those headstamps in doubt I would try to prime a few.
I have almost an unlimited access to once fired 9MM brass. I do not fool with the crimped stuff . It goes in my scrap brass container.
I use Win., Federal, R-P, Blazer and Speer brass. I scrap Military, S&B, CBC(Mag-tech), Tula, Geco and Perfecta. Some of the ones I scrap may be usable: I understand Perfecta is made by one of the big European companies and CBC gives me headaches in .38 Special.

[Frank46]

I usually just use a neck chamfer tool on the S&B cases and no more problems. No primer leaks and loads and fires ok. Frank

[GONRA]

GONRA's seen Boaz and OS OK's cases too.
Assume these are designed with STRONGER HEADS to avoid blowout
in "generous feed ramp" pistols were the head is not well supported.

Bet the case is homogenous and doesn't contain an additional interal cup?
Right or Wrong?

[old benn]

If this the wrong Thread for this issue, . . . I'm sure someone will let me know. However; reading the forgoing comment and replies reminds me of another issue concerning
the multiple mixture of fired cases found on the floor of of the firing line. For someone like myself without fancy measuring equipment, what would be the best way to measure
case volume. At present I am concerned about straight wall, (slight taper) of the 9mm. ALSO: We have often been advised that the gov't rifle brass (7.62-30-06) is heavier and stronger (thicker) than the commercial equivalent and should be loaded "2 grains less" than our hand-load chart calls for, . . . but is that even an issue with military pistol brass? I'm also assuming all measurements would be after re-sizing.

old benn

[wv109323]

There is no easy way to measure volume for the average person. The easiest indication would be to weigh the cases. You could take the difference in weight and figure the amount of volume by the specific weight of brass.
I suppose you could fill the case with water then weigh the water after being poured into a container.
The best thing is to work up a load with the specific brass you are going to use.

[old benn]

WV109323 Hi: I think I remember trying water for a similar experiment years ago. I wondered how corn meal or something of a similar consistency might work better and would be easier to keep under control on a scale. The trick would be to get it to settle into a case with the same consistency time after time.

I'm think'in, . . . I'm think'in

Thanks for your response.

old benn

on 2nd thought: this procedure would not be accurate past the initial test because of the humidly effect on something like cornmeal. Even fine sand could be
effected by dampness in the air or heat. I believe it may work fine though as a comparison test from one manufacture of brass to another. So we can skip the
scale.

[GONRA]

You guys are driving yerself nuts on all this "pistol caliber case volume" stuff.

GONRA sez - segregate brass by headstamp.
Save any especially heavily constructed brass for Glocks that supposedly need this.
With each batch, start at lower end of manufacturer's suggested powder charge,
verk up until functioning and ejection sems reasonable.
(Eyeball primers too, but this is difficult to do with usual pistol cartridges.
By the time primers say "too much pressure" usually you are WAY "over max" powder charge.)

Maybe your final powder charge will vary a bit among "pickup brass" headstamp sorting...