Oversize Flash Holes in Winchester brass

[44Vaquero]

In preparation for my newest project (1858 Remington w/Kirst 45 ACP konverter) I started prepping a small supply of once fired Winchester brass I had acquired several years ago. During the de-priming and sizing operation I noticed several dozen cases had over-sized flash holes.

In 20+ years of reloading I have never seen flash holes this large! They are every bit of twice the size of normal or better. They do not appear to be burned out, they appear to have been formed at that size.

Has anyone ever seen this before in Winchester brass of any caliber?

Will the size of the hole affect the performance of the reload?

I think the brass may have a cold weather loading or perhaps a SMG Load.

[mooman76]

I have heard blanks have large flash holes. They could raise pressures slightly with larger holes.

[Chris Smith]

There's some new ammo on the market that has the big flash holes you mention. I forgot what it's called but It has a bullet in it. And Winchester markets it, maybe something like "Win-Clean". Not sure if I'd try to reload it.

[Gee_Wizz01]

The Win cases with the large flash holes are from Win ammo with the lead free primers. They reload just fine with any loads within the normal 45ACP pressure range. I have a lot of this brass and have no problems at all reloading it, and no excessively flat primers with normal loads. I believe the ammo is called Win NT, IIRC. I bought a bunch at Wally World, and was surprised by the large flash hole when I went to reload it.

G

[44Vaquero]

Thanks for the info guys. This was my 1st post on this site.
Gee Wizz01: It's interesting you should mention flattened primers, the primers from these cases were mashed flat and deformed. A condition I have noted in many new factory pistol loads .32 mag, 327 mag, 9mm. 40 cal, and 45 acp to name a few.
I will am going to load up few for 1858 Remmi and see how they compare over the chrony. These loads will all be low velocity loads with light cast boolits 150 to 200 grains should be interesting.

[NSP64]

Welcome 44Vaquero.
I posted about this earlier and was told the same thing. some kind of new lead free primming mix. I think they have gone to thinner cups also (price of metal and all that cr*p) It sound like you have a neat project ahead , please post your results.

[justingrosche]

I came across some 45 ACP mixed brass that I had gotten on a trade a while back that had similar excessive flash holes. It was sent to me deprimmed. It looked like he deprimmed with a 16 P nail. I chucked it in the salvage bin. It was only 50 or so cases.
I dont know if there would have been an issue, but I wasnt going to harm a $600 pistol for $3 worth of brass to find out.

[wiljen]

In the 45 ACP with standard pressure loads, it wouldn't make enough difference to worry about. I wouldn't do it with a 60,000 PSI rifle round though. Winchester issued a statement when they came out with those that they could be used with normal recipe loads without problems. It is noteworthy that Winchester has since gone to small primers in the 45 ACP for non-toxic loads so the enlarged flash-holes only lasted a few production runs and are relativity few and far between in the 45 ACP world. Today it seems that most non-tox ammo has gone the small primer route and that even some of the normal off the shelf stuff is headed that way (Speer is all small primer now in the 45 ACP lawman series).

[timkelley]

I have some Federal cases with the large flash holes. I load them and shoot them.