reloadable brass

[William Yanda]

I purchased a lot of 45 Colt mixed headstamp brass on Gunbroker intending to reload for my 1858 Pietta New Army with a Taylor's conversion cylinder for "cowboy" loads. About 25% of the brass was deprimed R P. The primer holes are distorted, almost as if the primers had been drilled out and the bit caught. It was listed as Estate sale brass so it is what it is. My instinct is to add this to my "brass for salvage" bin. Do you agree or is this useable?

[M-Tecs]

Depending on how much the holes are oversize is may still be good for blackpowder or low press smokeless. Pics would help. If you are going to scrape it out maybe we could work something out.

[Larry Gibson]

Just clean them up with with a flash hole uniformer and use them. .45 Colt SAA loads you'll use in your conversion will be quite safe. If you don't want to use them you could send them to me. .....?

Larry Gibson

[BCRider]

The guy that previously de-primed the brass may indeed have used a drill to "clean" the primer pockets. The test will be to seat primers in the brass with emphasis on what sort of pressure is needed to seat the primer cups.

I've got a hand primer I use for rifle reloading. For testing suspect brass such as this it would be what I'd use to prime the cases after sizing them. I'd have a far better feel for the pocket condition by using the hand primer.

[km101]

Measure the primer pockets to determine if they are oversize. A good set of calipers will be accurate enough to determine if there is enough variation to be a problem.

If you have a hand primer, use it to prime an un-modified case and then one of the "suspect" cases to see if there is much difference in the amount of force necessary to prime the two. If the "suspect" case primes too easily, then don't reload them.

Just my $0.02!

[bangerjim]

Can anyone say........."scrap brass price?"

If the primer POCKETS were cleaned/reamed out by hand with a drill bit...you probably have a problem.

If you are talking the primer flash HOLE, someone probably drilled them out (sounds like by hand!!!) to shoot wax or plastic slugs with primers only. They do that to keep the primers from backing out. In a revolver, that will cause a jam. Do NOT use these for standard loads, as the larger flash hole will create potential severe pressure problems.........so I am told.

If that is what you have in either case, consider loading them with primer only and shooting hot melt glue slugs! I do it all the time in 45LC. And 38SPL/357MAG, 30-06, and 40 S&W. If you want details on making HMG glulits, PM me.

bangerjim :guntootsmiley: