Primer crimped 38 spl brass

[owejia]

Bought some 38 spl lc head stamp 77,78,79 last summer and decide to deprime, using a hand made deprimer from a set of side cutters, been using this for 3 or 4 years and never a problem even with 308 lc, 45acp and 5.56 lc brass. Some of these the depriming pin will punch a hole through the primer before they will pop out. Question I have , why were the 38spl cases crimped? Thought crimping was for full auto only. Also had a few WWC and WCC cases crimped but they deprimed easily. I usually deprime when I watch tv, but these things are so hard have to use both hands on about 30% of them already wore a couple of blisters from them being so hard. I always deprime off the press and clean my brass before sizing.

[Outpost75]

In later production GI Ball M41 and PGU/12-B and some lots of Q4070, primers are crimped to keep them from backing out and binding against the recoil shield or frame bolster of revolvers.

[Wayne Smith]

In the 1920's John Garand designed his first semiauto rifle using primer protrusion. Don't ask me how! Then the USArmy required ammo makers to crimp in the primer. He shifted to gas operation and designed the M1. I can't tell you why, but it was when bolt actions ruled.

[owejia]

Thanks , learn something new here everyday!

[beagle]

Those LC GI cases are really long lasting gems. Deprime and swage the crimp and then measure about 25 and trim to a consistent length. They load pretty good but are normally a little thick and show a distinctive bulge when loaded but man, do they last. I've been using a lot of WCC 74s (some crimped and some not) and some newer LCs since the 80s and only occasionally will I have the neck to split on one./beagle

[Char-Gar]

About 15 years ago, I was in a commercial reloading facility in San Antonio. Various agencies sent in their old brass and got reloaded ammo for practice back. They had a 5 gallon bucket of US GI brass on the floor, their automated machines would not handle. I asked what the owner wanted for it, and he said to take it and get it out of his shop. It is mostly Remington and WCC with a little FC along for the ride. I am set for life with 38 Special brass.

[Ben]

Like Beagle says, it is good brass, I have 1 K of it put back.

It works best ( for me ) with shorter bullets like the Lee 105 SWC or the Lee 125 gr. tumble lube trucanted cone.

[smkummer]

I have discovered that the WCC brass would easily deprime and often didn't need the crimp removed as it was very light. The LC brass was a hole different story that required a determined effort to make into reloadable brass.

[DLCTEX]

I have discarded a lot of the LC brass due to punching through the primer. It's not worth my time to remove the remaining primer shell.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

In the 80's and 90's I had some military friends overseas that used to give me hundreds and thousands of milspec 38 special brass that was fired and due to be DX ed. Most of it was PGU and WCC with crimped in primers. I removed the primers and got rid of the crimp and found that I had perfectly serviceable, strong brass that had thicker than commercial case walls. I was doing a lot of wadcutter work and as some of you know the seated bullet (flush with the case mouth for the S&W model 52) would bulge the wall of the case. I usually sized my bullets-H&G # 251 to .357, but with the milspec cases I found that sizing those bullets to .356 eliminated the bulging and there was no loss of accuracy. I am still reloading and using those cases after many years...lost count of how many times. I just keep them clean and trimmed to uniform length. LLS

[km101]

I like the milsurp .38spl brass and have a lot of it. In the mid 70's my Army Res. unit sometimes went to Carswell AFB (now Joint Reserve Base) to qualify with the M-16 and the .45acp. I was the unit armorer and was tasked with fixing minor problems at the range. The Air Force range officer was kind enough to let me use his shop for this. While I was working, I noticed a whole pistol rack of S&W Model 15 and about 25 more in boxes on a nearby shelf. They all had red tags on them. I asked about the red tags and was told that these guns were "designated for destruction." I was horrified. What a waste! New and "bout new" guns were to be torched!

As I was ******** about the waste of tax-payers money, he mentioned all the ammo and brass that he had to dispose of too. With a big grin, I told him that I would be glad to help him in that regard! He said that he could not give me any ammo as it was "accountable", but the he would give me some brass if I wanted it. At the end of the day he filled two of the old brown paper grocery bags to the top with once fired .38spl brass. I didn't even care when they spilled in the trunk of my car. When I got home I found that one bag was milsurp with crimped primers and the other was W-W and R-P wadcutter brass (with the two cannelures). I am still shooting that brass today. I don't shoot competition any more, so it will probably last the rest of my life. Love that military brass!

[mold maker]

Scrapping of any useable brass will eventually come back to bite us. If you don't have the time, or inclination to remove the military crimp, offer it, at a good price, to others who are willing, to do the work.
There will come a time when brass will be as hard to come by as primers and powder.
There are folks that have nothing else to do but, think of ways to deprive us of the 2nd amendment rights, by whatever means they can conjure up. Just how hard of a stretch is it to think the brass we take for granted might be their next effort?

[freebullet]

Never seen 38 crimped but did get some crimped primer 357 nickel cases.

[fguffey]

There was a time the Government had 38 Special cases reloaded, I still have a few in boxes that were recalled, seems it was determined the reloads were not for all 38 Specials, I was shooting them in a 357 Mag, in my opinion, the reloads did not come up to +P loadings.

F. Guffey

[leadhead]

I had some of that brass years ago and it would bulge the cases where they would not
chamber in the cylinder. Was told later by someone that the military loaded them with
9mm bullets so they would be sure to chamber in any civilian revolver that was brought
to Viet Nam. I scraped all mine as it was a pain to reload.
Denny

[bedbugbilly]

good informative thread!

owejia . . your reference to "hand made deprimer from a set of side cutters" has intrigued me. I love home made "solutions". Any chance you could post of photo of your hand made "de primer" for us to see? Thanks.

[SSGOldfart]

good informative thread!

owejia . . your reference to "hand made deprimer from a set of side cutters" has intrigued me. I love home made "solutions". Any chance you could post of photo of your hand made "de primer" for us to see? Thanks.

Same here