Do you: load or toss?

[pretzelxx]

Got this brass here, 5.56 type. A few dented here and there. So, do you try to fix and fire these or scrap them?9759297593

[Bullshop Junior]

Run me through a FL sizer and shoot em.

[dbosman]

Deprime, swage primer pocket, clean, resize and load.

[WallyM3]

I'd be inclined to clean them up, then inspect.

Most likely, if all the cases are like that, I'd load and shoot them. They'll "fire form" quite nicely.

[pretzelxx]

Cool! Wasn't sure to what extent a squished case could be fixed.

[Bullshop Junior]

Pretty much if you can size it without deforming it worse I will load em up and shoot them.

[WallyM3]

One little inspection test I use:

Citric acid bath will disclose leeched copper as a brick red splotch. If it polishes off in tumbling, it's superficial and the case is good. If not, there may be a structural problem with the alloy (C260). Since your dealing with 50,000 psi or so, why chance it.

You're not likely to find that deteriorated condition with those cases.

[Hickory]

It's called fireforming.

[MUSTANG]

Clean, round the mouth with a punch if needed, size/decap, Inspect, load, shoot - repeat.


I've enjoyed this cycle many, many thousands of cycles with 5.56/7.62/30-06 surplus brass over the years.

[arjacobson]

Even if the neck splits you can cut them down for 300 black out. Reanneal and your good to go!!

[bhn22]

Clean em up, tumble them, then see what you think of them. I'd probably use them too.

[pretzelxx]

Good suggestion to use the punch. A few may need it!

[DCM]

Deprime, clean, load and shoot.

[Cmm_3940]

If they look like they've been stepped on, make sure there is no mud inside. Otherwise, like everyone here is saying, process, load, and shoot.

[pretzelxx]

Yeah they get deprimed and then cleaned and inspected. I'm sure a few got stomped on here and there... I know I've rolled on a few before haha

[geargnasher]

One little inspection test I use:

Citric acid bath will disclose leeched copper as a brick red splotch. If it polishes off in tumbling, it's superficial and the case is good. If not, there may be a structural problem with the alloy (C260). Since your dealing with 50,000 psi or so, why chance it.

You're not likely to find that deteriorated condition with those cases.

:Bright idea:

Gear

[WallyM3]

I can't take credit for that one.

[dragon813gt]

One little inspection test I use:

Citric acid bath will disclose leeched copper as a brick red splotch. If it polishes off in tumbling, it's superficial and the case is good. If not, there may be a structural problem with the alloy (C260). Since your dealing with 50,000 psi or so, why chance it.

You're not likely to find that deteriorated condition with those cases.

I started doing this with range pickups that I know have been on the ground for awhile. I've tossed a good bit of 9mm and 223 because of it.

[JWFilips]

.223 on my public range gets a lot of "foot Traffic" if you know what I mean. Young guys blow a lot of it away on a Saturday & Sunday ( & tromp all over it) I'll pick it up & clean it It is still pretty good but Dents come out the next fireing. Seems like the most brass I can find

[Kraschenbirn]

Personally, I'd scrap 'em but I don't shoot .223/5.56 (or anything formed from .224/5.56) either. There's just too much of the stuff around to make it worth the time it might take to salvage those odds and ends. 'Round here, even the AR shooters who actually do reload don't want range sweepings. I've got a nearly full 5-gallon bucket, mostly .223/5.56 and 9x19, sitting under my workbench that'll be going to the recycler next time I'm up in Ford County...where I'll swap it for lead, of course.

Bill

[NVcurmudgeon]

As others have said, I de-squish all I can, especially LC. I'm beginning to think it's the best. As semis and full autos tend to be a little rough on brass, every case gets the bent wire test EVERY loading. Next is tumbling, FL sizing, then a check of length and look at the pockets. If using the RCBS swager it's much easier to start the rod into the case, THEN move the rim into the shellholder. RCBS' instructions tell you to do it the other way.

[pretzelxx]

I plan on investing in a swager, and doing the little "auto" eject mod found on YouTube. A simple spring or rubber band to make it about twice as fast!

Also, thanks for the advice about the stretch ring near the base, I'll keep my eyes peeled for this. Especially since I plan to scrap surplus brass I find laying around post ;)

[ShooterAZ]

I would toss it as well. I also have buckets full of 223 brass and wouldn't waste my time with it.

[walltube]

All discarded\abandoned mil-surp range brass with the yet intact, crimped, fired primer goes home with me. However, I do first ask if there are any claims to the stuff before I begin my dumpster-dive trip along the quiet and cold firing line. If there are no other shooters present other than my partner and I; it's loot and pillage! :mrgreen:

Once home, the prized brass is processed with most all the above mentioned methods and practices.

Good luck,
Wt.

[searcher4851]

I'm cheap/financially challenged so I try to reuse all the brass I can. I'd round it out, the mouth, size it, clean it, then inspect it.

[David2011]

The slightly squished ones resized just fine. The ones with creased mouths were scrapped. Two years ago when it was still cheap I bought 3000 pieces from Widener's and it appeared to all be fired in automatic weapons from the dents in them. It was heavily weathered, very dark and many were squished. All but 13 were reloadable after full length sizing and the citric acid treatment. Most look new now.

David