Just a heads up ... Your brass may not be brass

[igolfat8]

I was sorting through some range brass today after wet tumbling it and I noticed an odd looking 9mm “brass” case. It looked a bit odd so I swept it with a magnet and it turned out to be brass plated steel case. It was slightly copper colored and that is what stood out visually. Then I swepped the entire pile and found about 10 more out of roughly 500 9mm cases that were steel. They looked JUST like brass cases but as the magnet revealed they were only brass plated steel cases. These were NOT copper colored but yellow brass and looked identical to the other cases. If I wouldn’t have swepped all of them with a magnet I would not have caught them. Therefore, I’ve added a new step to my range brass inspection.

BTW, the two head stamps on those 9mm cases were FM and X-treme ST.

221664
221665

[Went2kck]

Very good to know

[nagantguy]

Thanks for the heads up, I also found a X-trem steel case in some range pick up 9mm.

[ReloaderFred]

Several manufacturers are using brass plated steel cases. Checking for them is part of the case inspection regimen.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[jmorris]

Yep S&B makes both 9mm brass cases and brass plated steel cases.

[ioon44]

I find brass plated steel cases with the WIN head stamp and a few others, they can be reloaded but for me not worth the effort.

[thegatman]

Good to know

[KenH]

Is there a major reason steel "brass" can't be reloaded, as long as it's the normal boxer primer? I realize it will take a bit more pressure thru the press for resizing, but with the brass plated that might not be so bad. I wouldn't expect steel case to last thru as many reloads as does brass, but if steel is in the mix, and it's boxer primed - why not use it?

[lightman]

I keep a few magnets around my loading and tumbling areas. I guess I'll add a step and pass a magnet over everything before I process it.

[Soundguy]

I've reloaded a few brass plated steel pistol cases. I used lube even with carbide and TiN dies. It wasn't too bad. I like plain brass better..

[n.h.schmidt]

I have reloaded WW2 Steel 45acp cases. Some of them several times. They were really no big deal. Sized with only a slight increase in effort. No splits even after several reloads.
n.h.schmidt

[jmorris]

I would always run a magnet over my brass before sorting it, then caught one that got past that process.

So I just keep a magnet on the clip that holds my case feeder tubes now. It doesn’t let them by.


http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMAG0992.jpg

[bangerjim]

I have seen them. Garbage! At my range I find (mostly 9mm) brass, brass-plated steel, gray steel, and aluminum casings. The real brass is definitely the majority and is reloadable.

Just keep a weather eye out! And mabe a good strong magnet!

Works VERY well:

https://www.harborfreight.com/long-reach-magnetic-pickup-tool-with-quick-release-93950.html

[biffj]

I've been loading steel cases for years with no issues whatsoever. They don't wear out any quicker and I've not had any problems sizing them. I can't tell any difference as far as that goes. I'd not be afraid of reloading them as long as they were boxer primed. The brass plating makes it easier if anything and prevents corrosion. The only possible issue I can see with the steel cases is that they might have a different capacity causing a difference in point of impact vs the others. Of course that is true of the brass cases too from brand to brand.
Frank

[ioon44]

One thing I found loading steel cases is a lot of burs in side of the mouth of the case, after removing the burs they loaded as well as any other brass.

[Creepin]

Interesting, I'll keep my eyes peeled for them! Thanks

[Hossfly]

Jmorris that’s a good trick for catching those steel cases, will be adding that devise to mine in the am. Thanks for that info. I’ve never found one tho, if we could get something that would catch those little 380s that would be good to have.

[tankgunner59]

I've never found any brass washed steel pistol cases at our ranges. I have seen a lot of brass washed steel 7.62x39. Checked into reloading it and the people I heard from said it wears there dies a lot, so I decided not to reload the steel. I have plenty of brass for each of my calibers so it's a non-issue.
However, I do sweep my brass with a small magnet to check for steel, it is a good idea. That being said thanks much for the heads up!

[Smk SHoe]

Being able to load up some steel or brass plated steel cases for those times where recovering the casing isn't feasible would be nice.

[Soundguy]

That's when I shoot steel. For times when I can't police brass for whatever reason.

[kevin c]

S&B has plated steel cases as well.

The Xtreme plated steel cases that I have seen are all marked "ST", while the regular brass cases are not. A magnet is faster for sorting, of course, but if you have a handful of pick ups and no magnet handy, the ST's can be dumped.

I've read that steel and aluminum cases, both generally considered not reloadable, don't resize correctly in dies meant for brass cases since the properties of the metals differ. I haven't (knowingly) tried it myself, though.