Junk .45 Brass

[sukivel]

Not sure where to put this in the forum, but...

I just finished loading 1,000 rnds on the 550 and had about twenty crumpled bullets I guess I will call it. Every single one was an A-Merc case. Never heard of them. Nevertheless everyone was this brand case and only this case...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181025/9dd48078e1ce2b90b1bed490cea4fcd2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181025/a9dd6edbb0aa9b4cb3e1b06eded8b831.jpg


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[JimB..]

You obviously didn’t get the memo, that brass is best discarded.

And what brand primer is that?

[Pb Burner]

I agree. I sure hate to trash any brass, but any and all A-merc goes straight into the scrap bucket.

[sukivel]

Yeah I never got that memo! Junk can is it’s destiny...

I am using CCI No. 300.


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[Ateam]

funny colored cast boolits you got there....

[sukivel]

funny colored cast boolits you got there....

Yeah when I moved I found 3 boxes of those jokers from the ‘we thought we could never find bullets again if the feds ban them’ spree about 5 years ago.


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[sukivel]

funny colored cast boolits you got there....

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181025/4c8a93b64d52ee6fc7806ff0978a5533.jpg

Mucho más bueno!



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[El Bibliotecario]

I've reloaded occasional A-Merc cases on my 550B press and never identified them as problematic. But like other strange and wonderful brands, I assign them to lots marked 'junk brass,' saved for plinking sessions in high grass.

[nicholst55]

And they come in flavors other than .45 ACP, too!

[Ateam]

:smile:

I like your counter

[GBertolet]

Never had any problem with those cases. The two rounds pictured, look like they weren't flared at the mouth enough, shaved lead, causing the issues.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you search AMERC, you'll find hundreds of posts complaining about them.

Years ago, when I first found some AMERC in a batch of range brass I bought (38 spl), I did attempt to load them, there was a High percentage of failure, usually the case would crush during seating or crimping. When I say high percentage, I am comparing it to the failure rate of other brands...So 1 in 10 (10%) is really high. But with that said, I could have successfully loaded the remaining 90% without issue...I just choose to reject them all and send the brass to the scrappers.

I always sort all my brass by headstamp, so culling the AMERC (and other unfavorable brands) takes no extra work.

[Tackleberry41]

Isnt Amerc made in the Phillipines? I have never gotten enough to load. I sort thru and try to use same brands for a box of loads. Its rare to find enough to make a box.

[edp2k]

Never had any problem with those cases. The two rounds pictured, look like they weren't flared at the mouth enough, shaved lead, causing the issues.

This.

[lightman]

I agree that it looks like more flare was needed but there are other known problems with that brass. Case splits on the 2nd firing are one of them. Good brass is so plentiful right now that I trash those plus a few others. Life is too short.............

[John Boy]

On another link ... Brass with the headstamp AMERC is made by American Ammunition Inc in Miami, FL. It is the worst quality brass imaginable. The flash holes are often off-center, the case diameter is out of spec, and it often splits on the first or second firing. Not only do I not pick it up, when I find it I crush the case mouth with pliers to prevent some other reloader from experiencing the horror that is AMERC brass.

[fatelk]

I'm a brass scrounger and have been known to use questionable brass in the past, even steel and aluminum cases (though not anymore).

That said, AMERC brass of any caliber goes straight into the scrap bucket. From past experience over decades of reloading, I've found that you can occasionally make it work, but it's never worth the hassle. It's total garbage. Do yourself a favor- if it says AMERC, scrap it.

[tankgunner59]

Thanks for the info. I haven't run into any A-Merc yet but I'll keep an eye out for it. I have had a few problems with some others. A USA is one of them that have had several with off center flash holes. I found an Aguila the same way yesterday. I have noticed CBC 9mm Luger has a tighter internal diameter, I get a very pronounced bullet bulge with them.

[Postell]

:smile:

I like your counter

I like it to, I have an old Dillon counter that I will put back in service now.. Thanks OP.

[rbuck351]

I too have found that you can load the junk but it's not worth the hassel. Scrap yard!!!

[Wild Bill 7]

Yes americ brass is junk. Nothing but trouble and the junk brass bucket is where it gets to stay.

[gunwonk]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181025/a9dd6edbb0aa9b4cb3e1b06eded8b831.jpg

Case walls too thick, was my experience. Besides all the hassle, it crushes your bullet diameter. Even if you "succeed" in loading it, expect poor accuracy, and leading. :(

If I find any, it goes to the scrap metal yard. For about $1.70/pound, lately. (Here's a link: https://www.scrapmonster.com/scrap-prices/north-american-brassbronze/yellow-brass-scraps/26/1/1.)

[NathanHoln]

I once acquired 1000 once-fireds which included a dozen or so Amercs. I had seen on the internet that they are only good for recycling. I don't follow advice well and I tend to only learn from mistakes.

[marek313]

I have never found any of those Amercs but I just loaded some 45acp recently and i ran into MaxxTech brass which was doing pretty much the same thing walls were collapsing like that. Recycle bucket it is.

[donkee]

I still find those one in a while when I grab a handful from one of the buckets of 9mm I have as a stash. It all sux no matter the caliber...............

[paul edward]

The only other caliber I have seen with this headstamp is 32 Auto. Not made to respectable tolerances.

[afish4570]

Yes americ brass is junk. Nothing but trouble and the junk brass bucket is where it gets to stay.

My experience is that the primer pockets are out of spec too. Had primers fall out of cases as cartridges were feeding into chamber. Also found emty fired cases with no primers in them. Most of the reloaders I shoot with know this and scrap the brass. This has been know by alot of us for over 10 yrs. afish4570

[smilin jack]

We save all our bad brass, dead primers etc and take them to the scrap metal yard to trade for scrap lead. :redneck:

Be sure no live primers are mixed in there...

Smilin Jack

[CastingFool]

When I started reloading 45 acp, I had a batch of once fired PMC brass with off center flash holes. I scrapped the rest of the PMC brass I had. And won't reload it , if I find some

[Electrod47]

On another link ... Brass with the headstamp AMERC is made by American Ammunition Inc in Miami, FL. It is the worst quality brass imaginable. The flash holes are often off-center, the case diameter is out of spec, and it often splits on the first or second firing. Not only do I not pick it up, when I find it I crush the case mouth with pliers to prevent some other reloader from experiencing the horror that is AMERC brass. I lived the same nightmare with .44 special long ago. I thought it was me. Finally threw them all out and bought Starline. Reloaded the same batch of 500 for 20 years now.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Is Amerc brass still being made? I haven't seen any new Amerc for a long time, but I imagine some of what was made is still circulating. I'm sure I've got some that has been reloaded in my stash. I never had much trouble with it, but use a single stage press.

DG

[samari46]

I used A-merc brass once or twice on my Dillon. After that went through my brass and all of that brand went into the scrap bucket. And so did any of the brass with that headstamp. Lots of other shooters at our club did the same. Frank

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Is Amerc brass still being made? I haven't seen any new Amerc for a long time, but I imagine some of what was made is still circulating. I'm sure I've got some that has been reloaded in my stash. I never had much trouble with it, but use a single stage press.

DG
according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headstamp

"A-MERC (1983-2014) American Ammunition - Miami, Florida. Manufactured brass casings for handloaders and small-batch ammo manufacturers. Went out of business in 2014 due to internet backlash concerning a drop in product quality."

[fixit]

Sounds like good candidates for jackets for bullet swaging!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headstamp

"A-MERC (1983-2014) American Ammunition - Miami, Florida. Manufactured brass casings for handloaders and small-batch ammo manufacturers. Went out of business in 2014 due to internet backlash concerning a drop in product quality."

Very interesting information, Jon. Thanks for posting.

DG

[Huvius]

Sounds like good candidates for jackets for bullet swaging!

EXACTLY what I was thinking!

[ackleyman]

The only KaBOOM I have ever had was with AMERC brass in a Kimber, scared the heck out of me but the Kimber took the pressure blowing the mag out of the bottom. The pistol would never shoot the same after that, and I could only guess that it warped the frame or ?

[Burnt Fingers]

I ran 1400 rounds of 9mm the other day on my 650.

I had three rejects. One flipped primer, one split case and one AMERC brass.