Cannelured Brass. Use it or Lose it?

[RydForLyf]

What do you do with 9mm cannelured brass? My concern is that it may swage the bullet base.

[StuBach]

I am more thinking through the physics of this but as long as you use an expander plug/funnel wouldn’t that effectively resize the interior of the case to not cause that issue?

I know I’ve used cannelured brass in 357 or 38 (can’t recall which it was) and never had an issue but also never checked to make sure bullets weren’t swagged down.

[mehavey]

No problem at all.
Reload as normal.

[358429]

What is the head stamp that you're looking at?

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[beagle]

Probably doesn't make a difference. I once pulled a bunch of loaded cast 9mm from an estate and all pulled bullets measured .355-356". Said Hmmmmmmmm! I load mine with a bullet sized as close as I can measure to .3575" (sizer happens to be that size). Just to satisfy my curiosity. I pulled a few of mine. .355-356". Looks like the seating process tends to swage them down during the seating/crimping process. I see no problems with the accuracy with this setup.
I noticed the same thing with the .30 Carbine round. Bullets loaded at .310-311" afterwards pulled at .308".
Based on this, I'm making an assumption that they ware swaged down during seating and crimping.
Seems to not affect accuracy in either case./beagle

[RydForLyf]

I am more thinking through the physics of this but as long as you use an expander plug/funnel wouldn’t that effectively resize the interior of the case to not cause that issue?

I know I’ve used cannelured brass in 357 or 38 (can’t recall which it was) and never had an issue but also never checked to make sure bullets weren’t swagged down.

I agree with your thinking. Right now I’m using the Dillon expander and it doesn’t go very far into the case, especially if using heavier (longer) bullets. I’m going to be switching to the UniqueTek expander which is both wider and longer and that will hopefully get past the problem areas.

[RydForLyf]

What is the head stamp that you're looking at?

Many different. This is all range pickup, so no one headstamp.

[RydForLyf]

Probably doesn't make a difference. I once pulled a bunch of loaded cast 9mm from an estate and all pulled bullets measured .355-356". Said Hmmmmmmmm! I load mine with a bullet sized as close as I can measure to .3575" (sizer happens to be that size). Just to satisfy my curiosity. I pulled a few of mine. .355-356". Looks like the seating process tends to swage them down during the seating/crimping process. I see no problems with the accuracy with this setup.
I noticed the same thing with the .30 Carbine round. Bullets loaded at .310-311" afterwards pulled at .308".
Based on this, I'm making an assumption that they ware swaged down during seating and crimping.
Seems to not affect accuracy in either case./beagle

I guess I should sacrifice a few for testing.

[Sasquatch-1]

I have been loading .38spl and .44 mag for 40+ years. A lot of it has cannular on them. Never had any problems.

I have notice that most brass will be bulged out a bit by bullets' that are sized slightly bigger then the sized brass. Everything fits well in the guns and shoots accurately.

Just my experience...nothing scientific.

[RydForLyf]

I have been loading .38spl and .44 mag for 40+ years. A lot of it has cannular on them. Never had any problems.

I have notice that most brass will be bulged out a bit by bullets' that are sized slightly bigger then the sized brass. Everything fits well in the guns and shoots accurately.

Just my experience...nothing scientific.

Thanks.

[Wally]

Cannelured brass cases are prone to body splitting and don't give you as many loadings as non-cannelured brass. Most of mine are range pickups, that other kind shooters left just for me; so I gladly accept them. These body splits even happen with non-magnum pistol brass calibers...ie .38 Spl/.44 Spl/.45 Colt.

[RydForLyf]

Cannelured brass cases are prone to body splitting and don't give you as many loadings as non-cannelured brass. Most of mine are range pickups, that other kind shooters left just for me; so I gladly accept them. These body splits even happen with non-magnum pistol brass calibers...ie .38 Spl/.44 Spl/.45 Colt.

That’s ok by me. I don’t mind tossing split cases, but throwing away unsplit cases just feels wrong. ;-)

[lightman]

Load them and shoot them. The cannelure won't hurt anything.

[onelight]

I use them , prefer no cannelure but am not getting rid of useable brass.
If they blow out long they can be sorted from the non cannelure for pistol , for rifle I trim them to same length.

[reloader28]

Probably doesn't make a difference. I once pulled a bunch of loaded cast 9mm from an estate and all pulled bullets measured .355-356". Said Hmmmmmmmm! I load mine with a bullet sized as close as I can measure to .3575" (sizer happens to be that size). Just to satisfy my curiosity. I pulled a few of mine. .355-356". Looks like the seating process tends to swage them down during the seating/crimping process. I see no problems with the accuracy with this setup.
I noticed the same thing with the .30 Carbine round. Bullets loaded at .310-311" afterwards pulled at .308".
Based on this, I'm making an assumption that they ware swaged down during seating and crimping.
Seems to not affect accuracy in either case./beagle

I'd say you need different dies or they are set up wrong.
I size mine at .358 and when I pull them they are .358

[lesharris]

I load and shoot as normal. The cannelure seems to do nothing.

[mdi]

Wow, a lot of answers. These days a cannelure is mainly for identification, was originally for stopping bullet set back. I have only been reloading 38 Special brass since '69, many with cannelures. Impossible to tell any difference with cannalured brass. I have only been reloading 9mm for roughly30 years and the same, many with 125 gr RF cast from my "mystery metal" (11-12 BHN). A cannelure will not swage bullets, especially fired (used) brass and most are below a seated bullet's base. Case life? My experience with 9mm is zero shortening, no splits at cannelure...

If you want to separate your cannelured brass, no big deal. But in a few decades I have seen no problems with cannelured brass...

[beagle]

If it ain't broke, I won't try and fix it./beagle


I'd say you need different dies or they are set up wrong.
I size mine at .358 and when I pull them they are .358

[RydForLyf]

Wow, a lot of answers. These days a cannelure is mainly for identification, was originally for stopping bullet set back. I have only been reloading 38 Special brass since '69, many with cannelures. Impossible to tell any difference with cannalured brass. I have only been reloading 9mm for roughly30 years and the same, many with 125 gr RF cast from my "mystery metal" (11-12 BHN). A cannelure will not swage bullets, especially fired (used) brass and most are below a seated bullets base. Case life? My experience with 9mm is zero shortening, no splits at cannelure...

If you want to separate your cannelured brass, no big deal. But in a few decades I have seen no problems with cannelured brass...

I’ve built up a decent batch of both cannelured and non to shoot from a Ransom Rest to see if there any discernible differences.

[mchapman]

As already noted above, the cannelure is used for identification, but something to check for and not be confused about is stepped brass, mainly with 9mm the step is on the inside .These will cause problems, with reloading and of greater concern is case separation in the gun leaving a ring of brass in your chamber. I would throw away all stepped brass that you come across.

[RydForLyf]

As already noted above, the cannelure is used for identification, but something to check for and not be confused about is stepped brass, mainly with 9mm the step is on the inside .These will cause problems, with reloading and of greater concern is case separation in the gun leaving a ring of brass in your chamber. I would throw away all stepped brass that you come across.

Welcome to the forum.

[MT Gianni]

PM me if you are just going to toss them.

[higgins]

I've reloaded a lot of .38 spl. wadcutter brass over the years, some of it over 20 times with moderate loads. Closest I've come to a split within the cannelure is a tiny pinhole in one of the cannelure indentions. I've never had a circular crack around the case at a cannellure.

[kevin c]

I use all brands of cannelured 9mm cases except Aguila, where the knurling is more like a groove and seems to go deep into the brass, and my long 147's sized to .357 seem to have the heel right under the groove. Many loaded cases had the groove widen and the edges expand outward more than the rest of the case wall. Many wouldn't chamber, binding at the expanded cannelure, probably a good thing as I have my doubts about case integrity on firing. Unknurled Aguila cases were fine; only the cannelured cases gave me fits.

[RydForLyf]

I use all brands of cannelured 9mm cases except Aguila, where the knurling is more like a groove and seems to go deep into the brass, and my long 147's sized to .357 seem to have the heel right under the groove. Many loaded cases had the groove widen and the edges expand outward more than the rest of the case wall. Many wouldn't chamber, binding at the expanded cannelure, probably a good thing as I have my doubts about case integrity on firing. Unknurled Aguila cases were fine; only the cannelured cases gave me fits.

Interesting. I’m hoping to do some ransom rest testing to validate my hypothesis, but just haven’t been able to get that done yet.

[ioon44]

I never have had a problem using cannelured brass in 9 mm or any other caliber and I shoot a lot.

[fredj338]

Cannelure brass is fine, it blows out on firing. What you want to avoid is brass with an internal step, bad juju.

[RydForLyf]

Cannelure brass is fine, it blows out on firing. What you want to avoid is brass with an internal step, bad juju.

Yep, those get tossed.

[jsizemore]

I shoot bevel base bullets all the time.