Brass you won't reload?

[Cmm_3940]

Aguila in .45ACP seems to be remarkably crummy.

[Mike Kerr]

S&B primer pockets are frequently undersized. Don't know why because not all of them are that way but enough to know that if there are primer seating issues on one of my progressives a S&B case is a "usual suspect". The actual case seems ok once you get the primer seated.

[country gent]

I have some ballon head cases in various calibers here I wont reload they are in a box on the shelf and some very old 38spl with large primer pockets that are with them.

[destrux]

A-merc is scrap for sure. I accidentally let one slip into my brass pile and wouldn't you know it.... it was the only round out of a batch of 300 that jammed.

I had some S&B .32 S&W that had rims that were under spec. My shell holder wouldn't pull them out of the die. What a pain.

I don't write off all S&B brass though, their 7.62x39 brass is excellent.

I've heard that anything with an arabic headstamp is absolute trash, but I've never seen any, so I don't know for sure.

[John Boy]

brass you won't reload?

Bertram Custom Brass!
In fact, I'll never buy another case from them ...
Paid $171 for 40 cases in 25-21. First reload: 38 cases split from the web to the mouth. Their brass is drawn and the quality is from hunger.

Ordered 100 of the same cases from Rocky Mountain Cartridge. Paid $212 ... all their brass is lathe turned. Not one case has split so far and these 25-21's are long thin wall cases

[thebigmac]

S&B primer pockets are frequently undersized. Don't know why because not all of them are that way but enough to know that if there are primer seating issues on one of my progressives a S&B case is a "usual suspect". The actual case seems ok once you get the primer seated.

I agree with Mike Kerr 100%+. I was loading .38 Spl. on an electric progressive machine. I recievd brass from a Police range and a lot
of them were S&B. SMALL PRIMERS & screwed up the works. Had to cull all the brass (???)and remove all S&B stuff. What
a BUMMER!!!! bigmac

[Patrick L]

I have only limited experience with S&B brass, but the 200 or so pieces of .30 carbine brass have in my current working batch is excellent. I had similar success with a box of 50 .357 magnum cases (obtained from firing a box of S&B factory) from about 20 years ago.

As for brass I wont reload, there isn't any specific brand or type I avoid. I do like to use commercial brass from one of the big three if possible. I do have a lot of mil surp .30-06 brass, and I will process and use that. I don't load any oddballs except for the 7.7 jap, and I got 100 pieces of Privi for that, so I should be set for that too.

[SlippShodd]

I recall a time in my life when every case was precious and as long as it wasn't split, I would load it; even steel .45 ACP cases. Decades of acquiring and accumulating have changed my perspectives, as well as having provided a veritable surfeit of components now. I now have the luxury of scrapping the troublemakers or just choose to not include certain components in my personal stash. That said, A-Merc cases have caused entirely too many stoppages on the Dillon to even be considered momentarily before being 2-pointed into the recycle bucket. S&B have managed to work their way in over the years, but as those loaded rounds are fired, that headstamp is not invited back; which seems a pity... the brass *looks* good. I no longer add military brass to my stores, having processed a plenty of it over the years, thank you very much. That already in use may stay, but I truly detest working over primer pockets. A several thousand round session with .223 soured me on that forever. Speaking of .223, PMC brass became my mule for loading cast in that caliber. I have a lot of it, it was sufficiently consistent, and has been serving me well. FC .223 automatically goes into the SEP pile, after far too many inconsistencies a couple loadings in.
Like the previous poster, I've managed the luxury of trimming down to a handful of known quantities. Some really good brass gets culled just because I don't want or need any more interlopers, but then I get to sell that brass cheap to guys who are trying to establish their brass empire like I was years ago.

mike

[Spawn-Inc]

brass, steel, aluminum i load it all!

today i had a FC brand 9mm case rim rip off while i was loading, never had that happen with brass before.

[sabot_round]

A-merc is garbage!!

[mj2evans]

LOL LOL LOL I saw title and IMMEDIATELY thought A-merc! I see someone else thought that too. Those clowns have no business making ammo. S&B 45 ACP cases have been a pain at times. I have sooo much 45 brass I just scrap S&B.

[SlippShodd]

In all fairness, I will amend my above post, somewhat. I recently started reloading .380 ACP, using a 900+ round stash of mixed brass I had. I've loaded weeeell over half of it, and discovered several A-Merc and S&B cases that made it through without any questionable issues during loading. Perhaps on that small a scale the deficiencies don't show up. I'll cull 'em after I fire them...

mike

[scattershot]

I pitch a-merc if I catch it in time. Lately I've been having trouble with split necks in 40 S&W with nickel cases. Never happened before, but it occurred often enough in the last batch of reloads that I'm leery of it now.


I read somewhere that a-merc was acceptable at one time, but I make a habit of pitching it anyway.

[.5mv^2]

40 sw Federal nickel plated. They crack. At least they stand out.

[jonk]

I don't reject ANY brass by brand only. I reject based on damage, out of spec that can't be fixed with trimming or pocket swaging, etc.

Glad so many folks here can afford to be so particular. Some of us like to be thrifty and not waste something that can still work with a small amount of effort.

[Bullet Caster]

I only cull steel, aluminum and berdan primed cases. I'm still trying to build my empire of brass as was mentioned above. I've never even seen an A-merc case. I've reloaded S&B and find no problems with it, esp. the 7.62x39. I'd be glad to dispose of anyone's brass they deem "not reloadable". BC

[mj2evans]

Hey I don't want to pitch ANY brass but after seeing soo many a-merc split on FIRST firing (30 carbine) tells me I don't need them going back into my guns.

[quack1]

One time I got some once fired 380 brass with "cavum" on the headstamp, along with the .380 caliber marking. By far, the worst brass I have ever loaded, shot it and left it lay in the grass at the range. Never did know what brand it was, the guy at the next bench that gave it to me threw the box in the trash, but I didn't think to look at it at the time. I figure it was foreign made, but have never run across that headstamp again.

[scattershot]

40 sw Federal nickel plated. They crack. At least they stand out.

Just checked that batch of reloads, and they were all Federal plated cases.

[DxieLandMan]

I'll reload just about any but I prefer not to reload mil brass with the crimped primer pockets. Too much of a hassle as others are fairly easy to find.