30/06 Question

[dddddmorgan]

This might not be the right place but I thought my question fell in this category.

I picked up a big bag of 30/06 brass for too cheap to pass up. In the bag are a few commercial, everything else (7+ lbs) is older military.

This was dirty brass and such and after cleaning and sizing I have a big handful with wrinkles or dents and such.

I'm wondering if these will smooth out with a light load in my rifle? I'm thinking one of the light 30 caliber bullets for the M1 Carbine loaded up for a plinking round.

Just wondering your thoughts, the wrinkles, dents etc... vary in their position on the case, mostly the body but some on the shoulder area.

[Castaway]

More than likely, the dents are from too much sizing lube. A light load will fill them out

[725]

+ 1 w/ castaway

[scattershot]

I think Castaway nailed it. Just shoot them if they will chamber. The dents will come out.

[TNsailorman]

You are in the right place to ask this question. Just load and shoot as usual and they will fireform back with no dents unless. The dents may have been caused by too much lube in the sizing process. I use Imperial die wax and I can recommend it highly. james

[Winger Ed.]

If the dents are on the shoulder-- Load & shoot like normal, they'll iron themselves right back out.
Next time around, don't use so much case lube.

[gwpercle]

The little lube dents , that look like a shallow dimple , are not a problem and can be loaded normally ( don't use for MAXIMUM pressure loads) and they will iron out on firing .
The " wrinkles" that depends on how bad they are wrinkled and where the wrinkles are located ...
can you post some photo's of the wrinkled ones .
Gary

[Jim22]

Another thing: The US military brass will have a date on the headstamp.



If the date is before 1950 or so the ammunition was loaded with corrosive primers. It happened at different times with different suppliers. Here is a brakdown. http://www.odcmp.org/1101/usgi.pdf

Jim

[dddddmorgan]

I have a couple of dents from too much lube, lots of cases and too many interruptions, those I'm familiar with.

The dents I'm referring to are down the body and were present before I sized.

I was going through this when the neighbor wandered over and gave me a tub of Imperial, a first for me and I'm a convert!

I'll have to pick up something to load that isn't a nice bullet, I don't have a mold...

So one other question: I have a handful of cases that were obviously once fired and after sizing they failed to fit (by the thickness of the rim or less) in my gauge. These cases will fit in my rifle with a bit of resistance on closing the bolt (here comes the question finally). Would these be safe to load and try to form to my chamber?

And yep, I've got cases dated all the way back to '42. Most of the old ones like that have never been loaded but I punched the primer and sized.

[lar45]

If the bolt will close all the way, then it should be safe to fireform in your rifle.

[Pavogrande]

Dent is no issue, a crease is -- a sharp crease will likely split --

[SoonerEd]

Dent is no issue, a crease is -- a sharp crease will likely split --

This

[gwpercle]

Dent is no issue, a crease is -- a sharp crease will likely split --

And why I wanted to see the cases you referto as a "Wrinkle" ... if a wrinkle is a crease ...
and that creased / wrinkle is sharp ...it could very well split on firing .

Also don't reload any cases fired with the old corrosive primers , they contained a mercury compound that over time makes the brass brittle ...it will split on reloading and firing .
I don't reload any fired cases unless they are dated 1955 or later . Army surplus 30-06 fired brass from WWII and Korea used to be plentiful ... but you had to watch for the corrosive primed ones.
Gary

[trebor44]

Shoot & reload the HK or PTR brass when I can find it after a session outside! Hard plastic brass savers are the only ones that are reliable and don't get holes blown in them. The brass does get mangled but will get reloaded (light load) if it passes the gauge test. So inspect, reload or discard. Brass is malleable!

[a danl]

This might not be the right place but I thought my question fell in this category.

I picked up a big bag of 30/06 brass for too cheap to pass up. In the bag are a few commercial, everything else (7+ lbs) is older military.

This was dirty brass and such and after cleaning and sizing I have a big handful with wrinkles or dents and such.

I'm wondering if these will smooth out with a light load in my rifle? I'm thinking one of the light 30 caliber bullets for the M1 Carbine loaded up for a plinking round.

Just wondering your thoughts, the wrinkles, dents etc... vary in their position on the case, mostly the body but some on the shoulder area.

you may have too much of a lube buildup inside the die which should be cleaned out with a solvent

[Geezer in NH]

And why I wanted to see the cases you referto as a "Wrinkle" ... if a wrinkle is a crease ...
and that creased / wrinkle is sharp ...it could very well split on firing .

Also don't reload any cases fired with the old corrosive primers , they contained a mercury compound that over time makes the brass brittle ...it will split on reloading and firing .
I don't reload any fired cases unless they are dated 1955 or later . Army surplus 30-06 fired brass from WWII and Korea used to be plentiful ... but you had to watch for the corrosive primed ones.
Gary

Sorry you are wrong. Corrosive primers do not hurt the Brass at all. Mercuric however do but they have not been used for decades before WWII. Don't worry using corrosive primed brass reloaded with non corrosive primers.

[Winger Ed.]

The dents I'm referring to are down the body and were present before I sized.

Depending on what they were fired in, that's pretty normal.
I think that happens during the ejection cycle and the closing of the bolt kicks them against the receiver on the way out.
I've always loaded those cases unless the dent was real deep with sort of a crease in them, but that's rare.

[poppy42]

Sorry you are wrong. Corrosive primers do not hurt the Brass at all. Mercuric however do but they have not been used for decades before WWII. Don't worry using corrosive primed brass reloaded with non corrosive primers.

+1 on this

[poppy42]

Also remember there is a case volume difference between military brass and commercial brass! Loading military brass to a maximum load ment for commercial brass can create dangerously high pressure. To be safe (I always do this) If loading Max loads in military brass decrease the load by 1.5 grns for 30.06 and 1grn for 308 (762x51)!

[farmbif]

I look at it this way after quite a while of scrounging brass from many varied sources. You say you got a big bag full, for free.
I can only relate from my own experience. I bag questionable brass and reload the rest. I might take one or two pieces of "problem" brass and put a starting load in it and give it a go to see what happens. but if you got plenty you might put the questionable stuff aside for a rainy day.