45 ACP Brass Weight Comparison

[housedad]

I realized today, While sorting 45 ACP brass by headstamp, that I was in a unique position to determine the variance of weights between some of the different makers of brass. I just got done sorting about 15,000 cases by headstamp, and I had a good assortment of brass manufacturers.

So, I proceeded to take 3 samples of 10 from each manufacturer. I weighed each batch with my counting scale, Which is accurate to .001lbs (about 1/2 gram.) Then the three readings are averaged together. Not a perfect test using this scale, to be sure, but it is pretty indicative after the different batches are weighed and averaged.


Anyway, 3 batches of 10 cases of each manufacturer, each batch weighed twice, and sale zeroed before each reading. All are commercial except I believe the WCC Match. All the brass had already been tumbled in walnut in my cement mixer for at least 4 hours.

All weights shown below are shown in thousandths of a pound. ie: Federal is 12.6 thousandths of a pound.

In no particular order:

Federal 12.6
Speer 12.9
Winchester 12.8
Starline 12.7
PMC 13.4
CBC 12.9
CCI 12.9
WCC Match 12.1 (years 96 and 98)
S&B 12.7
Fiocci 12.3
Blazer 12.5
CorBon 12.6
G.F.L. 12.9
W.W. 14.0
AMERC 14.1 (before you ask, yes I threw all the Amerc away. I had to dig in the trash to get the samples )


I hope someone finds this interestin and useful....

Bion

[housedad]

I should add a observance.

Each manufacturer and brand has it's own special things that identify it somehow, either in color, the way it is stamped, fine lines on it from the drawing process, variances in the cut of the rim, etc. I have looked at the individual headstamps and bodies of literally over 65 thousand 45 ACP cases.

The Speer and CBC brass are identical twins. The only difference is the name stamped on them. It is my belief that the CBC bras is made by Speer. Among other things, they both have a uniue concavity around the primer that is not on any other brand.

[mroliver77]

Very interesting H.D. I was surprised to find the match brass the lightest.
BTW what is the amerc stuff?
A couple years back I was having some difficulties with .45acp and found it to be the amerc brass. I sorted it out and problem solved.
Jay

[Shiloh]

Don't know about .45ACP, but last time I weighed it, Federal 9mm brass was lighter than most as well. Good Study!!

Shiloh

[housedad]

Very interesting H.D. I was surprised to find the match brass the lightest.
BTW what is the amerc stuff?
A couple years back I was having some difficulties with .45acp and found it to be the amerc brass. I sorted it out and problem solved.
Jay

Amerc brass is known for problems with the primer pocket. They are a bit loose. Of the 50 or so that I have found (thank GOD only 50) many of the primers are mising, blown out or have huge holes in them. The brass that has had a primer blown out will not hold a new primer. The brass is also pretty soft.

I tried to reload them to see if the bad reputation was deserved. IT IS.

I throw them away.

[housedad]

BTw, there are color differences between the brass. This indicates a different alloy of the brass. Most cartridge brass is listed as 70% copper, 30% zink. Just changing the alloy a little, to 65% copper and 35% zink makes it into Yelllow Brass. I am sure there are some slight differences between manufacturers. Maybe I should compare them and post it.