How Do You Manage Your Case Use?

C

CQB45ACP

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I’m trying to figure a better method of circulating my 9mm & 45acp brass usage and could use suggestions.

Until recently I’d just shoot, clean, throw in container of like headstamps and grab a handful later for priming/loading. No rhyme nor reason. FIFO was theoretical but not managed in any real way.

I shoot about 100 rds of each caliber weekly and am thinking of keeping just a couple hundred of each in circulation—shoot them until they fail and replace individually as they do.

I’m sure at least one of you will suggest a spreadsheet or other formal records keeping system, but knowing me as well as I do, I’d never sustain something formal.

Thanks for your suggestions.
 
I mark my lots of brass with a small groove filed into the rim of the case (using a dremel tool). In my reloading records book I keep track of the number of times each lot has been loaded. Once I start to see case failures, I discard the remaining brass of that lot. this may be too formal for you, but at lease mark the brass, or keep each lot separated in bags so when failures start you can dispose of the remainder of the lot.
 
1st option: I have a batch I’m shooting, and another batch that’s either dirty in the shed in a marked bin, or tumbled, marked, and in a box, ready for when the batch I’m shooting is shot up.

2nd option: I have only one batch, and I shoot it until it’s gone, then I clean and reload it.

.38 Spl and .357 Mag fall into option 1, .44 Mag is option 2, etc, etc.
 
Fyrstyk said:
I mark my lots of brass with a small groove filed into the rim of the case (using a dremel tool). In my reloading records book I keep track of the number of times each lot has been loaded. Once I start to see case failures, I discard the remaining brass of that lot. this may be too formal for you, but at lease mark the brass, or keep each lot separated in bags so when failures start you can dispose of the remainder of the lot.
Click to expand...
Thanks

If I had such self discipline…but I do like being able to know how many times reloaded. If I get somewhat more organized at least my guesstimates will be closer.
 
Walkalong said:
1st option: I have a batch I’m shooting, and another batch that’s either dirty in the shed in a marked bin, or tumbled, marked, and in a box, ready for when the batch I’m shooting is shot up.

2nd option: I have only one batch, and I shoot it until it’s gone, then I clean and reload it.

.38 Spl and .357 Mag fall into option 1, .44 Mag is option 2, etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Thanks

I like option two but would require me to really accelerate my weekly reloading pace. So a combo of the two might work. Might have to go back to Uniflow vs dipper.
 
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For whatever nut case reason, early on I kept pistol brass in 50 round boxes and kept track of the number of times fired. I still have plenty of 357 Mag, 44 Special, 45 LC, 44 Magnum cases where I have the number of times the stuff has been reloaded. I gave that up for 38 Special brass and 45 ACP because I was firing an ammunition can or two every year and it was impossible to keep brass segregated by firings.

At one point, I had 44 Special brass that had about 20 to 25 firing's, I removed them from their 50 round boxes, added new to those boxes, and continued to fire the old stuff. Old loaded stuff is in a big ziplock bag in a 50 cal ammunition can, and when I fire it, the empties go into another ziplock bag in the same can. When the loaded stuff is all fired, I reload all the empties. I have no idea of how many times it has been reloaded now. I occasionally have a cracked case neck.

At the end of every Bullseye Pistol season I am loading 45ACP empties for next season. I fill up 30 caliber cans with reloaded 45 ACP and I have no idea how many times any of the cases have been fired and reloaded. I do not recommend filling a 50 caliber can with loose loaded 45ACP ammunition as a full 50 caliber can must weigh 50 pounds! I love GI ammunition cans, fill one up with loaded ammunition, shoot the loaded ammunition, and fill up another ammo can with the empties. At some point, I need to reload, and then I reload the whole lot. I do keep track of powder lot changes when an old jug of Bullseye Pistol powder is empty and I have to go to another but different powder lot. There are velocity differences between lots and that is important when shooting loads that just function a 1911. So what is left of the old lot is bagged, and the new powder is also bagged, to keep them separate.

This is one reason I standardized on pistol loads. It is much easier to load a whole ammunition can, or two, with one load that shoots well in all pistols. My standard 38 Special load is a 158 L with 3.5 grains Bullseye. It shoots well in everything. I found a 158 L shoots great in a 357 Magnum with 13.5 grs 2400 in a 357 case. It is just a bugger to have a 50 round box here, and another there, with different loads. Sure, when testing a new powder, I do run small batches, but once I like a load, I use it for ammunition cans full of loaded brass.

I love Lake City rifle brass. The case heads are stamped with a date and it was easy to keep track of the number of times one particular year was resized and reloaded. With full power rifle rounds, it is important to keep track of the number of firings, as primer pockets open in time. Tell you what, I scrounged hundreds of Federal Gold Medal 223 match from the Service Teams at Camp Perry, and the case heads on that stuff would expand from third to fifth reload, and the primers would fall out in the action, causing jams. It is important to keep that stuff segregated and to keep track just where I am on the number of firings.

Scrounged brass is free, and I don't feel bad about tossing it when it gets to be suspect.
 
I used to be anal about keeping record of how many times my pistol and revolver brass had been reloaded. I have enough brass to last the rest of my lifetime. These days I shoot 'em till they split. Rifle brass is a different story. I keep track of firings and carefully inspect each case before loading.
 
Slamfire said:
For whatever nut case reason, early on I kept pistol brass in 50 round boxes and kept track of the number of times fired. I still have plenty of 357 Mag, 44 Special, 45 LC, 44 Magnum cases where I have the number of times the stuff has been reloaded. I gave that up for 38 Special brass and 45 ACP because I was firing an ammunition can or two every year and it was impossible to keep brass segregated by firings.

At one point, I had 44 Special brass that had about 20 to 25 firing's, I removed them from their 50 round boxes, added new to those boxes, and continued to fire the old stuff. Old loaded stuff is in a big ziplock bag in a 50 cal ammunition can, and when I fire it, the empties go into another ziplock bag in the same can. When the loaded stuff is all fired, I reload all the empties. I have no idea of how many times it has been reloaded now. I occasionally have a cracked case neck.

At the end of every Bullseye Pistol season I am loading 45ACP empties for next season. I fill up 30 caliber cans with reloaded 45 ACP and I have no idea how many times any of the cases have been fired and reloaded. I do not recommend filling a 50 caliber can with loose loaded 45ACP ammunition as a full 50 caliber can must weigh 50 pounds! I love GI ammunition cans, fill one up with loaded ammunition, shoot the loaded ammunition, and fill up another ammo can with the empties. At some point, I need to reload, and then I reload the whole lot. I do keep track of powder lot changes when an old jug of Bullseye Pistol powder is empty and I have to go to another but different powder lot. There are velocity differences between lots and that is important when shooting loads that just function a 1911. So what is left of the old lot is bagged, and the new powder is also bagged, to keep them separate.

This is one reason I standardized on pistol loads. It is much easier to load a whole ammunition can, or two, with one load that shoots well in all pistols. My standard 38 Special load is a 158 L with 3.5 grains Bullseye. It shoots well in everything. I found a 158 L shoots great in a 357 Magnum with 13.5 grs 2400 in a 357 case. It is just a bugger to have a 50 round box here, and another there, with different loads. Sure, when testing a new powder, I do run small batches, but once I like a load, I use it for ammunition cans full of loaded brass.

I love Lake City rifle brass. The case heads are stamped with a date and it was easy to keep track of the number of times one particular year was resized and reloaded. With full power rifle rounds, it is important to keep track of the number of firings, as primer pockets open in time. Tell you what, I scrounged hundreds of Federal Gold Medal 223 match from the Service Teams at Camp Perry, and the case heads on that stuff would expand from third to fifth reload, and the primers would fall out in the action, causing jams. It is important to keep that stuff segregated and to keep track just where I am on the number of firings.

Scrounged brass is free, and I don't feel bad about tossing it when it gets to be suspect.
Click to expand...
Wow—that’s a lot of stuff. Do you clean as you shoot or save that for later too?

I kind of let powder manage my processes—once I open a container, that’s what I load till it’s empty. But, Different calibers/different powders at present.

Yeah as for large ammo cans, I have one filled with a round that’ll only fit in one pistol and it now hurts my hand to shoot. It’ll be a door stop for a long long time.
 
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• I store in Folger coffee cans. I like them because 1) they are plastic and don't promote any kind of oxidation, 2) they stack nicely, and 3) they each hold 600-800 pistol cases.

• I have 2 cans for every caliber: "needs cleaning" and "ready to reload".

• When the brass fails, it goes into a recycling bucket. Then I replenish the "needs cleaning" can from "long term storage".
.
 
CQB45ACP said:
Wow—that’s a lot of stuff. Do you clean as you shoot or save that for later too?

I kind of let powder manage my processes—once I open a container, that’s what I load till it’s empty. But, Different calibers/different powders at present.

Yeah as for large ammo cans, I have one filled with a round that’ll only fit in one pistol and it now hurts my hand to shoot. It’ll be a door stop for a long long time.
Click to expand...

The brass is always (95% of the time! LOL) tumbled before reloading. I typically drop my competition 2700 brass in the tumbler when I get back from a match and dump it out next morning. Revolver brass in boxes, I wait till all the ammunition in the can is fired, and dump the stuff in the tumbler. It will takes days, if not weeks to reload all 38 Special empties. The tumbler will be full of cases while I am reloading a previously tumbled batch. I never used to care about shiny/clean brass and never bothered tumbling, but now I do. Maybe it is better as sometimes things creep into cases, and tumbling will loosen that stuff. I do remember a rock inside a 45 ACP case busting a Dillion decapping pin. That case probably had not been tumbled, but not necessarily as the rock was wedged in the case. Dillion sent me a new decapping spindle, for free! Great guys! Stuff like that happens when picking up fired cases at the range, there is often a surprise to be found on the ground.
 
Slamfire said:
The brass is always (95% of the time! LOL) tumbled before reloading. I typically drop my competition 2700 brass in the tumbler when I get back from a match and dump it out next morning. Revolver brass in boxes, I wait till all the ammunition in the can is fired, and dump the stuff in the tumbler. It will takes days, if not weeks to reload all 38 Special empties. The tumbler will be full of cases while I am reloading a previously tumbled batch. I never used to care about shiny/clean brass and never bothered tumbling, but now I do. Maybe it is better as sometimes things creep into cases, and tumbling will loosen that stuff. I do remember a rock inside a 45 ACP case busting a Dillion decapping pin. That case probably had not been tumbled, but not necessarily as the rock was wedged in the case. Dillion sent me a new decapping spindle, for free! Great guys! Stuff like that happens when picking up fired cases at the range, there is often a surprise to be found on the ground.
Click to expand...
Drives me NUTS to have dirty cases sitting around. It’s a disorder of some sort I’m sure but I just can’t handle it:)
 
rfwobbly said:
• I store in Folger coffee cans. I like them because 1) they are plastic and don't promote any kind of oxidation, 2) they stack nicely, and 3) they each hold 600-800 pistol cases.

• I have 2 cans for every caliber: "needs cleaning" and "ready to reload".

• When the brass fails, it goes into a recycling bucket. Then I replenish the "needs cleaning" can from "long term storage".
.
Click to expand...
Small Folgers plastic cans for 9mm here. But only for sorting by headstamp. I don’t store dirty cases as splained to @Slamfire :)
 
AJC1 said:
The easiest way to keep the same amount of containers, load up all of one headstamp, then shoot that batch till its gone. You can move onto the next headstamp or repeat.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes. As I’ve been thinking this morning, I’m leaning that way for 45acp. Probably start with Winchester or Federal since I have three times as many as others. But even still within a headstamp…
 
CQB45ACP said:
[Until recently] I’d just shoot, clean, throw in container
Click to expand...
That’s where I stop. No sorting, don’t care about the head stamps, straight wall brass I use until it splits or gets lost - rimless from a semiauto I leave at the indoor range, outdoors I pick them up unless they land in a ant bed, cow patty, dog pile, etc. - or I put them back in the box they come out of and reload them as a small batch when they’ve all emptied.
If it helps, I’m making ammo way more accurate than my old eyes and shaky hands can manage.
 
CQB45ACP said:
Drives me NUTS to have dirty cases sitting around. It’s a disorder of some sort I’m sure but I just can’t handle it. :)
Click to expand...

Understood. However, if you wet tumble... even using the "Small" version tumbler... then you soon find out that 500-700 pistol cases tumble much better than 50 or 100 cases. That means cleaning every other range day works out better.

I should have clarified.

PS. My OCD is worse than your OCD. :p
.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
That’s where I stop. No sorting, don’t care about the head stamps, straight wall brass I use until it splits or gets lost - rimless from a semiauto I leave at the indoor range, outdoors I pick them up unless they land in a ant bed, cow patty, dog pile, etc. - or I put them back in the box they come out of and reload them as a small batch when they’ve all emptied.
If it helps, I’m making ammo way more accurate than my old eyes and shaky hands can manage.
Click to expand...
You also have that old gator whose name escapes me at present.
 
rfwobbly said:
Understood. However, if you wet tumble... even using the "Small" version tumbler... then you soon find out that 500-700 cases tumble much better than 50 or 100 cases. That means cleaning every other range day works out better.

I should have clarified.

PS. My OCD is worse than your OCD. :p
.
Click to expand...
I agree there is a performance decline with reducing numbers but here’s what I do…I wet tumble them anyway regardless of numbers and THEN when numbers are more optimal, retumble the larger number. I see your OCD and raise you mine:)
 
For 9mm I use 2 Kitty Litter containers:

1st, I'm loading from
2nd, I'm storing cleaned brass until #1 is empty

I keep the fired brass in coffee cans until I have a tumbler barrel full. Once cleaned it goes into #2.
 
CQB45ACP said:
You also have that old gator whose name escapes me at present.
Click to expand...
Albert. Yup. We’re getting plenty of rain to keep him and his kin happy.
I think what you really need is an engraving tool. Engrave a fancy scroll on each case with numbers in an oval going around the base from 1-10. Each time a case is fired, put a dot in the corner of the numbers oval. Four dots in each and the case is retired. (40 firings).
IMG_1824.jpeg

Image from The Propstore public website. Yes, it is a live 9mm JHP.
 
For rimless semi-automatic pistol brass like 9mm and .45 ACP, your current technique is perfectly adequate. I lose so much of "my" brass and replace it with found brass from the range, tracking the number of reloads on those cases is largely theoretical at best. Sure, you *might* get a case split from age on rare occasions, but it's much more likely to be lost as an offering to The Brass Gods well before it's no longer usable.

Even brass I can keep together, like .38 Special brass, I don't bother track number of reloads. They'll get fired, put back in their boxes, eventually to be cleaned as a big lot of say "all of my dirty R-P cases" and then reloaded and re-boxed.

Rifle brass I'm pickier about tracking, but at rifle pressures and accuracy capability, I'm just pickier in general.
 
I posted about pistol cases because that’s what the OP mentioned.

Rifle cases:

.223 play ammo? I track number of firings and shoot cases until they start showing signs of the batch failing. The occasional loose primer pocket case gets scrapped, the odd neck split gets scrapped, but if a batch is nearing end of life, a dozen firings, and those things get common, the batch gets scrapped.

All other rifle gets tracked, some play ammo, some match ammo. Cases for match ammo are closely scrutinized each firing, and everything done to that case is documented.
 
A long time ago I used to try and keep brass (handgun)separated by how many times reload as that is what I read was the correct thing to do.
I soon realized that was a losing battle or chore. Heck I do not even sort by headstamp I tried that as well, made no difference to me! Primer pockets ?? Nah! Trim? Nah!

Heck I even clean brass with dry vibrator method:)
 
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