Can steel be reloaded?

[yesit'sloaded]

I have been thinking about reloading and I have about 500 steel cases in a box ( I police my area before I leave the range). The one reloader that I know only loads for shotguns and only has a general idea about rifle ammo. He said that I would have to drill a hole in each case to use a standard primer. Is that all that is different for steel or is the steel non reloadable. If so, where do I take steel "brass" to get money/recycle it?

 

[steve4102]

NO! Can be done, but there are some safety issues. Just stay away from steel and be a safe handloader.

 

[spencerhut]

Uh, sure you can. But why would you want to? I'm a fairly frugal person, but damn. I refuse to shoot that junk, forget reloading it. When I pick up a steel case at the range (when I'm being a brass whore) I drop it like a dried cat turd.

Edit - Almost forgot, it will ruin your dies much faster than brass.

 

[swampgator]

When I pick up a steel case at the range (when I'm being a brass whore) I drop it like a dried cat turd.

I have a bucket just for steel cases I run into. When it gets full I take to a recycling center to cash in. I also have a similiar set up for brass that's run its lifespan.

 

[SilentArmy]

I used to recycle the steel cases till I found out it is worth .04/lb! I recycle it into landfill now as it costs me more to start the car than a five gallon bucket of that trash is worth!

 

[Walkalong]

NO! Can be done, but there are some safety issues. Just stay away from steel and be a safe handloader.

Yep!

 

[FieroCDSP]

You'll find a lot of the steel case stuff is also Berdan primed, making it a PITA to find primers for, let alone reload.

 

[trueblue1776]

It can be done, just like you can eat a rock.

There are so many good reasons not to do it, and no good reasons to do it.

 

[Roccobro]

It can be done, just like you can eat a rock.

Perfect analogy and funny visualization!

Justin

 

[spencerhut]

It can be done, just like you can eat a rock.

+1,000,000

 

[trickyasafox]

I do it. not all steel is berdan primed. if its boxer primed it'll be okay. chamfer the inside of the case mouth or you'll shave bullets. i put 4 or 5 loads through some wolf 223 casings in a bushmaster-franken ar-15 before they stretched too long and then i chucked em.

this comes up often. 95% of people will tell you it doesn't work. I would venture a good deal just don't try it, and thats totally fine. it did take more pressure to resize the cases, and who knows, maybe it put added abuse on my dies, but if it did i haven't noticed yet.

if you have a specific question you can pm me. i've really only played with steel in 223, cause thats all i found it in. If someone really wants me to mess around with it I will this x-mas break, but i'll need some steel in other calibers.

-mike

 

[pete f]

The big issue is steel cases in a steel die, they scratch up and them die is useless, also the sizing bead inside the die is designed to accomodate the stretch adn recover that a brass case does as you size it.

Steel can be reloaded, but your results are apt to cost you more than you save.

 

[peterotte]

Depending on the rifle you are going to shoot them in, there is a way around the die wear/damage problem. I have done berdan primers - OK if you don't want to pick up cases when out in the field. Hardly worth it but, hey, it’s fun! You want to see the trouble I go through to load a cartridge!

It would be interesting to know what the safety issues are. (I won't be reloading steel anytime soon - just interested).

303Guy

 

[steve4102]

It would be interesting to know what the safety issues are.

The brass case is like a fuse in an electrical circuit. It is the first thing to react to high pressures and give you a warning.

The steel case is not going to give you that degree of luxury or rather protection. There will be little difference from when the steel case fails and the rifle is in danger of being damaged along with the shooter.

 

[trickyasafox]

IDK it would take a bit of convincing for me to believe that mild steel that has been cleaned just as brass has will beat my dies up significantly more than plain old brass.

 

[trueblue1776]

this comes up often.

...on the internet.

95% of people will tell you it doesn't work.

Among those 95% are myself, gun manufactures, ammo manufactures, reloading equipment manufactures.

That's cool tricky can do it, kinda like how the ASCE sponsors a concrete canoe contest every year. If you have some expendable equipment and feel like tinkering, who cares? But IMO:

i put 4 or 5 loads through some wolf 223 casings

is a VERY tall claim. I have no doubt it can be done, but I have yet to meet someone who has enough disregard for their own safety to try it.

 

[Ghost Walker]

Hmmm .... I'm aware of shooters who've reloaded the same steel 5.56mm or 7.62mm (x39) case once or twice; but three or four times is really stretching the envelope! Unless you are in a SHTF scenario, it's simply not worth the risk involved. Any steel case could rupture on any second firing.

 

[jlbraun]

I've heard that it works better with pistol cases because of the lower pressure.

 

[Walkalong]

I am with steve4102, spencerhut, & fellow Alabamian trueblue1776 on this one.

Hey tricky. A steel case just does not give warning signs when it is ready to seperate or split severely. I do not have faith in it's ability to protect me from high pressure gases and flying gun parts like brass can.

 

[peterotte]

So, someone must have done some experimenting with steel cases. I have been out of reloading for a while and so have not heard about it. In any case, I have never been interested in reloading steel, but I would like to read up on it. Can anyone give me a link, please?

I have no experience with high pressure signs on a case body - I just never got near enough for it to show up. I have had case head separation caused by a dry and rough chamber, and I have heard plenty stories about people blowing up their guns - mostly from filling a rifle case with pistol powder or chambering a round behind a bullet left in the breach! I have even heard of a barrel being split down it's length from a bore snake being left in the bore! A gunsmith showed me a lug from a P-14 that had broken off. I don't know what it was chambered for but apparently the bolt did not fly into the shooters face. And of course, a 308 cartridge being fired in a 270 - the barrel followed the bullet down range but the gun was in a test chamber.

303Guy

 

[trickyasafox]

I'll concede maybe I went too far with the wolf steel, but it did work. I think anyone who wanted to try 1 or 2 loadings on it would be totally fine

as for the gun manufacturers, they also all tells us not to use reloads in general

I've never seen any from the reloader/ammo makers, but I believe you if you say its out there.

I guess my point is, its not impossible, nor is it especially difficult. How far each person goes with it is up to them.

sorry if i stepped on some toes.

trueblue- if you have some steel boxer primed wolf 223- i'll split shippin with ya and do it again this christmas I really don't want to come across as a liar (i know your not calling me one, but I like to keep my word in good standing)

I'll be happy to photograph the entire event if anyone wants this to really happen.

 

[Walkalong]

sorry if i stepped on some toes.

Nope.

Just voicing my opinion.

 

[trickyasafox]

noted walkalong unfortunately Times new roman doesn't do a good job of conveying emotions, so i tend to try to be conservative in an effort to not offend.

 

[Walkalong]

No problem here. Where I work we have two rules.

1. Leave your feelings in the truck.

2. What goes on in the shop, stays in the shop.

I am the Team Leader for the Engineering Dept. at Baptist East hospital here in Montgomery. ( Read that Shop Supervisor for the Maintenance Dept. )

This is The High Road where grown folks like you and I can state our opinions without ourselves or others letting it get personal and getting upset. ( Well, mostly anyway )

I am always interested when folks talk about reloading steel just to learn something. I just don't want to do it nor will I recommend it to others.

 

[Roccobro]

Gentlemen- I must say as a new reader to the reloading section you GENTLEMEN really could show the rest of this sites member a thing or two on politeness and courtesy! I am simply amazed at how you can talk about something in such an open minded and non-judgmental attitude. So often people cannot express their opinions without others being "wrong".

In my hobbies I like to do things that is general said to be impossible. Here I will just give Tricky a nod as being able to show the other side of the coin of this topic and stay on the "safe for newbies side" for now.

Thank you to both sides of this discussion. I've learned a lot from this thread.

Justin