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merlynski
Member
I don't usually buy new brass, but with this time of shortages (and the last time) I did buy some, including some factory seconds in .38 Spec.
Do YOU size, chamfer and bell new handgun brass?
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Fishingted
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True Story. When I started Loading 10 MM Auto I bought all New Starline Brass. My brother said it would need to be trimmed to lenght. I actually called Starline about it and they assured me that it could be loaded as is. I also purchased some from a local Bullet re-manufactuer that used brand new Starline Brass to make their 10mm bullets. Bought it Mainly for the Brass and the price was Good. They did mention at the time that some people said that those bullets were key holeing. I shot a box thru my Glock M40 with no issues. The first bullets I made I used a pretty tight crimp. It would take about 3 good whacks with my kinetic hammer to knock them out.I also did the pushing them against the bench test with no Movement of the bullet in the case. Later on Was shooting the remanufacturers bullets in my Mecteck conversion Rifle. Noticed they were extremely inaccurate. Couldn't get a decent pattern at 10 yards. Had same hole accuracy with my own loads. As I was shooting the remanufactuers bullets I noticed an Odd sound and the gun failed to eject the case. On closer inspection I found the case had split. Also the other bullets in the mag had obviously shifted in their casses. Stopped shooting any more of the remanufactures bullets and continued with mine for the rest of the session. Checked the other remanufactures bullets when I got home. First in my Kinetic Hammer. Barelly hit them one time and the bullet fell out. Also checked crimp and their was basickly no crimp.I then went back and ran all of them thru my dillon crimping die and they ran fine Conclussion on my Part. The new Brass though fine to Load as is Definatly needed a good tight Crimp as never being sized it had hardly any Neck Tension. I would from that point on run all new Brass thru My sizer die before Loading to make sure I got proper neck Tension. These are only my own observation, and conclussions. Yours may Differ.
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Captcurt
Member
I always check the case length on new brass and trim them if needed. I want every one of them the same length. Then size, chamfer, and bell. Then there are no surprises.
docbrown
Member
Only pistol brass I chamfer is 357 sig. Helps with seating the bullets straight. Other than that, rifle is all that I Chamfer.
Jesse Heywood
Member
I remember when new cars came with a full tank.
I size and bell my new brass No chamfer. All new brass is Starline and my bullets are lead.
FROGO207
Member
I just treat it like fired brass. Size, expand, prime, load, Never trimmed handgun brass in 30+ years. Waste of time.
If it is so poor that it requires more then find a better brand of brass or a gentler shipper IMO.
If it is so poor that it requires more then find a better brand of brass or a gentler shipper IMO.
Charlie98
Member
Copper is also used as an algaecide in pools... for green or yellow algae. Silver works better against black algae....
Captcurt
Member
I have to back up a little. I don't chamfer my handgun rounds.
BlackEagleSpeer
Member
The Romans used to age wine in casks of lead and look how they turned out. I think we'll be fine.A bit off topic,
Brass is made of copper and zinc. Both are use as fungicides and rodenticides. Lets not forget traces of lead and all the evil stuff in primers when you shoot.
Don't forget to wash your hands!
Seriously, tho, this insecticide bit is intriguing. Not the kind of thing I considered. before. Thanks for bringing it up. I guess it makes sense in an abstract way that these metals might deter insects. Curious to know more.
BlackEagleSpeer
Member
Got some of them measuring .978" ( a couple of .975s) and not willing to part with them. No problems yet, but they are beneath trim-to length and they recess in the gauge...has anyone had an issue or word of warning regarding this? I don't know how short is too short or what I should look for. Lyman manual promised they would stretch - they don't. I got the Lee quick trim with a drill setup and in no caliber does it leave them long enough. Don't even get consistency around the case. Gonna have to suck it up and get big boy tools before I start the bottleneck journey.
Have you full length sized them, then measure?
.38 Special
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- Sep 15, 2006
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When I was loading in bulk I would not chamfer. They just got dumped into the hopper and I'd adjust the flaring station to ensure against bullet shaving. If that decreased brass life a bit, I just didn't care.
Now I load in 50 or 100 count lots, usually on a single stage press, and I take my time. That includes chamfering new brass, so that I don't have to bell as much, so that the brass maybe lasts a little longer.
I have loaded new brass without sizing it first, and to the best of my recollection it worked fine. That was decades ago, and I eventually decided that I should size new brass so that it behave just as I am used to. It may be unnecessary, but I have come to enjoy handloading at least as much as I enjoy shooting, so I don't mind the extra step.
One thing I rarely pay much attention to is case length, at least for revolver cartridges. It's unusual to see much variation in new brass, and I find that any changes in length during firing are pretty uniform, case-to-case and brand-to-brand, so as long as I'm working with the same batch of cases, I just set the crimp die and go. The only exceptions are for cartridges meant for extreme accuracy - and even then, I don't worry about actual length, but rather just want to ensure that they're all the same.
Now I load in 50 or 100 count lots, usually on a single stage press, and I take my time. That includes chamfering new brass, so that I don't have to bell as much, so that the brass maybe lasts a little longer.
I have loaded new brass without sizing it first, and to the best of my recollection it worked fine. That was decades ago, and I eventually decided that I should size new brass so that it behave just as I am used to. It may be unnecessary, but I have come to enjoy handloading at least as much as I enjoy shooting, so I don't mind the extra step.
One thing I rarely pay much attention to is case length, at least for revolver cartridges. It's unusual to see much variation in new brass, and I find that any changes in length during firing are pretty uniform, case-to-case and brand-to-brand, so as long as I'm working with the same batch of cases, I just set the crimp die and go. The only exceptions are for cartridges meant for extreme accuracy - and even then, I don't worry about actual length, but rather just want to ensure that they're all the same.
BlackEagleSpeer
Member
Yes, always. Did it both ways to see how much length I gain from resize, but I don't recall. They still had the numbers from the last load written on the case, so I know none of them grew from another 13.3gr #9 under 180gr Berry's CPFN. They were all trimmed back when I got the Lee trim setup and I was taking the advice to get them to uniform length ( a full week of labor I'll never get back and largely for nothing hahaha.)
The more I get on thee forums, the more I find some tidbit I would have never noticed on my own. Figured someone might know of a potential disaster in the making and some hidden evidence of cumulative damage in a hidden corner of the gun or cases. If nothing else, maybe it will set a future reader's mind at ease to know there's a bit more give than what the books would suggest.
whughett
Member
Jacketed bullets require little if any bell. Lead bullets require belled mouths to prevent shaving lead as the bullet is seated.
BlackEagleSpeer
Member
It's kinda like petting my cat. Not exactly necessary to keep the cat alive and serving his kitty purpose, but enjoyable nonetheless. Benefits of going through the same process each time may not be evident, but it's more time spent checking the cases and growing intimate with the hobby. My accuracy gets better over time and I don't know why. Resized my latest batch of starline as a result of this thread and I think I'm just going to lightly chamfer/deburr and just see. They fit the gauge consistently enough for the touch, I think I'll spare the material this time and log the progress next to a sister batch with a mirrored load just to see. Using a Double Diamond coversion barrel for G21, so chewing up the cases still. 20lb spring isn't enough. #9 feeds them reliably, just can't pin what's biting the mouths.
HOWARD J
Member
If it fits my case gage i leave it alone. then I bell or chamfer the mouth. I don't resize unless the case has damage.
BlackEagleSpeer
Member
Ever think about doing a control batch just to see if accuracy improves any? Like 50 chamfered, 50 not, and record your findings? My skill level isn't high enough I don't believe to give adequate feedback. I'm limited to indoor ranges and plated bullets at best most of the time.
No. I do not consider chamfering pistol brass a practical variable. However theoretical it may be.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Pistol cases are too short when they won’t reliably extract or the primer is proud of the case head.
Pistol cases shorten in the extractor groove with firing and sizing. They are too short when the extractor can’t get a good purchase on the groove in the case to pull it from the chamber.
They also fail as the primer becomes proud of the case head from the shortening extractor groove. This somehow doesn’t affect the web in the primer pocket and the primer can be fully seated in the pocket while still being taller than the casehead. This can result in dangerous slam fires.
Usually I lose mine to split case mouths from repeated sizing, or just loss.
I don’t have a link, but a reloader went like 40+ cycles with a 45Auto case before the primer became unsafe.
I wonder how the shell shock cases fail?
ballman6711
Member
I chamfer AND deburr all new brass (to get rid of any rough spots), then size (with the depriming pin in), then bell. I rarely chamfer or deburr fired brass unless I see something during my initial inspection.
Post a picture and we'll help you figure it out.
chris
Post a picture and we'll help you figure it out.
chris
whughett
Member
With my Dillon 550 belling is completely adjustable via the powder drop tube. Except for 9mm I load only lead bullets, the majority of which have no bevel base so belling is a must.
Yes to both, sizing and flaring. I want to start with a known good case. BTW, I flare all my handloads jacketed, plated, coated and cast. Some more than others, but I am insured woth easy starting and no damaged bullets or crushed cases (I just processed 250 9mm cases to be used with 124 gr JHPs and flared the cases). And no, I don't experience "short" case life...
buck460XVR
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Do YOU size, chamfer and bell new handgun brass?
why yes....why wouldn't I? If the brass is to be used for hunting ammo in my magnum revolvers , I also trim the brass to length for consistent crimp and accuracy.
why yes....why wouldn't I? If the brass is to be used for hunting ammo in my magnum revolvers , I also trim the brass to length for consistent crimp and accuracy.
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