Goofy flash holes!

[rikman]

Hey guys,

I've been reloading pistol ammo for a few months. And am going to start rifle ammo soon. Anyway, for practice I bought some cheap 223Rem bullets and picked up used range brass.(Fiocchi bBrass) So I was resizing and decapping and my decapping pin broke! On my new Redding NM die. I noticed that the flash holes on this Fiocchi brass is off center. What is up with that????


Thanks

 

[joneb]

I noticed that the flash holes on this Fiocchi brass is off center. What is up with that????

Fiocchi is poor quality brass, it's better to let it lie.

 

[rikman]

Jib jab

Thanks for the reply... I learned that the hard way as a noobie. I also learned that about blazer brass in 45acp with the small primer pockets.

Rkman

 

[rondog]

Is there two very tiny little flash holes? If so, that's Berdan primered brass and worthless. Takes special primers that are impossible to find, and a helluva lot of work to get the old primers out. They "can" be reloaded, but not easily. Not worth the trouble. Normal brass has one single large flash hole, and uses Boxer primers.

 

[rikman]

Rondog

Thanks for your post. They are not burden primed, I know what that is. This brass is boxer primed with one flash hole at the edge of the primer pocket... I was shocked when I saw it &that it broke my decapping pin.

Rikman

 

[unwise11]

Federal, and Hornady brass is good for me, I also hear good stuff about Remington brass, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[rikman]

pics

how do my dummy rounds look goofy flash holes aside ?

 

[rikman]

pic3

side view Winchester 64gr PP, 2.260 OAL, G.F.L. (Fiocchi) brass

 

[rikman]

Here are my Redding NM dies

 

[ILikeLead]

I noticed this about a year ago. (off center flash holes). Fiocci 223 loaded with 50 grain Vmax is the most accurate factory loads I can find, out of 15-20 different factory loads I tried before reloading started about 1 year ago.

This is shot out of a Bushmaster Varminter and will shoot .75 MOA out to 200 yds, and is comparable to my reloads...

Sometimes I can buy these loads from Sportsman Guide for 8-9 dollars per 20, and I have several boxes. That's cheap for that kind of accuracy (for me anyway.

I have sucessfully reloaded some of this brass, but usually don't bother with the risk of breaking the pin. (broke one early on)

IF you have to reload it, leave the decapper loose so it can "float" and find the flash hole.

 

[ILikeLead]

Here's the old thread with more info.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=497603

 

[rikman]

Ilikelead,

Thanks for posting your thread. I'm new at this obsession, I mean game ;-) and I keep finding these little surprises now and then.

Rikman

 

[bonza]

Rikman said: " So I was resizing and recalling and my recalling pin broke!"

That's a new term to me.....I'm assuming you are referring to decapping?

 

[rikman]

Bonza,

Sorry, using my iPad with the auto spell check and I miss the corrections once in a while.....yes resizing & decapping is what "I" meant

Rikman

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

Auto spell, is great. ....... Most of the time.

 

[jeadams]

I was resizing & decapping some .223 over the weekend and noticed the same thing on some BPS (Boland Production Supply) brass that was mixed with my LC brass. It was not to the extreme that you have but was defiantly off center.

 

[mdemetz]

So I was resizing and decapping and my decapping pin broke! On my new Redding NM die. I noticed that the flash holes on this Fiocchi brass is off center.

I have some GFL 44 Mag brass with off center flash holes. One was far enough off that I also broke my decapping pin.

 

[ralph2]

I have some PMC 357 brass with off center flash holes but not bad enough to break my decapping pin

 

[Hondo 60]

Very interesting.
I've used Fiocchi ammo in several calibers to get the brass & never saw anything like this.
I hope that was just a bad batch.

 

[Border Hopper]

Off-center flash holes

You have seized upon an excellent use for brass such as those in the photos.

Dummy cartridges can be made at home, sans primer & powder, so that you will always have a "loaded" example of the optimum Cartridge Over All Length round for each bullet you load in that caliber. I use an old and cheap engraver to permanently etch the info on the case. One of my primerless dummies in .44 Special indicates "240 gr Sp, 1.467", meaning 240 grain Speer, COAL=1.467".

When the Post Office prints a weird stamp or the US Mint overstamps a coin, it becomes a collector piece. When brass turns out to be off center or shaped poorly it becomes a Piece Of S___ and the manufacturer gets talked about. Sorry about the breakage.