Need a better way to count and inspect brass...

[Rembrandt]

Anyone have a "quick" and fool proof way to count brass, but at the same time inspect it? I have around 30,000 pieces of pistol brass, mostly 9mm and 40SW that I've been sorting and cleaning. Separating calibers wasn't too difficult using plastic sorters with slots.

This is what I'm currently using, but would like a faster method if anyone has some ideas.

Place a couple of loading blocks in a pan, pour brass over the top and shake it around. Rim end is heavy and settles to the bottom. Before dumping each tray an inspection can be made inside and out for damaged pieces.

Would like to know how others do this?

 

[Walkalong]

Interesting. You could easily make some really big blocks like those.

I still sort em all by hand, but I like that idea.

1010....interesting number....got any .357.....

 

[edelbrock]

Yeah I gotta ask. Why 1010? Are you selling them and putting 10 more in just in case?

 

[Walkalong]

I asked for a different reason. I assumed it was 10 extra for good measure.

 

[Rembrandt]

No intention of selling them, just wanted to be a little long on the count than short. Don't have .357 in the same quantities, just hope I can find enough primers to get them reloaded.

 

[edelbrock]

Yeah good luck finding 30K small pistol primers. I did hit a little bit of luck a couple of weeks ago and got 5K from Midway.

 

[Rembrandt]

....Yeah good luck finding 30K small pistol primers.

I'm about half way there now....my supplier says things are coming in more frequently.

 

[esheato]

Why bother with counting and numbering? Five gallon buckets would be a helluva lot easier.

For calibers that I load in quantity (pistol only...38, 9, 45, 45 colt), I place two buckets in the garage. One is clean and the other is dirty. When dirty gets full, I tumble and return to the clean bucket. Snap on lids keep dust and little fingers out and they're easily (well, relatively speaking..they do get a bit heavy) transported, indestructible and stackable if you're short on space.

If you really want to get into the nitty gritty, you could divide a bucket into four equal parts, and place counted cases in there until it reaches the lines...thereby giving you an estimate. One quarter full of 38 is this much.....three-quarters of 45 is this much, etc.

Ed

 

[Walkalong]

Why bother with counting and numbering? Five gallon buckets would be a helluva lot easier.

Yep. I get the square ones free at work. (They use them in the kitchen) Works great. I sort them, tumble them, and dump them in the containers for future use. I did count out and give away a little over 500 9mm recently. I have 1500 9MM primed and ready to go. 1001 and 504. All sized, gauged and primed. I have some of most calibers I load ready at all times. At least sized and trimmed, if not primed.

 

[Floppy_D]

Pretty clever idea there, never thought to try it. I've always sat down with a bunch of shoe boxes and a 5 gallon bukets of brass, and painfully worked my way through it. If you incorporate a six of your favorite brew, or a reloading buddy, it gets easier.

Truth be told, a couple cold Killian's, a few buckets of brass, and some music... that's a good evenin'.

 

[Rembrandt]

.....Why bother with counting and numbering? Five gallon buckets would be a helluva lot easier.

Makes it easier to order bullets and primers quantities if I know how much brass I have on hand. Some of the brass will be traded for calibers I'm short on, convenient to have it bagged and counted out in advance.

Thought about weighing 1000 pieces to get a benchmark figure to work with, but the possibility a damaged case slipping by or a case full of dirt or mud could be a problem.

 

[esheato]

Upon further review, I mistakenly overlooked the second half of Rembrandts question....the portion about inspection.

I don't really inspect pistol brass. When I bring home brass, I sort by caliber and do a quick visual inspection. Then I tumble and dump into the clean bucket. Often split cases will make a different sound when jingled against other cases (very obvious tinny sound with .45 ACP).

During loading I usually take a quick look at the cases as they're going around the press. Other than that, I don't worry about it.

Ed

 

[esheato]

dbl tap

 

[FROGO207]

I lay mine down on a large dark colored cookie sheet with sides and roll them sideways left to right then pick up, inspect inside, primer hole, toss into a 2 gallon bucket with brand of brass on it. One for scrap, one for more cleaning needed. I go by weight, just count how many in a pound ahead of time and subtract amount for empty bucket for total. These buckets have bales and covers. They are paint buckets from local Cheapo Depot. I am about to process 4.5 or so five gal buckets of 9mm range brass this next week after work. I'll update on time it takes when done.

 

[Otto]

How do you inspect for bulged casings if they're sitting in a loading block?
In 40 S&W bulged cases is a common problem.

 

[Rembrandt]

...How do you inspect for bulged casings if they're sitting in a loading block?
In 40 S&W bulged cases is a common problem.

Those are inspected after the sifting process....40 cal mixed with 9mm creates a lot of "nesting" that has to be pulled apart. Inspections with the loading blocks are to check for debris and roundness of case that might be a problem in a progressive loader.

 

[jmorris]

I built the machine in the photos below to sort brass. My final inspection always happens in a case gauge. This is a link to a video of when I first got it running.
http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/?action=view&current=sorterhopper.flv

 

[jmorris]

Oh, to count them get a scale and use the info below



9mm, 59.46gr/ea, 117.7cases/#, 8.5#/1000

38spl, 68.06gr/ea, 102.8cases/#, 9.7#/1000

40s&w, 70.1gr/ea, 99.9cases/#, 10#/1000

.357mag, 78.3gr/ea, 89.4cases/#, 11.2#/1000

.45acp, 89.58gr/ea, 78.1cases/#, 12.8#/1000

.223, 95.28gr/ea , 73.5cases/#, 13.6#/1000

.44mag, 114.38gr/ea, 61.2cases/#, 16.3#/1000

50bmg, 865.26gr/ea, 8.1cases/#, 123.5#/1000

All weights are uncleaned fired cases with the primer remaining.

Individual case weights were derived using an average of mixed brass weights (except 50bmg)

So, if you picked up 8#?s of 45 brass: 8# X 78.1cases/# = 625 cases+/-

If you use 1gal ziploc freezer bags to store your brass, each (full) bag contains:

9mm, 15.6#, 1836cases
40s&w, 12.2#, 1219cases
45acp, 11.4#, 890cases
223, 11#, 809cases

or if you use the 5gal bucket method

9MM = 8500-9000 pieces
.40 S&W = 7000-7500 pieces
.45 ACP = 3800-4000 pieces

here is a few more


CASES per POUND:

.380: 145
.357 Sig: 96
.45 GAP: 86
.32: 168
10mm: 96
FN 5.7: 124
.25 acp: 260
.30 Luger: 120
.38 S&W: 120
.38 Super: 104
9mm MAK: 124
.45 Colt: 60
.30-M1: 100
.308: 40
.30-06: 35
7.62x39: 54
.50 AE: 48
.30-30: 52

 

[Rembrandt]

jmorris, wow!, that is a nice piece of equipment.

I'm still trying to figure out a mechanical method to separate nested cases, 9's inside 40's inside 45's etc.

 

[editingfx]

I built the machine in the photos below to sort brass.

Envy.

 

[edelbrock]

Oh, to count them get a scale and use the info below

Thanks for all of that info! I knew the number per pound of 9mm and .223 but have never weighed out the others.

 

[mongoose33]

"I'm still trying to figure out a mechanical method to separate nested cases, 9's inside 40's inside 45's etc."

Here's an idea. I have the shell-sorter pans w/ the slots in them (http://shellsorter.com/). Yeah, they're pricey for what they do, but I've learned to make them work very well.

What I do to undo nested cases is to tilt the shell sorter toward me 30-45 degrees or so, and then keep turning it.

As the brass is caught in the slots, since the sorter is tilted toward a partial vertical, nested brass will tend to fall out. A number of revolutions, and I have very few nested ones left. Usually none at all.

When I do this I use the top of a copy paper box to put the next smaller size pan in to catch the "droppings."

I don't reload enough that I'd need to automate this as I can do quite a few rounds in just a few minutes, but such a system of slots, tilted sideways, would allow nested cases to come apart and fall through the slots.

Maybe you could make a series of plates like the shellsorter (or maybe even just buy them and automate them), tilted not unlike how a case feeder works, that would allow the nested cases to fall apart.

And I'll say this--when I got the shellsorter pans I was initially not happy--then I learned the tilting trick and now I'm very happy I bought them.

 

[Rembrandt]

....Here's an idea. I have the shell-sorter pans w/ the slots in them (http://shellsorter.com/). Yeah, they're pricey for what they do, but I've learned to make them work very well.

What I do to undo nested cases is to tilt the shell sorter toward me 30-45 degrees or so, and then keep turning it.

As the brass is caught in the slots, since the sorter is tilted toward a partial vertical, nested brass will tend to fall out. A number of revolutions, and I have very few nested ones left. Usually none at all.

.....I was initially not happy--then I learned the tilting trick and now I'm very happy I bought them.

Mongoose33, those are the same sorters I'm using....I'll try your technique. Thanks.

 

[twofifty]

Hey Jmorris that's such a simple design, and yet it discriminates all calibers. Sweet.

I looked at your other videos...you sure know how to have fun.