Old Brass

[film495]

Was rummaging through my Dad's stuff and boxing some of it for my brother. I ran into some 30-06 brass that was fired, and no idea how many times. I figure I might as well practice and make some dummy loads with it.

I have no idea how many times it has been fired. At first glance it looks decent, you can tell the rims are a little beaten up as the lettering is kind of hard to read on some of it.

Is there a way to check inside cases to see if they have stretched and are getting close to the case separating? Even on the once fired 30-30 brass I'm making some dummy rounds with, there is a line right around the area where when you look at case head separations is. Not dramatic, but you can see a line on the once fired brass and on this older 30-06 brass. Do all rifle rounds do that?

It is hard to see in the cases even with a light. Is there a way to feel for a ridge in there with a toothpick or something to see if there is a weak spot developing inside the case around that area?

 

[Legionnaire]

Here's a good article on the subject.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...se-head-separation-how-to-detect-the-problem/

 

[1KPerDay]

I use a dental pick. I do this before every reloading for my Garands. Lots of my HXP and GI cases have been fired 5x with no evidence of incipient case head separation. I FL size to the lower step of a Wilson case gauge.

 

[film495]

Here's a good article on the subject.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...se-head-separation-how-to-detect-the-problem/

Thanks, I'll read through this. I'm not even loading rifle rounds yet, just practicing and found the old brass and figured I'd see if I could made some dummy rounds with it to start. It is funny how many times you can read through reloading manuals, and then when you actually start doing it - you just have to double and triple check things that you know, well - I do anyways.

 

[Legionnaire]

Double and triple checking is a good practice, ever for those of us who have been doing this for a while.

 

[PWC]

The ring around the outside of the case could be 2 things. First it could ne just where the die stops sizing the brass, no concern. Second it could be the sign of case stretching. Make a tool, you can use a straightened paper clip with a sharpenef point bent at a right angle. Slip it inside the case and lightly drag it up and down at the base while rotating the case. If the case has streatched, you will feel it.

If it is, discard the case; better yet, cut or grind it lengthwise to see the groove, and save it to show the next person you teach to reload.

 

[FROGO207]

And I also predict that you teach others to reload. Whether we planed on it or not most reloaders do end up mentoring new members to our cult. That is unless you live in a cave on a deserted island by choice!

 

[Walkalong]

Is there a way to check inside cases to see if they have stretched and are getting close to the case separating?

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/incipient-case-head-separation.734058/

You want a fine enough tip to get in the groove, I have had to sharpen up a couple of tools before they were useful.

Like this one from the thread I linked to.

 

[BullRunBear]

Guys,
Thanks for this thread. Been reloading for over thirty years and I still learned some tips and appreciate the links. I had to smile at the "double and triple" check comment. I could hear my grandpa sixty years ago saying 'measure twice (or more), cut once'. Also, I get asked more questions about reloading from folks in recent years so having some cases that demonstrate problems is a good idea.

Jeff

 

[doubleh]

(I could hear my grandpa sixty years ago saying 'measure twice (or more), cut once'.)

I got that from both my grandpa and father. Now that I'm a great grandpa I've passed it down three generations. I also add it's much easier to trim off a little if it"s too long than it is to replace the too much you cut off. I had two great grand daughters sizing my latest batch of cast bullets yesterday afternoon. They each managed to booger up a couple of bullets but I showed and explained what they were doing wrong and they did OK after that and had fun. Given enough time they will find it a boring job just like I do.

 

[film495]

ran into a challenge with the 30-06 brass. I resized some of my once fired 30-30, and that was the end of the box of 20, so - figured since I had tumbled some of the 30-06 brass I would see about sizing some of it. I did 5 cases, same set up and process as the 30-30 brass, same old Herter's press, RCBS dies, lubed the same way with RCBS case lube. It sort of bucked the shoulders on 4 or 5 cases I ran through the press so, I figured I'd stop and see what I could figure out. It sort of looks like denting, from lube, but it goes all the way around the case. I just cleaned the die completely and cleaned the vent hole, lubing the same way as the 30-30 cases.

So, some of the brass in the same pack was date stamped Match 57 and some Match 62, the 30-06 brass I decided to work with has the R - P Remington stamp. Point being the brass could be rather old, could that be an issue? Other thing that came to mind, is that the dies touching the shell holder like the directions say, is too much bump and crushing the shoulder and denting it all the way around.

I do have some live rounds, and some dummy rounds that were made with these dies, is there a way I can use the dummy rounds to check how the sizing die was set?

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Probably just lube dents.

There really isn't a way to damage a 30-06 case by pushing it into a 30-06 die.

 

[film495]

Probably just lube dents.

There really isn't a way to damage a 30-06 case by pushing it into a 30-06 die.

Yea, that was it. I just ran a dry patch through the die and tried it again, no more dents. Funny, I didn't think I was using too much lube, but went real light with my fingers instead of rolling on the pad. Guess it really doesn't take much.

I also found a pick set, and checked inside the cases and didn't find any seam on the internals, so - seems good. Did a little more prep work on the cases and back into the tumbler for a while.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

It doesn't take much at all. Especially once the inside of the die gets coated.

Lube is also never to be put on the shoulder or neck. It isn't need there and will cause dents.

I use Hornady Unique (some say it's just rebranded mink oil) on fingers and apply to the body up to about 1/4" from the shoulder junction. The stuff works very well.

Run a batch then throw them back in the tumbler for 15 minutes to remove lube.

 

[film495]

I took the cases that I kind of bungled dented with too much lube and a few that had dings I didn't like, and used them to make some test/dummy rounds.

from the left, unpolished case, a dummy round my Dad must have made around 1980, and then 6 dummy rounds made from the same components my Dad had in his reloading supplies.

Interesting how much the brass looks when it is cleaned up. Measuring the OAL of the dummy rounds, my Dad's old dummy round was 3.210, so I tried to match that. Out of the six rounds I was not really able to nail the OAL, they came out from 3.208 to 3.211 - all but the one that was 3.208 landed within one thousandth of 3.210 that I was shooting for.

Kind of ironic to do this, I've never fired a 30-06, but this might be the year.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Measuring from base to tip and trying to get a repeatable number can be an excercise in futility.

The tips vary, so the measurement will vary.