gonoles_1980
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In a revolver I can see how that wouldn't be an issue, but wouldn't it jam a pistol?
Question for those who use brass until it splits
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gonoles_1980
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Is there any reason why I shouldn't do it. If it's good enough for the old timers here I think I might as well go that route.
Missionary
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Greetings
Have not yet experienced ejection problems in calibers .45ACP or .40S&W. But then I do not remember any split brass either. I do not run my hand guns to max pressure so my brass may never split.
I am more of the notion to use a heavier cast bullet and let mass or momentum do what needs to be done.
Mike in Peru
Have not yet experienced ejection problems in calibers .45ACP or .40S&W. But then I do not remember any split brass either. I do not run my hand guns to max pressure so my brass may never split.
I am more of the notion to use a heavier cast bullet and let mass or momentum do what needs to be done.
Mike in Peru
Peter M. Eick
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No it comes right out. I had some old 45acp split today. I was looking at the cases and figure they were at least 30 years old. Lots of runs through the dies in that time.
243winxb
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45 acp case split
Who knows when its going to happen? Not a problem in 45 acp. Never know till you pick it up.
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Who knows when its going to happen? Not a problem in 45 acp. Never know till you pick it up.
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gonoles_1980
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I tend to run medium range loads. My heavy loads are with the copper plated in my 357, then I use 6.0gr of HP-38. It gives me the big bang, but not so much I can fell it in my hand. My wife I load her 9mm with 4.2gr of HP-38, it's a lighter load than the factory bullets she shoots. My revolvers it's easy to count how many times the brass has been loaded, with my wife's 9mm, I have no clue, especially when I'm not sure it's the brass she fired that I've been picking up. I may quit trying to count.
I've had a few 9mm split. Most are disposed of because I trash the case inadvertently while reloading. The rest are due to loose primers. Sometimes CCI SPP solve that, I think they are slightly larger that Winchester SPP I usually use.
Russsellc
Russsellc
You cannot predict when, and it will happen no matter the load.
The first news I get of it is when picking them on the ground, or even later at cleaning time. The guns deal with them fine.
When I started reloading, I ran several brands of brass for comparison, specially in 45ACP. Some took a little longer to start splitting, but all had survivors who reached a count of 50 reloads.
It will happen, sometimes fairly regularly ; just discard them.
For the record, as a young and savvy shooter, I did reload some "slightly" split ones, until I thought the crack could compromise the powder. Some took a few times.
The first news I get of it is when picking them on the ground, or even later at cleaning time. The guns deal with them fine.
When I started reloading, I ran several brands of brass for comparison, specially in 45ACP. Some took a little longer to start splitting, but all had survivors who reached a count of 50 reloads.
It will happen, sometimes fairly regularly ; just discard them.
For the record, as a young and savvy shooter, I did reload some "slightly" split ones, until I thought the crack could compromise the powder. Some took a few times.
silicosys4
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I have had brass come out split, which doesn't worry me.
What worries me is brass that slips through and goes back in the gun split. I don't know how disastrous it would be, but I have caught a few loads that either split during resizing, or slip through cleaning and sorting without being culled.
You can see the 9mm is obviously bad. The .38 is hard to see, but definitely split a little.
What worries me is brass that slips through and goes back in the gun split. I don't know how disastrous it would be, but I have caught a few loads that either split during resizing, or slip through cleaning and sorting without being culled.
You can see the 9mm is obviously bad. The .38 is hard to see, but definitely split a little.
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gamestalker
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I've split some 9mm years back when I was working up to max. But now that I have logged my max loads, I rarely need to work up until it splits any more. I didn't experience any issues with extraction though.
As for brass knowing when my brass reaches it's life span, the primer pockets almost always go south before it splits. And considering I exclusively load full throttle jacketed, I'm convinced the body will out last the pockets, most of the time, micro mouth splits aside that is.
GS
As for brass knowing when my brass reaches it's life span, the primer pockets almost always go south before it splits. And considering I exclusively load full throttle jacketed, I'm convinced the body will out last the pockets, most of the time, micro mouth splits aside that is.
GS
i run ALL my brass till it splits. never had a problem with feeding or ejection. i usually find them during the resize process. they "size" much easier than cases that actually get sized. my rifle brass seems to always split at the mouth. i know that annealing them would extend the life of my brass. but without the propper tools or technique, its a guessing game at best. i tried years ago to anneal some 300 win mag brass. i cooked it to the point it will never be fired again. i did it standing in water, so the base is fine. but the necks are dead soft. i now use them to make dummy rounds out of. i drilled holes thru the sides so they would never be fired again.
41 Mag
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I have run rifle, and handgun brass till it split. I check it when I clean and after sizing as well, but you will eventually miss one along the way if you load enough of them. In over 40yrs of loading I have missed a few and the only ones that were a real issue were those where the base split off the case in the chamber of a rifle. I have had several of those, and it really wasn't all that noticeable in a couple but very in others. I can say though it really is a pain when you open the bolt and there isn't anything but the base or a third of the case being extracted. Sometimes that forward piece just don't want to give up that cozy chamber where it is now resting.
I have had revolver cases split from lip to base with no real issues other than a bit more soot in the chamber, same with pistol cases in my 10mm and 45 aCP. Usually don't know it at the time unless you hear the case hit the ground on concrete and it makes a different sound. Usually I find these when I am sorting after cleaning them up.
I have had revolver cases split from lip to base with no real issues other than a bit more soot in the chamber, same with pistol cases in my 10mm and 45 aCP. Usually don't know it at the time unless you hear the case hit the ground on concrete and it makes a different sound. Usually I find these when I am sorting after cleaning them up.
mstreddy
Member
GoNoles, I think that you are asking how to tell if brass is going to split and when? And if there is any danger in shooting split brass.
If so, here are some thoughts.
The general premise of "shoot till it splits" is the thought that for pistol brass mainly, most of us don't bother tracking how many times the brass has been reloaded, we just keep loading and shooting until the brass starts wearing out. One way that brass wears out is by splitting, another is the primer pockets get loose and another is the impending separation (rifle brass).
As to when, that is the question. Revolver shooters sometimes experience mouth splits soon from repeated working of the mouth from flare, crimp, resize.
Other times it's just luck of the draw.
Most times splits happen on firing, and other times during sizing. Obviously, you should be able to find split brass as you inspect prior to loading. You can actually hear a difference if you have a split piece in a handful of good brass. It makes a different sound. More like a muted thud than a tinkle. You have to try it some time, it's an interesting effect.
As to the other when - what brass? I've had FC 223 brass that neck split on the second firing. Known once fired, resized, reloaded, fired and around 15-20 out of 100 split. In another case, a buddy had some 6.5x55 practice rounds (wooden or plastic bullets) and nearly all the cases split on the first firing.
Lastly, we shouldn't shoot obviously split brass, but if we shoot brass and it splits during firing, then that's fine, just scrap that brass.
On rifles, the issue of impending separation is a different animal. Walkalong has a thread on how to detect it.
If so, here are some thoughts.
The general premise of "shoot till it splits" is the thought that for pistol brass mainly, most of us don't bother tracking how many times the brass has been reloaded, we just keep loading and shooting until the brass starts wearing out. One way that brass wears out is by splitting, another is the primer pockets get loose and another is the impending separation (rifle brass).
As to when, that is the question. Revolver shooters sometimes experience mouth splits soon from repeated working of the mouth from flare, crimp, resize.
Other times it's just luck of the draw.
Most times splits happen on firing, and other times during sizing. Obviously, you should be able to find split brass as you inspect prior to loading. You can actually hear a difference if you have a split piece in a handful of good brass. It makes a different sound. More like a muted thud than a tinkle. You have to try it some time, it's an interesting effect.
As to the other when - what brass? I've had FC 223 brass that neck split on the second firing. Known once fired, resized, reloaded, fired and around 15-20 out of 100 split. In another case, a buddy had some 6.5x55 practice rounds (wooden or plastic bullets) and nearly all the cases split on the first firing.
Lastly, we shouldn't shoot obviously split brass, but if we shoot brass and it splits during firing, then that's fine, just scrap that brass.
On rifles, the issue of impending separation is a different animal. Walkalong has a thread on how to detect it.
Potatohead
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Ive considered that myself. Hard to keep up with everything sometimes.
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gonoles_1980
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Thanks for all the inputs. I was primarily concerned about the brass splitting while firing. Sounds like I just toss that. Definitely wouldn't use brass that split during resizing. I had a piece do that once only after the 3rd reload.
atblis
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I've loaded and shot split brass in 9mm. Some extra smoke out the side of the gun. That was it. Nothing catastrophic.
Newcatwalt
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I'm one of those "shoot it til it splits" kind of guys. I mostly load 9mm, .38 S&W, and .45 Auto Rim/Webley. It's not that big of a deal. I have a single stage press so I have to handle the brass several times before it's completed reloaded. Seeing and "feeling" a split case is pretty obvious. Just toss it and go on with your reloading. It's nothing to lose sleep over unless you're one of those "load it to the very max" kind of guys. 
GP100man
Member
I`m with Walkalong , you`ll feel it when your sizing or during some step of reloading it , but there are exceptions , such as some brass/caliber offer little resistance to begin with !
For instsnce 380acp gives me fits inspecting those little cases. My wife shot some old stock Remington, threw em in the brass bucket , then went to clean/resize it, virtually everyone of those cases were split, never felt it until I went to seat the boolit in the case , absolutely NO resistance seating & none felt when I ran em thru the lee powder thru die on any of the little boogers.
For instsnce 380acp gives me fits inspecting those little cases. My wife shot some old stock Remington, threw em in the brass bucket , then went to clean/resize it, virtually everyone of those cases were split, never felt it until I went to seat the boolit in the case , absolutely NO resistance seating & none felt when I ran em thru the lee powder thru die on any of the little boogers.
moxie
Member
I've never had one of those real long splits. I get a short 1/4" or so split at the case mouth once in a very blue moon. I catch them during case prep or just before/after sizing. Pretty obvious.
NuJudge
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A case mouth split will probably result in a flier.
wally
Member
Other than the Polish corrosive surplus 7.62x25 (Berdan primed) most of my splits happen when I seat the bullet. I shoot them and then discard the brass afterwards. Never had an issue from it. But then my loads are as low as will work in all my pistols of the caliber.
Possibly, but for my high volume steel plate shooting it won't make much difference.
I shoot CAS and use .38sp in my pistols and my lever action rifle. Split case is not a problem in a pistol but its a real problem with tube fed rifles. Sometimes when you get a split the bullet will push back into the case and when you try and lever that bullet into your chamber it won't go....creating a jam while you are on the timer trying to finish a stage.
I've found that nickel brass split sooner than "brass" brass. I QC my brass after tumbling and also after the rounds are loaded. You can tell split brass if you take about 5 of them and jingle them in your hand. If you have a split piece of brass it will make a different sound.
I've found that nickel brass split sooner than "brass" brass. I QC my brass after tumbling and also after the rounds are loaded. You can tell split brass if you take about 5 of them and jingle them in your hand. If you have a split piece of brass it will make a different sound.
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