Questions on 9mm brass

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gonoles_1980

gonoles_1980

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My Layman's reloading manual says brass is good for 6-15 reloads. It's harder to determine the number of reloads with the 9mm brass since I have a mix of my brass and range brass (hard to tell which is mine on the floor mixed with others). So do you just carefully inspect the brass or just toss after a half dozen or so reloads?

Headstamps, I'm reading in some sites that you should sort your 9mm brass by headstamp, the Layman's manual has good info on pistol brass, but doesn't mention a thing about sorting by headstamp. Is this really necessary for the 9mm? I don't do it for my revolvers.

Some of the brass had been stepped on and was deformed at the mouth some. The sizing die fixed most of it. But a few pieces while looking fixed have a shiny triangle on the outside of the brass where the indentation was. I'm guessing I should toss those, along with the ones that were heavily dented to start with.
 
I never count the number of times I've reloaded my 9mm brass. Most of the time you'll lose it before it becomes unacceptable to reload anymore. You can actually hear if a 9mm case is cracked if you have a handful.

Me personally, I wouldn't worry about counting the reloads in them. If you see one where there is a crack or a crease, toss it. If you put in a primer, and the primer pockets loose, make a mark on the headstamp with a sharpie or something, and then either leave it lay at the range, or pick it up and toss in your recycle bucket. I generally put a X on the case head across the primer if the pocket is loose, then when I shoot it, I'll pick it up and toss it in my recycle bucket when I get home.
 
Semi auto casings, I don't count how many times its been reloaded because there is a easy supply to get it(buy online, go to the range, talk to CLEO (Cheif Law Enforcement officer) about their range trips). When you start your process of reloading them, looked for buldged cases. Pretty much after that reload.

Some of my semis, only like a few types of brass. The brass they don't like goes into separate box or bin to check on measurements.

Revolver brass, my wheel guns eat anything up. Once again do not use anything that is bulges .
 
I have never counted the number of reloads on any of my handgun brass either. Since the 9mm is a high pressure round it's easy to determine when you should no longer load a case. Either the neck will split of the primer pocket will loosen up to the point of failure. That is if you can actually keep from losing them to the point of failure.

Use your brass until it fails or until it's lost, don't worry yourself with numbers...
 
Re case mouth deformation, I use needle-nosed pliers to straighten them out before sizing. Seems to work better if you don't know any better.
 
Agree with all the above. I don't sort, count or track my pistol brass. Also, very few people bother to measure or trim their pistol brass.
 
See post #4 for the winning answer.

Pistol brass doesn't fail in the sense it fails catastrophically like bottle-neck rifle brass.

Shoot it until it neck splits, case body splits, or the primer pockets get loose.

Here is 9mm Federal brass that failed on the first loading & second firing.
No harm done to the gun or the shooter (me).

Split9mmCases.jpg

Here is more rejected brass for various reasons.

Rejectcases.jpg

rc
 
I agree with jwroland77. I use them until there are problems. Usually loose primer pockets. I use a Lee hand primer so it is easy to feel the loose ones. I mark them with a sharpie also (if they are really loose I knock the primer out and toss them then). Even if I don't plan on reusing the marked ones I try to round them up so someone else won't try to use them.

Lyman #49 reccomends against using range brass or purchased "once fired" brass but I do and have not had a problem yet.
I would be interested to hear others opinion on this as well.


Ouch! on the Federal brass.
 
Well, the way I see it, it's only unfired brass once. By their logic, you'd have to buy new brass every time to reload with.

I've only ever used once fired pistol brass.
 
I never count the number of times I've reloaded my 9mm brass. Most of the time you'll lose it before it becomes unacceptable to reload anymore. You can actually hear if a 9mm case is cracked if you have a handful.

Me personally, I wouldn't worry about counting the reloads in them. If you see one where there is a crack or a crease, toss it. If you put in a primer, and the primer pockets loose, make a mark on the headstamp with a sharpie or something, and then either leave it lay at the range, or pick it up and toss in your recycle bucket. I generally put a X on the case head across the primer if the pocket is loose, then when I shoot it, I'll pick it up and toss it in my recycle bucket
Click to expand...
Exactly! Also if you ever start shooting in competitioins others will end up with yours and you will end up with other shooters brass. Inspect your brass. About all you can do!
 
I do sort my 9mm by head stamp, and I do it because I've learnt that I have to make slight adjustments to my dies with this or that brand of brass, in order to achieve my desired OAL and crimp.

I also mark the bottom of my cases with a permanent marker so I can distinguish them from other people's. That way I can keep track of the number of times they've been reloaded. This said, the most I've reloaded a batch of brass was six times, with no apparent signs of fatigue. Brass was CBC Magtech.
 
With the low pressure cartridges such as 45ACP, 44 Special and 38 Special I reload until the cases start fraying at the mouth. With high pressure cartridges such as 9mm & 40S&W I scrap the brass after 4 reloads.
 
It's interesting that 9mm and 40 S&W brass is referred to as "high pressure." Maybe it higher pressure than for some other handgun cartridges but not high pressure as compared to what brass will take. A straight walled case fired at 9mm and 40 S&W pressures in a fully supported chamber should be able to take a BUNCH of reloadings; quite a few more than 4 or 5.
 
38special may be low pressure but it dosen't last near as long as 9mm brass. 38super operates at the same pressure as 9 but fails much sooner also.
45 auto is the only "low pressure" rounds that seems to really last!
 
I do keep track of how many times I reload my pistol ammo. I make my whole batch and mark them. I don't reload any more in that caliber until they are shot, then I add another mark. Once I get one case failure, I throw the whole batch into the recycle box and bring out my next set of once fired brass that I have on hand and repeat.
 
sexybeast said:
38special may be low pressure but it dosen't last near as long as 9mm brass. 38super operates at the same pressure as 9 but fails much sooner also.
45 auto is the only "low pressure" rounds that seems to really last!
Click to expand...
Sorry but I can't agree. I shoot a lot and I have been reloading the same 1200 pieces of Remington .38 Special brass for over 8 years now. An old timer at the range has been shooting his .38 Special brass so long some of the headstamps have actually worn off! Most .38 Special brass will last a very long time, 9mm brass will not... Primer pockets fail on 9mm brass. Sure you can easily load them many more times than 4 or 5 but they will not outlast .38 Special brass, ever.
 
I have so much brass that twice fired brass goes into buckets marked for it. It is unlikely I will ever get into the twice fired brass buckets, except 223 'cause I don't have to swage those again) but if I do I will have no qualms about using it.
I've never worn out a piece of brass.
 
Sorry but I can't agree. I shoot a lot and I have been reloading the same 1200 pieces of Remington .38 Special brass for over 8 years now. An old timer at the range has been shooting his .38 Special brass so long some of the headstamps have actually worn off! Most .38 Special brass will last a very long time, 9mm brass will not... Primer pockets fail on 9mm brass. Sure you can easily load them many more times than 4 or 5 but they will not outlast .38 Special brass, ever.
__________________
Click to expand...
Not what I have experienced. I shoot much more 9 than 38 and i toss about the same number. My 38 loads are puff balls too!
Others may chime in!
 
Shoot it until it neck splits, case body splits, or the primer pockets get loose.
Click to expand...

What do you mean "loose" exactly? I have some that give little to no resistance when I seat the primer...is that what we're talking about?
 
I do sort my 9mm by head stamp, and I do it because I've learnt that I have to make slight adjustments to my dies with this or that brand of brass, in order to achieve my desired OAL and crimp.
Click to expand...

Me too. The less I can mess with die adjustments, the better.
 
I'm curious how the headstamp can affect the die adjustment, if the brass is the same length wouldn't the die adjustment be the same?
 
jwrowland77 said:
Yep. Mark those when you prime and then after you shoot them, throw them in your recycle bucket.
Click to expand...
Uh oh. Ive got a lot that are unmarked...

On a side note, I kind of worry about range pick ups now. Since brass and components are so valuable now I figure nobody is going to leave brass laying about unless theyve been overused or pushed to the max. I have a hard time believing that someone, even a non reloader, would fire factory brass for the first time and then just leave it all. Hopefully Im wrong.
 
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