On discarding cases

[pathdoc]

Was sorting through some old .303 brass that had gone through several reloadings. Because I had previously shot them in other rifles, they all had to be full length resized, and in one of the boxes I caught one with a well-developed split in the neck and shoulder.

I have relabelled the box "split found in one, consider next firing cycle the last", but I admit that I was careless at the time about sequestering cases for the tumbler that had been fired the same number of times and cannot be sure that this box is homogenous. Clearly some at least of my cases are coming to the ends of their useful lives (having had several goes through the firing and full-length-resizing cycle; they've earned their keep!) but there seems little to do but ditch them as they fail and keep a broken shell extractor handy against the day the worst happens. Or should I be much, much more ruthless?

It goes without saying that any factory rounds or factory-new brass I load up and fire in this rifle for the first time will be very carefully sequestered and the number of reloads tracked. Current reloading is with Lee Loader, so that should be easier on the brass, but keeping them aside will of course be vitally important!

 

[jepp2]

ditch them as they fail and keep a broken shell extractor handy against the day the worst happens

I put a split neck in a totally different category than a case head separation. You aren't going to need the broken shell extractor for a split neck.

I do the paper clip test for incipient case head separation checks. Any found are crushed and discarded.

When I start to encounter split necks, it is time to anneal case necks.

I don't consider firing a case with a neck that will split to be of significant hazard. I do consider firing a case where the head may separate to be foolish and has the potential to damage you and your rifle.

With unknown or mixed brass, more checks are required. I also don't know how you set up your sizing die and how much you move the shoulder when you full length resize. I know exactly how much the shoulder is moved when I resize and I record that along with other brass prep steps I take. Reloading records are priceless and well worth the time to record.

 

[boondocker385]

By discard I hope you mean recycle....its a couple of dollars a pound currently

 

[Wallyl]

split necks in rifle cases

I did a test shooting a .22-250 and a 7mm Rem Mag with a group of "good" cases and a group of cases with split necks, shooting moderate Cast Bullet loads...I was astonished to find that there was little difference. In such loads I don't use any bullet crimping... and load single shot style.

 

[pathdoc]

I couldn't tell you how much I was setting back, I'm afraid - wasn't keeping records that detailed back then, and I was reloading for two different rifles in the same calibre. My die (Lee, in an RCBS Partner press) was set up as per instructions in the 6th edition of "The ABCs of Reloading".

Current reloading, once the older cases have been full length resized for the new rifle of course, is being done with a Lee Loader. I have certainly been keeping an eye on the outside of the case heads; shall grab a sufficiently long paperclip as soon as I can.