[IMtheNRA]

Winchester WinClean .45 brass has a huge hole, compared to the rest of the brass that I have been saving. Are the procedures for reloading it the same as with any other brass?

For example, could the primer's detonation push the bullet from the case mouth before the gunpowder in the case has reached the proper level of ignition?

Should I even bother to separate this brass from the rest of my .45 brass?

I'm using CCI primers, 200-gr plated bullets, and 5.6 grains of Win-231.

[tomr8368]

On the next page there is a thread "Federal Primer Pockets" which has some very good info about oversized flash holes in used Federal cases. Hopefully someone will know specifically about WinClean....I don't.
Tom

[coonan357]

have been reloading them like normal , and they seem to do fine for me.the only problem has been trying to clean the gunk out of the pocket edges . Btw I reload them with several different loads using several different powders.

[larryw]

I also reload them like normal and mix them in with the rest of my brass. I used to segregate them, but after a lot of "testing", I found that to be a waste of time.

I remember several discussions on this subject in TFL's reloading area if you also want to chase those down.

[IMtheNRA]

Thank you for the replies! I was hoping that I can just mix them in, sounds like I may be able to do so! I'll load up some tonight and test them to make sure they perform like the rest of the loads in my gun.

[IMtheNRA]

OK, I made up a few rounds with WinClean brass and fired them last night. They function just like the rest of the brass I used and I don't see any reason to keep them separated.

What was different is the depth of the firing pin indentation. It is about 1/2, maybe even 1/3 of the depth and size of the indentation on the non-WinClean brass.

Could the large flash hole allow so much more pressure against the primer that it pushes the indentation back out to such and extent?

Could this be indicative of pressure or other problems when using this brass?

[betterluckytg]

FWIW, I took this from the Winchester site, after I found several of them in the batch of once fired i just bought. I'm sure they're "safe", but that big hole can't contribute to uniform loads, so I'm culling mine. I've been reloading since '58 and have never seen flash holes that big!

"Question: Are WinClean cartridges reloadable and why is the flash hole in the shellcase enlarged?

Answer: Regarding the enlarged flash hole of the shellcase loaded in 45 Auto WinClean products (WC451 and WC452): The flash hole in this shellcase was enlarged in order to achieve optimal ignition while utilizing a lead/ heavy metal free primer. Winchester conducted extensive testing prior to the introduction of this product and determined that the larger flash hole will not have an adverse effect on reloads using standard leaded primers. Please remember, Winchester does not offer a component lead/ heavy metal free primer. Other calibers within the WinClean line are manufactured with a standard diameter flash hole. As always, reloaders should utilize published data from a recognized source and work loads up carefully."

from the Winchester web site, www.winchester.com