[Keeperfaith]

Hello,

Still new to reloading, I preped a few cases of 45 ACP I had picked up at the range.

Some of the cases (I believe they are Remington) had buldged primers and the fired cases looked "fatter" than other fired cases.

Theses cases resized and deprimed just fine (just a little tougher to get through the resizing die).

Are they still good or should I toss out these pieces of brass?

Thanks

Check out the pics:

The far left is a resized and deprimed case, the next is un-resized and the two on the right are the "bulged" primers... The one on the far right is halfway resized (thats why it looks way fatter than the one next to it).

[ArchAngelCD]

The brass itself looks fine. Resize them and drop them in your barrel to be sire they are OK before you reload them...

[R.W.Dale]

I'm going to disagree. When sorting through range brass when I run across cases that rode hard and put up wet looking they go straight to the recycle bucket.

Those primers look nearly blown and those cases are bulged all to heck

A kaboom messes too much stuff to risk one over a few pennies worth of overworked brass.

[ConcernedCitizen]

Looks like an enlarged firing pin hole to me. The corners of the primers still seem well rounded.

Just remembered something...

The .45 ACP is a low pressure cartridge. If you're getting pressure high enough to flatten primers, you're already well beyond the normal pressure limit. Based on this, I'm not sure if I would be comfortable saying they were okay just based on the corners of the primers.

I think I'll sit back and wait for the experts to respond.

[savanahsdad]

over loaded 45acp will bulge at the web/base check them with a mic. even then they can still be saved , LEE makes a bulge-buster die just for that , I load my 45acp brass tell the primers go in losse , if the primers go in tight and the cases drop in your chamber , then , load them up ,

[helotaxi]

Those actually look like they were fired out of battery. The web of the case is clearly bulging and the primer clearly was not against the breechface during the pressure peak. I don't think it was an overpressure round because it would have blown the primer and possibly ruptured the case. The primer isn't flattened and a flattened primer isn't a reliable indication of high pressure anyway.

[forindooruseonly]

Might have come from a subgun. Open bolt SMGs will bulge brass like that, but I'm not sure about the primer. None of my subguns bulge primers like that. Just a thought, I'm no reloading expert.

[FROGO207]

If the primer pockets are OK and the brass goes back to correct dimensions I would reload it if it were mine. If you are unsure or have enough brass to not bother then scrap them. One tip--I have used to save the REALLY bulged ones is to use a 45 Colt die to size them first then run them through your 45 ACP dies and there will be no damage to the case walls that sometimes happens with using the 45 ACP dies only. Mine always get lost before they fail or get loose primer pockets.

[mdi]

Personally, I'd put them away and wait 'till I had more experience with brass anomalities. I would say the primers are a gun related problem.

[Steve C]

Looks like an enlarged firing pin hole to me. The corners of the primers still seem well rounded.
I agree with ConcernedCitizen diagnosis. I have a Taurus PT92 9mm that does the same thing with primers coming out looking like they're cratered (see picture below) but the brass is perfectly good for reloading and the gun functions reliably. The brass is perfectly safe to reload if it has no cracks.

http://i1171.photobucket.com/albums/r552/s_o_cikkubs/Primer9mmT.jpg

[Kp321]

The cases are bulged above the web. I agree they look like the breech was opening too soon, might have been a Hi-Point? The brass has been stressed, put it back for the day we all run out of good stuff.

[beatledog7]

Federals look fine, but I'd recycle the Remingtons. Then again, I have plenty.

[Hondo 60]

I don't know what gun those RPs were fired from, but I think I'd toss 'em in the scrap bucket.

The Federals look fine to me.

[jjjitters]

A 1911 that isn't time very good? Opening way early before pressure has dropped? I wouldn't bother with,mostly due to it being R-P, plus possibly stretched.

[gamestalker]

Those do look badly buldged, both the brass and the primers, and if it were me I would toss them into the recycle bin. I agree that the primers look close to being pierced as well. Someone did something wrong, or loaded real hot with a poorly supported chamber, or both?

GS

[Swampman]

I don't claim to know what's wrong with them, but they're WRONG. Scrap 'em, your fingers, not to mention your eyeballs are worth far more than a piece of brass that you didn't pay a cent for to begin with! Take it from a longtime brass scrounger, you WILL find more.
Just because a piece of brass can be reshaped back to what it should look like, doesn't mean that it's like new, or even safe, all range pickup brass is somewhat of a gamble, but you don't have to play when the deck is stacked against you...
(I will say that I'm fairly certain that the suspect brass isn't from a Hi Point, at least not one that's functioning properly, I speak from experience, the best thing about Hi Points is that most people that shoot them don't reload!) :)

[1911Tuner]

A 1911 that isn't time very good? Opening way early before pressure has dropped?

Can't happen. The link would have to be so short that the barrel couldn't vertically disengage...which would prevent the breech from opening.

The problem is either due to excessive headspace...or fired from an open bolt subgun or an old open bolt Mac-10...or a straight blowback pistol that's outta whack.

If the cases are bulged around the whole circumference, they came from the open bolt or straight blowback gun. If the bulge is on one side...it's headspace.

[FROGO207]

That brass looks like what comes out of my MAC 10. I should have stated that earlier.

[forindooruseonly]

I posted about the possibility of the brass coming from am open bolt machine gun earlier, but none of my submachine guns do that to primers. My MAC 10 bulges brass the same way, but my primers look normal. I would think the fixed firing pin on the bolt means there is no chance of an oversized firing pin channel as was suggested earlier.

Does your MAC do that to the primers? Maybe someone is using really hot loads in a subgun?

[kingmt]

They look like they have been half way sized & the primer pushed just slightly.

[FROGO207]

No my primers are a bit flattened and flush. Just the bulged brass is my result.

[hentown]

I reload .45ACPs until the necks split or I lose them.