45ACP Case Longevity Test Update

CQB45ACP said:
One thing I have learned (actually learned it elsewhere but also applies here) is really really clean brass primer pockets and really clean steel gauges can make any pocket seem tight—all lubricity is gone.
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Brass, bronze and copper are “sticky” metals. Cutting them is very different from cutting white metals (zinc and tin alloys, titanium, aluminum, etc.) or the various steels.

I try to make sure my brass is never completely “dry” by using waxed or oiled polish media.
 
Makes
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Brass, bronze and copper are “sticky” metals. Cutting them is very different from cutting white metals (zinc and tin alloys, titanium, aluminum, etc.) or the various steels.

I try to make sure my brass is never completely “dry” by using waxed or oiled polish media.
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Makes sense and guess that’s why my fixation on jewelry-like brass causes problems from time to time.
 
This input is not indication of anything more than two cases. Got me thinking about a Tula STEEL case I wanted to see how many times I could reload. 10 times till I decided to call it. No problems after inspection. Second case is a once fired brass PMC 230 gr. Make any conclusion you feel warm and fuzzy about.
 

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corpo said:
This input is not indication of anything more than two cases. Got me thinking about a Tula STEEL case I wanted to see how many times I could reload. 10 times till I decided to call it. No problems after inspection. Second case is a once fired brass PMC 230 gr. Make any conclusion you feel warm and fuzzy about.
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Thanks

Did you call it due to length? Or something else?
 
My son kept track of his 45acp brass usage.
He quit counting after 52 reloads.

I have some 38spl nickel brass that has the nickel about warn off.

Most of my damaged straight walled brass is 357mag. I occasionally get side wall cracks. But they are loaded to the top of the data.
 
No, the length specifically wasn't, but the whole pucker factor going foward. I reached the limit of my trust in the steel. Also, I got tired of keeping track and satisfied myself with what I learned. Good luck with the project!
 
Highland Lofts said:
My son kept track of his 45acp brass usage.
He quit counting after 52 reloads.

I have some 38spl nickel brass that has the nickel about warn off.

Most of my damaged straight walled brass is 357mag. I occasionally get side wall cracks. But they are loaded to the top of the data.
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Yes I’ve heard/read many such stories and when/if I’m ever done, I’ll have a semi-specific number and consistent procedure to show/tell folks about.
 
CQB45ACP said:
One thing I have learned (actually learned it elsewhere but also applies here) is really really clean brass primer pockets and really clean steel gauges can make any pocket seem tight—all lubricity is gone.
Click to expand...
That’s why I wet tumble with primers in… :)
Hope I live to hear the final number…. Gotta be 42.
 
lordpaxman said:
@GeoDudeFlorida knows it.

”The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything” according to the supercomputer Deep Thought is 42. Ergo, therefore, your cases will expire at reloading number 42. Of course, it could be wrong, just ask ChatGPT….
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Yeah I looked it up and can’t even recall hearing about that back in the day. Must’ve been mixed up in some other part of life.
 
Dane R. Marley said:
I still have GI WWII 45 acp cases that I fired when I was 16 years old and have reloaded them many times since. I am now 72.
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I understand and others have similar experience and that’s great, but this is about HOW many. And why, and what happened along the way. That’s what I’m after.

In fact I’ll tell you what I’ve just calculated (you’re hearing it first)…I’m am now right at 100 cases measuring .893” or greater. Actually only about 10 are greater.

Started this in May/June with 400 cases or so. Reduced to about 200 when I started measuring and using only those .893” or longer. Many were in the .896” area.

Go to range most every week. Shoot about 100 each range visit. Recover most—over 90%. Often 100%.

So after thirty weeks nearly all of the 200 cases have shortened measurably and I’ll have to drop my arbitrary length limit.

At same time the primer pockets are tightening/shortening and I’m going to buy a uniformer to, well, uniform them.

Thats what I’m after. Sure it’s not scientific but I began this out of curiosity and still am. How others view it is up to them.

Eventually I will be able to tell anyone listening or reading how long a finite set of 45cases lived in the real world and why (generally speaking) the others didn’t.

Cheers
 
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