New Brass ?
- Thread starter Hummbird
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Fine Figure of a Man
Member
IMO yes
Most manufacturers sell their new brass having already been finished to the proper size. You can check on the website of the manufacturer.
I have only bought new brass about a dozen times in my life, but I have always treated it just like "previously fired" brass when I added it to my reloading stream and resized it anyway "just to be sure" (or as the attorneys would say it, "out of an abundance of caution"). My main concern was to ensure that the neck tension was sufficient to hold the bullet securely in place.
Resizing already sized brass does work it a little bit (but not as much as if it were previously fired brass) and may reduce the case life by a reloading cycle. In my case, I know that I'll lose all the brass shot out of semiautomatic guns in the weeds before the cases get enough wear for me to worry about that.
But, if you are loading a caliber where case life is only 4 or 5 loadings, you can't afford to give away a cycle, so you might want to see if a bullet falls through the neck of a new case (in which case you need to resize it) or it doesn't (in which case, I would probably take my chances)
santacruzdave
Member
I resize all new brass for the following reasons:
1. I don't know what trauma has been visited on said brass. Crushed in shipment? Mishandled at the factory?
2. I want to know every cartridge is uniform.
3. Habit, I like to stick to a process.
Once the brass has been fired, well that brings up another set of questions.
1. I don't know what trauma has been visited on said brass. Crushed in shipment? Mishandled at the factory?
2. I want to know every cartridge is uniform.
3. Habit, I like to stick to a process.
Once the brass has been fired, well that brings up another set of questions.
pert near
Member
No.
Load Master
Member
As others have already stated, any brass, new, used or unknown is sized checked for length and visually inspected. Maybe not needed, but how else can you know for sure? Just my humble opinion.
lightman
Member
I resize all new brass. On a bottle neck case your sizing die will probably not touch the shoulder but sizing rounds out any dents in the case mouth.
Blue68f100
Member
I size all new brass with the exception being the high end grade brass like Lapua. My neighbor bought some new brass and upon inspection found 2 pieces that had cold flow (separation) at the necks. So you must inspect it at a min.
TheDomFather
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I have definitely found that all new brass needs to be resized.
Does the brass look like it needs to be sized? Does the brass fit into your guns? How's bullet fit in the case mouth?
If the brass looks OK, fits into your chamber, and has proper neck tension it's probably not worthwhile to spend the time sizing it.
If the brass looks OK, fits into your chamber, and has proper neck tension it's probably not worthwhile to spend the time sizing it.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Once you run the brass through a sizing die you may want to trim to length, chamfer and deburr just so you know you are starting with uniform brass. As you can see, some will size new brass and some don't so it becomes a matter of personal preference. The object is uniform brass within specifications for the cartridge you are loading.
Ron
Ironicaintit
Member
The only new brass I ever bought was for 50ae from IMI. They all spec'd fine and didn't need any further or redundant processing.
Give them a once over like anything else....maybe measure the neck, test drop into the chamber or gauge....
Give them a once over like anything else....maybe measure the neck, test drop into the chamber or gauge....
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I am still novice to reloading could you elaborate on this? All I have are full length dies, should I be using something else?
Depends on your guns and chambers, really, and not the brass. For a semi-auto guns and falling blocks, yes. Invariably you will end up with one or more in your lot of brass that won't chamber for a reason you can't see without measurements.
For bolt, pump and lever guns randomly select 10 or more new empty cases and measure full length and make sure it's good. Drop the case in the empty chamber. Is it fully chambered? Slowly close the action, don't force it. Any resistance? Extract, inspect case for marks in brass and ask what the marks mean. Do all 10 cases. If they all drop into the chamber you don't need to full length size the new cases. If you have chambering resistance or case marks, you probably need to full length size.
I have dies that will move the shoulder back on a case when sizing, I do not have a die that has full length case/body support that will allow me to move the shoulder back when sizing.
There is nothing wrong with your full length sizing dies, I do not assume the shoulder moves, a reloader that believes the shoulder on his case moves is wrong about a lot of other things that happens between pulling the trigger and the bullet leaving the barrel.
F. Guffey
I want a known starting point when I'm reloading. Mass produced products can have faux pas that slip through and most are shipped in bulk and bounce around can be dented. The new brass is not harmed/damaged in any way when I size it and I know what I'm starting with. When I pick up a case to size it I glance at it (ever read of a case without a flash hole?). I've been reading similar threads to this one for years and have concluded it seems to be personal preference with little true life facts, pro or con...
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Well, that was not very elaborate. Thank you very kindly just the same Mr. Guffey.
I suppose secrets are just that. Are there any internal ballisticians that would care to share light with this human of the dark (Me)?
When I load for my Model twelve I, like @mdi, always size new cases. I know that the sized case from my dies will produce ammunition that will meet my needs. The last batch of Lapua that I purchased was very tight in the neck. A simple sizing cures this.
I make a great many things, assumptions are not one of them. It's raining out, time to go shooting!
I suppose secrets are just that. Are there any internal ballisticians that would care to share light with this human of the dark (Me)?
When I load for my Model twelve I, like @mdi, always size new cases. I know that the sized case from my dies will produce ammunition that will meet my needs. The last batch of Lapua that I purchased was very tight in the neck. A simple sizing cures this.
I make a great many things, assumptions are not one of them. It's raining out, time to go shooting!
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Thank you.
I said I find it impossible to move the shoulder back on a case with a die that has full case body support. Every reloader on every reloading forum claim then can bump the shoulder back and they claim they can move the shoulder back; again, I claim I can not move the shoulder back on a case when sizing so I ask how is it possible to move a shoulder on a case back? To make it more clear again, when I size a case the shoulder on my case while sizing does not move back. I know everyone is confused. Before I confuse anyone more than they are confused I can shorten the length of a case from the shoulder to the case head but I can not shorten a case from the shoulder to the case head by moving the shoulder back.
There is a story that claims the firing pin drives the case forward when it strikes the primer, I have killer firing pins, my firing pins destroy the primer before the case, bullet and powder know their little buddy has been destroyed. There is a big difference between the two scenarios
F. Guffey
A shooter/reloader and writer for shooting magazines purchased 500 cases from one manufacturer, Forget one lot but he sorted and separated, fired and sorted and separated again and again and finished with 46 perfect cases. He then went back and sorted and indexed and fired again and found accuracy among the culls if he indexed the cases. He then sorted cases that were perfect on the outside but had columns on the inside that were not centered. He separated cases into ever category except for case head thickness. Had he sorted cases according to case head thickness he would have to add a category for long and short powder columns.
I had one of those moments when I considered digging that article out and then? I got over it.
F. Guffey
spitballer
Member
From a safety standpoint a concern IMO is the possibility that it may have to be trimmed lengthwise. I don't use standard brass any more with an undersized neck, but as I recall the unfinished stuff was actually longer than premium brass and had to be watched carefully for OAL.
Archie
Member
Most of the new rifle brass I've used recently tend to be 'sized' properly.
However, that does not guarantee some dinged or dented necks, or the oddball case without a flash hole (very rare, but extant) and such. So at least do a visual check for cracks and glaring discrepancies. I spot check a random sampling for case length to make sure the lengths are within limits and reasonably constant. I use a flash hole reamer to clean all the hanging on bits of brass from the inside of the flash hole and make the flash hole uniform in size.
Depending on the rifle, I segregate by weight. Probably not required for anything but ultra finicky bench rest shooting. Not really needed for general hunting. Not needed at all for 'blasting' ammo. I spot check for proper primer pocket depth, as well.
Pistol ammo gets checked for cracks. And to separate calibers, with used brass. (Always find a .380 ACP in the 9x19 pile.)
However, that does not guarantee some dinged or dented necks, or the oddball case without a flash hole (very rare, but extant) and such. So at least do a visual check for cracks and glaring discrepancies. I spot check a random sampling for case length to make sure the lengths are within limits and reasonably constant. I use a flash hole reamer to clean all the hanging on bits of brass from the inside of the flash hole and make the flash hole uniform in size.
Depending on the rifle, I segregate by weight. Probably not required for anything but ultra finicky bench rest shooting. Not really needed for general hunting. Not needed at all for 'blasting' ammo. I spot check for proper primer pocket depth, as well.
Pistol ammo gets checked for cracks. And to separate calibers, with used brass. (Always find a .380 ACP in the 9x19 pile.)
WelshShooter
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For cheaper brass, like PPU/Privi I will run them through full length dies, check OAL (set calipers up like a NO GO gauge for max case length) and trim & chamfer if needed.
For expensive brass, like Lapua, I visually inspect the cases first. The only cases that get put through the resizing die are cases with dented case mouths. Even then, I put them through just enough to correctly size the neck. I check the neck size and OAL just to be sure but I've never had to trim after doing this.
For expensive brass, like Lapua, I visually inspect the cases first. The only cases that get put through the resizing die are cases with dented case mouths. Even then, I put them through just enough to correctly size the neck. I check the neck size and OAL just to be sure but I've never had to trim after doing this.
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