.45 Auto Brass...Help!?!?

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ATLDave, how much have you seen volumes vary? I guess if I had time I could zero some empties on my scale and fill them with water to check the difference, but would you say it is 1-2%, 4-5%, up to 10%? Like I said, I can see how it will affect velocities but starting out I am more concerned about pressures and such. The manuals usually say what kind of case was used but not how to adjust any of the loads when using different cases. But I think your method of final weigh-in of the loaded cartridge is a good one, and I understand what you mean that if it is over a couple grain difference then it is cause for alarm.
I've not done the actual measurements, but I have seen data from others who claim to have done the work. Not much of a concern unless you're working near max, I think. But if I'm working close to the edge, I want every component to be the same. If I change something, I'll work up again.

But the QC is the main reason.
 
Yes you find more MFG's are using SPP in the .45ACP and you will need to sort these out when it comes time to reload. As far as sorting brass by brand, I don't do it and load mixed brass all the time. If it's LPP I load it and shoot it, and load it again.
and again and again and again......:):)
 
Sorting

Spp brass is a pain. Sort large from small find someone that wants the small and trade. As long as you are not loading near Max you should be fine. As posted before, sort large from small load and shoot until the case fails. All I reload is .45 and have done so on some case as many as 20 times.
 
Coldfinger, I didn't think sorting the SP's was too bad...Sorting brass is the one thing my wife doesn't mind me doing in the living room whilst watching TV. Now if I tried to start depriming she might take issue. I just don't want to have to sort SP/LP and then Brand, every time. I will do it the first time because I am a little OCD that way, but it is good to know that if I am just running some plinking light-to-medium loads I can mix-n-match LPP brass with no concern.

The thing I just don't get now, is when some people say they keep x-brand brass for loading hollow-points or y-brand for loading lead, why is that? Is some brass known more for holding on tight to the bullet (something good in defensive ammo I presume) or easier to load lead into?

I'm sure some of these things I will just discover for myself as I go, and I will probably develop personal preferences and quirks too, but I'd be interest to know the reasoning (if there is any, not that there has to be) for some of these practices.

Thanks again ya'll
 
The thing I just don't get now, is when some people say they keep x-brand brass for loading hollow-points or y-brand for loading lead, why is that? Is some brass known more for holding on tight to the bullet (something good in defensive ammo I presume) or easier to load lead into?

Well, sometimes it's just a way to decide which brass to load!

I load a lot of 10mm. I have a ton of brass with a "PPU" headstamp. It came from Prvi/Partisan ammo. For 10mm ammo, the PP stuff is very mild. I haven't read any opinions on that brass from others who are running at the top of the power range for 10mm. I have gobs of it, but have some questions about whether it's trustworthy for full-power loads. So it gets used for practice loads at or near start-load levels.

I also have some Starline brass, though less than I have of the PPU stuff. It has a good reputation. When I'm loading something reasonably stout, I use that brass. Not only do I have more confidence in it, I also know to inspect it more carefully for stretching, thinning, loose pockets, etc., since the demands on it have been higher. If a case looks dinged up at all, then I toss it.

Do I really NEED to do any of the foregoing? No. But it's a method. And it means I don't have to re-work-up for different brands of brass.
 
To the OP----There are some brands of brass that have a thinner necks and they are better for loading lead bullets because the have better neck tension. Also the ones with thicker necks will generally stand higher pressures as well as hold smaller diameter bullets tighter. That is the difference that matters for my reloading rather than case capacity as I do not load at max but for accuracy mostly.

Also the inspecting of the brass for safety is a necessary step and sorting by primer size while doing everything else is a non issue IMHO.
 
I do sort my 45acp brass by headstamp. I primary load a cast lead SWC bullet and I have found that it is easier to set the COL and crimp with one lot of brass at a time. All my 40s&w brass is federal headstamp because that is all we use for training at work. I also sort my 9mm brass for what I plan to load it with FMJ or cast. Some headstamps have thinner case walls making it better suited for cast. I have even recently went through the trouble to decrimp the primer pockets on some WCC 9mm brass.
 
Sorting

Some people will swear by only loading top/name brand brass. I feel that if all your doing is plinking or even loading for accuracy (not done near max either) the head stamp doesnt matter that much. I mostly load to poke holes in paper, and have used my hand loads in ispc matches. If I were to test the pressure limits of a case (something I would never do or recomend) I would take my micrometer and determine for myself the case with the thickest walls and use them. As long as you follow published load data manufacturer shouldnt matter for most applications. If you carry daily for personal protection carry what you plink, or load as close as you can to your carry ammo. Hope this helps.
 
srtolly

I only sort out the spp and herters. Spp gets loaded and shot as does Herters after a chamfer on the primer pocket.

Herters went bankrupt in 1981.

I still have some powder and you still have some brass.
The stuff hangs around for a while:)
 
Thanks for the responses folks. Intuitively it makes sense to me that the headstamp doesn't matter THAT much, but I guess it may be something I start to do just because my OCD may get the better of me.

Clark, I don't know about srtolly, but the "Herter's' brass I have is just from Cabela's, not the original Herter's. Allegedly I have heard it is loaded by S&B, which is another company I have heard people complain about the primer pockets in the brass...so maybe they are related that way? In any case I will save those casings for last and start up this weekend loading the Winchester and Federal LPP cases.
 
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