9mm Case Longevity Test--39th Firing

[CQB45ACP]

Monday AM was 39th firing for this test that began in June 2023.

Originally 200 Winchester cases only. Middling Sport Pistol load although some recently were also BE-86. All 1.135" & 115gr RN. All pockets uniformed once, flash hole deburred once, and mouth lightly chamfered once.

Over life of test these were shot out of three different Berettas and one 5" WC 1911.

Only seven split cases after 39 firings. I mistakenly reported as eight splits previously. These were not new cases when I began and have no idea how many previous firings.

Here is picture of priming/expanding getting ready for next time.

 

[blackd24]

Notice any differences with neck tension?

 

[MarshallDodge]

I'm curious to know of the headstamps look any different now compared to the beginning?

 

[BJung]

were you annealing the case ever so often?

 

[CQB45ACP]

Notice any differences with neck tension?

No

 

[CQB45ACP]

I'm curious to know of the headstamps look any different now compared to the beginning?

No they really don't. I've seen plenty of beat up ones over the years but not these. My 45acp's test didn't either.

 

[CQB45ACP]

were you annealing the case ever so often?

No. I wouldn't know how

 

[BJung]

If you don't anneal, the neck will crack sooner from work-hardening caused by the die resizing the brass. The way I do it is hold the brass base and spin it over the tip of a propane torch flame until the tip starts to glow and the brass becomes uncomfortable to hold. Then I drop the case in a bucket of water. That's for rifle cases. Maybe hold the brass with pliers.

 

[CQB45ACP]

If you don't anneal, the neck will crack sooner from work-hardening caused by the die resizing the brass. The way I do it is hold the brass base and spin it over the tip of a propane torch flame until the tip starts to glow and the brass becomes uncomfortable to hold. Then I drop the case in a bucket of water. That's for rifle cases. Maybe hold the brass with pliers.

I'll be honest with you...I'm looking forward to some failures...this relationship is a little long in the tooth.

 

[Soonerpesek]

I'll be honest with you...I'm looking forward to some failures...this relationship is a little long in the tooth.

I think after 39 firings so far…..

Annealing would be like polishing a turd…

…..JMO…….

If you tell us you’re gonna anneal a 9mm case, I’m prolly gonna put some spanking new Starlines on your front stoop..

 

[CQB45ACP]

I think after 39 firings so far…..

Annealing would be like polishing a turd…

…..JMO…….

If you tell us you’re gonna anneal a 9mm case, I’m prolly gonna put some spanking new Starlines on your front stoop..

No, I'm not--annealing nor polishing.

 

[Slamfire]

I took 308 Win brass 22 firings in a M1a. The only way I could do that was by firing lubricated cases. Dry cases in dry chambers would have resulted in case head separations. Along the way, brass flaws appeared. There are always brass flaws in sheet brass, the more you work the brass, the sooner latent defects surface. Because I was shooting bottleneck cases, I had more case neck cracks than body cracks, but both happened. I basically retired the stuff after it became too easy to stuff a primer in the case.

I saw the primer pocket diameter increasing while the center deforms towards the head. I believe the case head, primer pocket and all, is permanently deforming as pressure causes the primer pocket to flatten. At some point the pocket is dangerously shallow, and the pocket is not tight enough to retain primers.

Too much pressure will expand a primer pocket!

 

[CQB45ACP]

I took 308 Win brass 22 firings in a M1a. The only way I could do that was by firing lubricated cases. Dry cases in dry chambers would have resulted in case head separations. Along the way, brass flaws appeared. There are always brass flaws in sheet brass, the more you work the brass, the sooner latent defects surface. Because I was shooting bottleneck cases, I had more case neck cracks than body cracks, but both happened. I basically retired the stuff after it became too easy to stuff a primer in the case.

I saw the primer pocket diameter increasing while the center deforms towards the head. I believe the case head, primer pocket and all, is permanently deforming as pressure causes the primer pocket to flatten. At some point the pocket is dangerously shallow, and the pocket is not tight enough to retain primers.

Too much pressure will expand a primer pocket!

Thanks

Rifle isn't pistol of course and none of this is happening with my 39 firings of 9mm, but it sounds very similar to my 33 firing 45acp test I also documented here over a period of 18 months. And it's similar to the findings in this article

How many times can I reload 45 ACP brass? – Florida Reloading

www.floridareloading.com

 

[FROGO207]

I for one appreciate your dedication to see this through as well. It has just reinforced my belief that straight walled pistol brass is robust enough that If I have a 5 GAL bucket full of range brass and cycle through it several times I'll probably never have issues with it.

In the past it was always back there in my head did I just load a batch of worn out brass, is it going to split or rupture now? It appears not to worry as much.

 

[gwpercle]

39 Fireings of a 9mm Luger case ... Thirty-Nine !
I'm not going to call you a lier ... No I'm not gonna do it ...
If you can get 39 reloads out of a 9mm Luger case ...you a better reloader than me .
My only question is why didn't you go to 40 ???
Gary

 

[CQB45ACP]

39 Fireings of a 9mm Luger case ... Thirty-Nine !
I'm not going to call you a lier ... No I'm not gonna do it ...
If you can get 39 reloads out of a 9mm Luger case ...you a better reloader than me .
My only question is why didn't you go to 40 ???
Gary

I haven’t stopped just keeping folks up to date. I’m going until they’re all lost or ruined. I only get to range every three weeks so it’ll take a while.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I for one appreciate your dedication to see this through as well. It has just reinforced my belief that straight walled pistol brass is robust enough that If I have a 5 GAL bucket full of range brass and cycle through it several times I'll probably never have issues with it.

In the past it was always back there in my head did I just load a batch of worn out brass, is it going to split or rupture now? It appears not to worry as much.

My guess is they’ll all start crapping out at about same time. We’ll see.

 

[Slamfire]

My guess is they’ll all start crapping out at about same time. We’ll see.

Don't try 38 Special brass, the stuff will outlive you!! I have some 38 Special nickel cases that have been sized so much, the plating is mostly gone. Use light loads, buy good brass, and then shoot to infinity and beyond!

 

[Walkalong]

I have some 38 Special nickel cases that have been sized so much, the plating is mostly gone.

Yep, it gets thin, then goes away.

 

[Pat Riot]

39 reloads. I just dumped a bunch of 9mm brass because I thought it would be troublesome after 8 or 9 reloads.
Thank you for persevering through this test. I appreciate it…and I won’t be so quick to dump / recycle 9mm brass with the batch I have now.

 

[BJung]

I haven’t stopped just keeping folks up to date. I’m going until they’re all lost or ruined. I only get to range every three weeks so it’ll take a while.

How about bringing a small press and the rest of your reloading tools to the range and reload the cases there?

 

[tmd16556]

38 special brass does eventually fail but it’s an inter-generational testing program. I’m getting a lot of splits in Rem-UMC brass lately. That brass is probably from the 1930s and has been passed down since my great grandfather loaded it. He didn’t keep any notes on pistol loads, but the powder dipper made from a trimmed 45 auto case with a nail soldered into it probably gives the right amount of DuPont 80 powder. I still use them but 1-2 split per 100 now. I could anneal but I needed together to the minimum for free shipping on something else so now there are 100 new starline cases for my great grandchildren to puzzle over.

I‘m just impressed you can keep track of brass through 39 loadings.

 

[Soonerpesek]

How about bringing a small press and the rest of your reloading tools to the range and reload the cases there?

You have to realize that those cases have been cared for with love and affection and will be as blindingly shiny on the 49th firing as they were on the first…

Glenn has a process of shine preparation that is 2nd to none…..

 

[cfullgraf]

Monday AM was 39th firing for this test that began in June 2023.

Only seven split cases after 39 firings.

Cool, thanks for the effort and data recording.

I reload 9x19 mostly for plinking. I reload a large batches, 500-600 cases at a time when the inventory runs low.

I shoot off my back porch where I can usually recover 100% of the spent cases. I find that I rarely lose a case due to brass failure. Your test verifies that.

Now, I have culled numerous foreign and off brand headstamp cases as they seem to cause stoppages in the reloading process. I mostly stick with domestic headstamp cases. I rarely shoot at public ranges so picking up off brand cases is a minimal thing these days for me.

 

[CQB45ACP]

How about bringing a small press and the rest of your reloading tools to the range and reload the cases there?

That's what the guy did in the article I linked to. But for me, I shoot at NRA's HQ indoor range. Don't think they'd go along. But maybe they would...I could use @GeoDudeFlorida barstool or @jmorris stump.