Anyone buy unfired brass?

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agony

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With the exception of hard-to-find ammo, is there a really good reason to buy unfired brass vs. once-fired brass from factory ammo that has gone through my guns (as opposed to range pick-ups?).

It seems the trimming issue is a hinderance with the unfired cases, especially with handgun brass.
 
Well the only brass I seem to be able to find plenty is 45 ACP. Everything else I reload ( 44 Mag, 45 Colt etc ) I have bought new - mostly Starline. Definitely cheaper than buying the ammo in order to keep the brass, at least in my calibers.

And there is just something nice about brand new shiny Virgin brass. :)
 
I used to buy new pistol brass (IMI Match) or use brass from factory ammo that I fired. But after awhile, I've picked up thousands of pieces of range brass so I just use that now.

Bolt action .308 I still buy new brass (Lapua).
 
The big turnoff for me in buying once fired brass is the fact I'm a bit on the paranoid side when it comes to my safety. How do I REEEEAAALLLY know that it was only fired once unless I've fired it myself from factory ammo?

I've got a couple friends that got burned buying "once fired" brass at a gunshow only to have cases crack, split, and fail and find out later that about 1/3 of it was reloaded multiple times.


Sorry, unless I'm positive of the source, I'll buy virgin brass.
 
I've bought new and scrounged at the ranges. Both work for me, scrounging is much cheaper, but does leave a bit of worry in the back of my mind. But, as I did last week, when you pick up about 200 very shiny .40 S&W Winchester brass....man. That feels good to me and my wallet!
 
Brass comparisons

Virgin brass, all of the same lot, is the most consistent. As you noted, for a hard-to-find caliber, it may be the only way to go. Norma or Lapua are the 2 brands that serious rifle accuracy buffs swear by. Starline brass for pistoleros.

Next most consistent is once-fired brass, all your own gun, all the same ammo manufacturer and type of ammo (don't put the high-powered hunting round brass in with the target load brass). You have to separate brass from each of your guns and use it in just that gun. Of course the virgin brass is once-fired after a single loading, so segregate it into lots, by intended use, or intensity of load, and keep the lots separate.

I always figured that if I scrounged it from the range, it was once-fired, because reloaders always collect their brass. So if I sorted it by manufacturer and threw out any dubious-looking cases, it was OK for general purposes. Never had a brass failure nor a gun malfunction while using such. Buying "once-fired brass" seems to me like an expensive way to accomplish the same thing.

You may find that your particular weapon has a preference for a particular manufacturer's brass. OK, if Betsy feeds more reliably or is more accurate with Win, or Rem, or Lapua, or whatever, I'll cater to her.
 
I have used range pickups, but mostly for low pressure rounds or light loads. I am a terrible packrat, so I have kept every piece of factory brass that I or friends have fired for years. Sometimes it takes more time and effort to use range brass than it is worth.


David
 
I'll usually buy once-fired brass for my .40 S&W but most everything is brass I have from before re-loading or range pick-ups.

I'm a packrat too. I have over 2 quarts of 9mm brass and I don't even own a 9mm much less the relaoding supplies for one.
 
Over the years I have not found any differance in function or accuracy in my handgun loads, whether it has been made with Virgin brass, or good range brass, every handloader I shoot with picks up there brass after shooting, leaving mostly good, once fired brass at the range. When I buy my brass I hunt for real deals, be it once fired or new. Much of the brass I have has come from other shooters or I picked it up at the range.
IMO it is fairly easy to tell once fired from brass that has been fired many times.

Rifle loads are differant, I like brass that has been once fired in my rifle, or new brass, then use it till its no good.


Tony Z
 
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In 15 odd years of reloading a variety of pistol calibers, I have never bought virgin brass. I'll pick up what I can at the range but generally buy in bulk from this guy:

brassmanbrass

I've never had problem one with his stuff other than having to discard a case or two that were just too mangled to be resized.

Enjoy!
 
If I am shooting at a range where I can police my own brass, I'll by new. If I shoot at a range where policing my brass is difficult, I'll shoot once-fired and leave it.

cheers
 
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