Last week I reloaded a box of cats and dogs range pickup brass. When I inspected them I noticed some shallowly set primers. I gave them the wobble test, and nine of them came up wobblies. All were ARMSCOR USA, out of twelve ARSCOR cases in total. I pulled the worst two apart, and found that the pocket depth was irregular. One was about 0.103 to 0.130 inch deep. The other was about 0.105 to 0.120. I make a small pistol primer at about 0.120 inch thick. I don't know what a blown pocket looks like, so I can't say if the shallowness was due to blowouts, manufacturing defect, or if they use thinner primers. So beware if you pick any up. Yet another reason to sort brass, as I thought some of the primers went in hard, but didn't look at them. Sorting would have showed up that problem immediately.
ARMSCOR 38 SPCL Shallow Primer Pockets
- Thread starter leefan
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Jesse Heywood
Member
That's why ARMSCOR is on the DNR (do not reload) list. Recycle bin material only.
Jesse Heywood
Member
You can find threads on good/bad brass, but the DNR list is mine. And it has one entry.
ReloaderFred
Member
I've loaded a bunch of Armscor (LE) headstamped brass in several different calibers and never noticed any primer seating problems in any of them. They seat to -.004" below flush just like the rest of my brass, but I'm using the press mounted RCBS APS System, which I find the most reliable.
A few years ago Widener's had Armscor .38 Super loaded ammunition on closeout for $6.00 per box, plus shipping. I bought 2,000 rounds of it, and wish I'd bought a whole bunch more. It's proven to be good brass for reloading and I've gotten good life out of it.
I also have some Armscor .38 Special brass that loads just like any other brass in that caliber.
Hope this helps.
Fred
A few years ago Widener's had Armscor .38 Super loaded ammunition on closeout for $6.00 per box, plus shipping. I bought 2,000 rounds of it, and wish I'd bought a whole bunch more. It's proven to be good brass for reloading and I've gotten good life out of it.
I also have some Armscor .38 Special brass that loads just like any other brass in that caliber.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Thanks, Fred. I googled the problem I experienced and found two old references to similar experiences in 45 ACP headstamped AP. One conclusion was not to use Winchester primers with ARMSCOR, and the other was to swage the pockets.
gamestalker
member
I have also loaded a good number of them without any issues, and all my loads are full house. Might be since they are range pick ups, that you got some that were improperly prepped by the previous owner, thus resulting in disfigured pockets?
GS
GS
That is a reasonable hypothesis, like someone punched the primers out with a mis-set die. The odd thing was they were deeper at the ignition hole than at the edge of the pocket and of irregular depth around the edge of the pocket. After I shoot the least bad of the bad I'll look at them and retry. Then toss 'em!
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