brass life: 9mm/40s&w/38 super

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Cowboy2

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I haven't been loading for pistols long, and am hoping for a little guidance (I've done rifle ammo for a while now). How many times should I expect to be able to re-use brass for loads of this type? And what should I be looking for in terms of brass wearing out, and needing to be replaced?

Thanks in advance.
 
I have been reloading for pistol for 13 years and have had 1 blown out case in all that time. Of course I have thousands of pieces of brass for every caliber I reload so the chances of any one piece getting reloaded excessively is slim. I use moderate charges in any of the calibers (.380, .38, .357, 9mm, .40 S & W, 45 ACP, 44 Sp, and 44 Mag) and handle my brass carefully. If I come across a case badly dented at the mouth, or if it is dented or dinged in the body, or if it is developing a bright ring where the shell meets the head, I pitch it.

I would much rather lose a .05 piece of brass than the $600 gun I am shooting it out of. There is no price for the fingers or eyes you could lose by overloading, or wearing out your brass.

Keep it clean, load conservatively, handle it gently and I would say it could go at least 25 times before showing real signs of wear and tear.
 
Brass life is outstanding with light loads, very good with regular loads, and will shorten quite a bit if you like to hot rod it. I don't keep track, but I bet I have .45 cases that I have easily loaded 25 times. I trash brass when, finally, it's rim is so beat up it I think it could start causeing funtioning problems. By that time it's time to retire it and get some more once fired to take its place.

If you scrounge at the range, you won't have to buy much.
 
For semi auto cartridges good brass lasts until it gets lost. Some brass like Amerc stamped and some Chinese types are not worth reloading 1 time and get tossed.
 
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