Do YOU size, chamfer and bell new handgun brass?

[merlynski]

Why or why not?
I see some manufacturers suggest it is good to do, to make sure cases are round as they may have been bent in shipping and handling.
What else do you do to "process" new brass?

 

[jmorris]

I treat new brass the same as old brass. That said, I don’t chamfer pistol brass. It is sized before being primed and belled as it is charged with powder.

 

[SASS#23149]

I size brass because i've had bullets all but fall into new,unsized brass. If it's rifle brass then yes I chamfer,no bell, most rifle die sets don't bell.my press...dillon....flares pistol brass at the powder stage so no chamfering.

 

[W/Vickers1938]

Having on occasion loaded new brass, I treat it exactly as I do fired brass. Particularly on the magnum cartridges in order to achieve uniform crimps I trim to length. The only steps I delete are the decapping and the cleaning. Size, expand and flare, check for length and trim. If you are reading this then you already know what to do next.
Have a nice day.
Thank you

 

[winfreeokra]

I load new brass as is (.38/.357 thus far) with as much bell as needed. . Once fired I trim after sizing, chamfer/debur,with the expectation of never trimming again.

 

[WrongHanded]

Chamfer? Yes. The primary reason to chamfer pistol brass seems to be to remove burrs. New brass has burrs, pre-fired brass tends not to, in my experience.

Resize? Yes. New brass doesn't always have good neck tension. Resizing ensures consistency.

Bell/flare the case mouth? Yes. Particularly after resizing, it's easier to get a bullet to seat.

So, yes, I do all of it. If I didn't, I'd probably be rewarded with some rather poor results. Not a good idea for ammunition I intend to carry for protection.

 

[AJC1]

Your process should be the same always if you want consistent results. Old new, range pickups it doesn't matter. I chamfer and debur almost everything because I load lead. 9mm is the only exception as I just buy rmr jacketed bullets.

 

[Pivot Dr]

Yes! I’m anal that way.

 

[edwardware]

Do YOU size, chamfer and bell new handgun brass?

Does your new car come with the gas cap already unscrewed to save you the time at your first fill up?

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I tread new brass the same as old brass. That said, I don’t chamfer pistol brass. It is sized before being primed and belled as it is charged with powder.

Exactly. I take the extra step of washing new brass in soapy water to remove insecticides and storage preservatives - things applied in warehouses to cut down on infestation - but other than that, old and new get treated the same.

 

[Rule3]

Exactly. I take the extra step of washing new brass in soapy water to remove insecticides and storage preservatives - things applied in warehouses to cut down on infestation - but other than that, old and new get treated the same.

Insecticides on brass? That's a new on to me. Yes, many products are treated, but brass???

Those darn brass beetles/weevils can reek havoc!

 

[Rule3]

Why or why not?
I see some manufacturers suggest it is good to do, to make sure cases are round as they may have been bent in shipping and handling.
What else do you do to "process" new brass?

You forgot trimming.

The few times I ever bought handgun brass, yes I did size them but nothing else.

Brass is sized and flared (belled) every time you reload it so why not the first time?

Why? because, that's what you do.

 

[Walkalong]

I've never bought any new semi auto pistol brass, and I don't deburr or chamfer it anyway.

I do deburr and chamfer all revolver brass, especially new.

I expand all brass I load to one degree or another, some less than others.

I don't always size new revolver brass, but do check to be sure it will have plenty of neck tension, haven't bought much new revolver brass though, some .32 Long and .32 Mag, and some .32-20. Been a long time, might have sized it and don't remember.

 

[Targa]

It never even occurred to me to trim, chamfer or deburr handgun brass. Everything is sized and flared to seat the bullet but that is it for me.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I’ve never bought new brass, rifle or pistol.
If I did, I’d go through all the prep and checks anyway. Quality and consistency shouldn’t be assumed because it’s new. Plus, I enjoy it all as part of the hobby, so why not?

the only handgun brass I’ll trim and chamfer is 38spl, 357 and 44 mag just so there aren’t variations in a rolled crimp.

 

[black mamba]

Yes, for proper neck tension I always resize new brass, then bell case mouth as I prime on the ol' Rock Chucker. I only chamfer if I trim, which I only rarely do if the brass grows after firing. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen with heavy loads.

 

[mcb]

I have to say I think I have bought new brass only once or twice in my life. I got a discount certificate to Starline at a match and bought 1000 pcs of 45 ACP. It got treated just like all my other brass except I skipped the tumbler. It got poured into the case feeder and went through the XL650 reloader just like all my other brass. Most of my brass is range pickups and if I have bought brass is is almost always "once-fired".

 

[Charlie98]

It never even occurred to me to trim, chamfer or deburr handgun brass.

Back Home, Years Ago, when I wanted to be Mr Precise, I started measuring my handgun brass... with the intention of trimming it and making everything as consistent as I could... what a waste of time that was... at least for my type of shooting.

New brass gets treated the same way old brass does... throw it in the tray and run it through the press.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Insecticides on brass? That's a new on to me.

Oh yeah, it's a huge deal.
You should only buy 100% certified organic brass.


Seriously, I do size new brass. I got a batch of .45 Colt from Starline once that you could push bullets into most of them with just finger pressure. The brass was fine, I'm still using it 6-7 years later, but it just needed that first run through the die.
I bell it all before the seating stage. Just makes life easier with cast bullets especially.
I don't chamber of deburr handgun brass unless there's a specific issue with a single piece.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Back Home, Years Ago, when I wanted to be Mr Precise, I started measuring my handgun brass... with the intention of trimming it and making everything as consistent as I could... what a waste of time that was... at least for my type of shooting.

Agree 100% for most handgun shooting.
The only time I've been tempted to trim handgun brass is for .44 mag and .45 Colt in a hunting revolver. The crimps get a bit inconsistent at times. I've never done it, but it's crossed my mind.
Auto handgun stuff, I would never consider it.

 

[Milt1]

I resize, chamfer and bell new brass.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Insecticides on brass? That's a new on to me. Yes, many products are treated, but brass???

Those darn brass beetles/weevils can reek havoc!

Insecticide, fungicide, anti-bacterial sprays... on everything that a bug might eat, like paper, some kinds of plastics, carboard, label glue... Warehouses fumigate regularly. Because most people don't like opening boxes and having roaches or worse crawl out.

 

[AK Hunter]

If you want the same results as your old brass I would.

 

[EricBu]

Why or why not?
I see some manufacturers suggest it is good to do, to make sure cases are round as they may have been bent in shipping and handling.
What else do you do to "process" new brass?

I always process brand new brass the same as fired brass. For a couple of reasons: The brass makers usually put a corrosion inhibitor on them, they are often out of round from handling and shipping, and non processed new brass, especially smaller calibers, have a bit of a stiction issue. The stiction is most noticeable on a progressive, and can cause some deviation in your powder throw...this occurs when drawing the brass off the expander.....which will "stick" slightly. This is a big pain with 32 acp and 9mm, less so with others, but still enough of a pain to be noteworthy. I tumble the new brass in walnut with Nu Finish for about an hour. I always resize it.......and I leave the capping pin in as I like the check of the pin running through the flash hole to make sure there is no debris in it. For almost all new brass, the tumbling takes care of the stiction problem, but with 32 acp I will usually also lube the cases with a mix of lanolin/alcohol. Just me, YMMV. FYI, I have 2000 pieces of brand new Starline 9mm in the tumbler as we speak. As far as trimming and chamfering, I only do that on rifle brass. I usually buy Lapua or Norma rifle brass, and it's trimmed and chamferred out of the box....I do clean and size it though. It's usually trimmed by it's 3rd or 4th firing, and then every time after that, trimmed and chamferred every firing.

 

[Rule3]

Insecticide, fungicide, anti-bacterial sprays... on everything that a bug might eat, like paper, some kinds of plastics, carboard, label glue... Warehouses fumigate regularly. Because most people don't like opening boxes and having roaches or worse crawl out.

A bit off topic,

Brass is made of copper and zinc. Both are use as fungicides and rodenticides. Lets not forget traces of lead and all the evil stuff in primers when you shoot.

Don't forget to wash your hands!