How can you tell your brass is work hardened?

[Fat_46]

First - the equipment:
Dillon 550b
Redding FL sizer die with carbide expander ball
Redding seating die
Speer 62 gr. FMJ-BT w/cannelure

Second - the problem:
Bullets falling into resized cases

the diagnosis:
work-hardened brass


My previous way of reloading was to wait until I got 500+ empty cases, decap, polish, then start reloading.

After talking with numerous friends, and Dillon, it was strongly suggested I start sorting by headstamp, and by number of times the brass has been used.

My question is...how can I tell (before I get to the point where I've cleaned, resized, reprimed, loaded with powder) that my brass isn't springy enough to hold the bullet?

 

[Walkalong]

Measure cases at every step and make notes. It will start measureing different.

New annealed "soft" brass will not "bounce back". It is not "springy". Work hardened brass is "springy".

When you size work hardened brass the neck is forced down smaller in diameter and then when the neck comes out of the die and even before the expander starts back through the neck the brass is "springing" back to the larger fired diameter causing yor problem.
You can anneal brass when it becomes work hardened to get more life. That's another question.

 

[USSR]

Fat_46,

I would say your diagnosis is correct. You should be keeping your brass together by headstamp and the # of times they have been fired.

My question is...how can I tell (before I get to the point where I've cleaned, resized, reprimed, loaded with powder) that my brass isn't springy enough to hold the bullet?

After having resized your brass, and before you've primed them, try forcing a bullet into the case neck by hand. If there is little or no resistance, then your brass is work hardened to the point where you have insufficient neck tension.

Don

 

[Fat_46]

Thanks - I resorted last night and tossed all of the LC headtamps into my recycle bucket. All of the Federal cases worked perfectly. Tonight I'll try the Winchester

 

[chris allen]

work hardened brass

Work harden brass will start to have the necks spit upon reloading.

 

[last to know]

annealing brass

if you decide to annele your cases put the bases in a pan of water about an inch deep. then heat the case mouth up with a propane torch untill you see a very faint red glow, then just knock the cases over to quench them. pollish and reload as normal.

 

[Slamfire]

Workhardening brass increases it yield and tensile strength. But its ductiliy is reduced. Annealing brass reduces it strength by removing the work hardening. Cartridge brass is not uniformly hard, parts of it are at different workhardened levels, which is as it should be. Every time you size brass you are work hardening it, most particularly the case neck. This is not evil it is just a fact of life. At some point in the case, the brass will be so stressed from workhardening that the case neck will crack. That will probably be after 25 reloads, maybe more. I have never taken a set of rifle cases beyond 23 reloads. Started getting more and more split case necks and the primer pockets were large.

I have no idea why you have chunked the LC. LC brass is pretty good brass, especially in the .223. Go dig the stuff out of the can, resize it, trim everything, and it will be fine.

 

[Fat_46]

The LC brass was the only headstamp giving me any problems, and the only ones I couldn't vouch for in terms of how many times it had been fired (Ebay purchase).