How do you keep track of how many times you've used your brass?

[GBExpat]

I gave up trying to keep track long ago.

For a long time I have been loading for pistols almost exclusively.

When I resume bottleneck rifle reloading I will probably look into the viability of marking the bases.

 

[Doublehelix]

As others have said, straight-walled pistol, not so much. Rifle = yes. I keep them sorted by times fired. Not really that hard as I only take one "age" of bullet with me to the range.

 

[midland man]

so if I may ask on 243 brass when it wears out, does it split length wise along the neck or what? thanks!

 

[dgod]

I put a bar-code on each piece of brass and scan it with a handheld scanner which uploads to my Smart Phone.

Available at Sinclair/Brownells.

Maybe you should look at RFID as well...

 

[ReloaderFred]

so if I may ask on 243 brass when it wears out, does it split length wise along the neck or what? thanks!

Any rifle brass can fail in several ways, depending on it's age, and how it was loaded. If the brass just gets brittle from repeated loadings, then a neck split is usually how it fails. If there's a flaw in the brass, it can crack or develop a hole wherever that flaw is, but in my experience it's usually somewhere in the wall of the case. If the shoulder has been set back too far, then brass flow will cause the case head to separate just above the web, referred to as "insipient case head separation". You can usually see this about to occur as indicated by a line just above the web, or you can use a wire bent into a 90 degree angle and probe the inside of the case at the web and you'll feel it catch where the brass has started to thin.

The other failure is the primer pockets become enlarged and the primer is either just barely held in place, or falls out. You can feel that when seating the primers.

Given that the function of the case is as a gas seal, after the initial container use, then it's normal for all that pressure to take it's toll on the relatively soft brass. Good case inspection is pretty much a necessity with all reloading, but especially with high pressure rounds in rifle calibers.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[TheGerman]

I shoot them until they fall apart.

Do you mark your brass somehow to keep track of how many times it's been fired?
Do you keep track of it solely through organization?
Do you not keep track of it at all and instead examine it to determine if it's still good to go?

 

[GBExpat]

I put a bar-code on each piece of brass and scan it with a handheld scanner which uploads to my Smart Phone.

 

[cfullgraf]

So the follow up ? For those who keep track, what's the magic number to throw them away?

Cases shot in my AR-15's, regardless of cartridge and there are seven different ones, last about 4-5 loadings before the primer pockets begin to get too loose to be reloaded. If I'm getting a shorter case life, I adjust the load a bit to extend the case life. It's a balancing act between case life and performance.

Bolt rifles last longer but I have not determined a "standard" case life. Everyone seems to be different. I do not shoot them as much as the AR's except for my 204 Ruger prairie dog rifle.

 

[spitballer]

Yes indeed, I keep track of the number of times I reload my brass: at any given time I have 100 pcs of Nosler premium brass for my target rifle, divided into two 50 round sets which are alternated. After cleaning each box I mark it with a laundry pen so I can keep track of the number of times I've reloaded each set.

Brass life has extended greatly since ordering an undersized neck (big thanks to Pac-Nor). When people say they've reloaded their .223 brass 20 times they're not kidding, but IMO they're probably also using an undersized neck. I've gotten 15.

 

[hdwhit]

Rule 3 wrote:
I put a bar-code on each piece of brass and scan it with a handheld scanner which uploads to my Smart Phone.
Available at Sinclair/Brownells

Can you provide a link or more detailed description because I looked at Brownells and couldn't find it.

Thanks.

 

[mokin]

Any rifle brass can fail in several ways, depending on it's age, and how it was loaded. If the brass just gets brittle from repeated loadings, then a neck split is usually how it fails. If there's a flaw in the brass, it can crack or develop a hole wherever that flaw is, but in my experience it's usually somewhere in the wall of the case. If the shoulder has been set back too far, then brass flow will cause the case head to separate just above the web, referred to as "insipient case head separation". You can usually see this about to occur as indicated by a line just above the web, or you can use a wire bent into a 90 degree angle and probe the inside of the case at the web and you'll feel it catch where the brass has started to thin.

The other failure is the primer pockets become enlarged and the primer is either just barely held in place, or falls out. You can feel that when seating the primers.

Fred

This is what I check for with rifle brass. I shoot pistol brass until the case splits, the primers don't fit, or I loose it.

 

[rvenneman]

Heads the get reloaded, tails they get tossed.

 

[Varminterror]

I store my brass in layered tubs. The top has a lid, the layers below lock to the bottom of the tub above. Each set of brass will have 2 layers: new brass & once fired at first, then once everything has been fired once, I swap the layers so my 2 layers are once fired & 2x. Then 2x & 3x.... I try to avoid having brass in 3 conditions. I generally treat new brass as a separate batch, so as my old batch wears out, I work into a new batch, keeping them segregated.

For bulk pistol brass, I do typically mix brass for number of firing. For precision rifle brass, I never mix brass. For my hunting revolvers, pistols, & rifles, I never mix brass.

 

[mstreddy]

Another no tracking pistol brass, but try to track most rifle brass.
Back when I first started reloading I was trying to keep track of my 1x, 2x, etc fired 9MM brass. Figured out that it was pretty much impossible once I started picking up all the other brass. And then I learned that it really doesn't matter for pistol/revolver brass. So, I gave up that endeavor.
I do try to keep my rifle brass segregated for most of the calibers, but with 223 it is nearly impossible as I almost always come home with more than I shot.

We were shooting my SKS this week and that brass was flying everywhere. It was hard enough finding it all.

For some of the milsurps, I've had to buy new brass, so I'm keeping tabs on it.

 

[armoredman]

I don't segregate by loadings - but I inspect each and every piece of brass before it goes under the depriming/resizing die, then another quick visual afterwards...just to be sure. I will lose most 9mm cases before they fail. I have some 7.62x39mm brass that has so many ejector marks on the case head that it can be hard to read the manufacturer's name, still going strong. Of course, I mostly load CAST bullet loads, which keeps pressure/wear and tear to a minimum.
On the other hand, I am pretty merciless about 'canning a piece of questionable brass. Life is too short to shoot bad brass. Besides, ultimate recycling is using brass ten/twenty times, then taking to the recyclers for a few bucks.

 

[Jack B.]

Rifle brass I keep track of times fired . Pistol brass for the most part I just inspect it closely at every reloading and I also do this for the rifle brass that I track.

 

[SARuger]

I use to mark the brass. That was a pain. Then I got the bright idea that since a load brass in lots, then store them in clear ammo boxes, that I would just mark the box with tally marks as to which loading I am at. Then for rifle brass, I also mark on the box if I FLS or neck sized on my last loading.

So when I start a new load, I buy a new ammo box. Midsouth sells their "branded" boxes for less than $3 for 50 round rifle boxes and same price on 100 round handgun boxes.

 

[hdwhit]

Newtosavage wrote:
So the follow up ? For those who keep track, what's the magic number to throw them away?

Excellent question.

The less than satisfying answer is, "It Depends."

In most cases (no pun intended) I lose the brass from my auto-loaders to the weeds long before they would need to be retired. For the rest, since the brass is tracked and kept together, when there is a failure of one case in a batch, the entire batch is retired.

Also, in the case of .223 Remington, I had not had any failures, but decided at the end of 2016 to retire any case with a headstamp old enough to have been in Vietnam, so all of my LC69 and TW73 brass went to the recycling bucket.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I gave up trying to keep track....Too much brass in too many calibers. So I shoot it until I lose it, the case splits or the primer pocket is too loose to hold the primer.

My practice also

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

The only real issue I've had over time is with plated pistol brass. I avoid it.

 

[Dudedog]

For my pistol stuff this

For straight wall I shoot it till it's cracked or the primer pocket gets sloppy.

 

[Catpop]

I put a bar-code on each piece of brass and scan it with a handheld scanner which uploads to my Smart Phone.

Available at Sinclair/Brownells.

All I can say is WOW!

 

[Catpop]

The only real issue I've had over time is with plated pistol brass. I avoid it.

Please send me all your 357 plated brass! Thanks

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

Please send me all your 357 plated brass! Thanks

The failure rate was probably 5%. Does wonders for your chambers and action. No idea how many previous loads. They were given to me.

 

[WiTom]

I only keep track of 218Bee and 50SW. They are stored in 100 round reload clear boxes(MTM), and as shot, the empties are put back in the boxes and I have a ledger on the outside of them, to mark dates and then the box is reloaded when empty. This is pretty easy , considering it is a bolt action and revolvers, so no running after brass everywhere.