How many times can I reuse my 35 Rem brass?

[Charlie Martinez]

35 Rem brass is expensive & hard to find so I'm getting ready to reload for twice fired brass cases. I always reload below maximum but I also know brass has its limits. Aside from any obvious signs how can I tell when my 35 Rem brass is no longer safe to reload?

 

[Blue68f100]

When the primers no longer stay in or they split. If you anneal you can get a lot more cycles without splitting.

 

[Random 8]

Depends on too many factors. Some rifles are hard on brass. The Rem 81 and Savage M99 are known for this. Some brass brands and lots are more prone to premature failure. Recent production Winchester is known for this. I've gotten as few as 2 and as many as 15 firings from rifle brass. As above, look for signs of failure.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Straighten out a paper clip or use a machinist pick and run it up and down inside the case to see if you can feel a dip in the brass where the brass starts to thicken at the head end of the case. If you can feel this dip in the brass, the case is starting to separate.
Usually this comes from resizing them to short to fit the chamber and the brass stretches causing thinning.

 

[Charlie Martinez]

My rifle is a Marlin 336
Thank you for your replies

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ve gone 4 times and counting in my 336 .35 Rem with R-P and Win brass. As the guys said, resize the case to fit the chamber and keep an eye on your brass for signs of failure and you’ll be ok for a while.

Stay safe.