Is mixed headstamp as big a deal for handgun calibers as it is for rigle calibers?

[duck911]

Hey all, quick question.

My local sporting good shop has big bulk bags of 500, once-fired, mixed headstamp brass in .38 SPL. The brass looks very clean and sells for $26.

I'm a new reloader and have only reloaded rifle ammo of the same headstamp, to avoid KB's due to brass thickness (theoretically, anyway. I am no where near max loads...)

I never considered once-fired for my handguns, and I'd like to reload some .38 SPL for my .357 revolver.

Is brass thickness or mixed headstamp in general as big a deal in handgun caliber brass as it is for rifle brass? Safety and function are my #1 priority (accuracy is not a huge issue, necessarily)

thoughts?

thanks,

--Duck911

 

[Mags]

Personally I don't prefer one type of brass over another for handguns. But for 223/5.56 I don't like PMC or Federal (FC) due to the added work of removing the military crimp.

 

[putteral]

Go for it . You will not be sorry! All I shoot in my handguns is mixed range brass I pick up.

 

[ReloaderFred]

For general plinking and informal paper punching, mixed brass is all I use. For SASS, I also use mixed brass, and on paper they still shoot to the same point.

Years ago, when I was shooting PPC out to 50 yards, then I used only once fired WW brass for the 50 yard line, but everything else at the 7, 15 and 25 yard lines. My WW load would put 10 rounds into 1 7/8" at 50 yards from a Ransom Rest. With mixed brass, it would open up to 2 1/8", which is only 1/4" difference, but the mental difference was much greater......

Use the mixed headstamp brass and you won't have any problems.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Oro]

As Fred said, you really aren't going to notice unless you are competitively target shooting longer distances. That price is good compared to prices on Gunbroker and the like so go for it.

 

[wanderinwalker]

500 for $26!! Good grief man, buy two or three bags! Then you ought have plenty, and if any of it is A-MERC, you can throw it away.

Seriously, I only sort handgun brass for full-house .357 and .44 loads. Otherwise, for .38s, mid-range .44s, and 9mm, they just get loaded with whatever is clean and handy. I throw any A-MERC cases as far away as possible, but otherwise am not picky.

Buy some and go for it. IMO .38s loads are mild enough you shouldn't run into any trouble mixing cases.

Edited: And .38 brass seems to last forever when reloading. .44 Magnum brass used for 900-1000 fps loads also seems to have indefinite service life. As does .45 brass. And come to think of it, I usually lose 9mm before they aren't reloadable anymore too.

 

[duck911]

thanks guys! It's my first foray into reloading 38 so I think I will pick up 1000 or 1500 cases and a couple pounds of trail boss to start out.

thanks!

--Duck911

 

[flipajig]

I wish i could get some 44 mag that cheeeeeeeep im looking for around 3to 5 hundred rds

 

[duck911]

Sorry 'bout the typo in the title of the thread. I clearly meant "rifle......"

Just got back from the store with 500 9MM, 500 .38 SPL and 2 cans of Trail Boss.

thanks for the feedback!

--Duck911

 

[Slamfire]

This is a 48 round group at 25 yards, offhand, on my Gong target. This was fired in a M1911. I pick up range brass, bought buckets of "once fired" military brass, have reloaded the brass an un known number of times, and never segregated the stuff by any classification, and it shoots just fine.

A bullseye shooter might think different.

My 38 Spl brass shoots just as good and I don't treat it any different.

I do different for rifle ammo, but pistol brass, within rock throwing distance, if it goes bang, that's good enough.

 

[duck911]

Well, just went through the brass to take inventory of what they had in the bag:

334 Winchester or Federal .38 SPL brass
170 "other" headstamp (Speer, Hornady, Rem-UMC, Western, etc)

Also, 20 .357 Mag brass

I'm really happy with the headstamp breakdown and the brass was very clean. 2 pieces of brass made it into the bag that I tossed (one had a badly scratched primer pocket and the other looked like it was from WWII )

Might have to go back for more!

--Duck911

 

[Rembrandt]

500 for $26!! Good grief man, buy two or three bags!

If the primer and bullet situation doesn't improved soon, no sense in keeping all this brass.....may as well sell it off. (just kidding....I think)

 

[duck911]

 

[wanderinwalker]

Rembrandt,

Too bad it's not worth the $2/lb it was a couple of years ago, eh?

I'm still scrounging up a decent supply of .38/357 brass at the moment. Picked a bad time to pick up a new caliber. Luckily, I have 15-1600 .44 cases and people STILL just leave 9mm brass laying around the range.

duck911,

What powder do you use to load 9mm? In case you didn't know already (but I suspect you do), Trail Boss won't work for semi-auto 9mm loads. It's best for real pinky-winky poofy loads, like, say, .38 Cowboy loads. I also like it in .45-70 for a practice round!

 

[Rembrandt]

....Rembrandt, Too bad it's not worth the $2/lb it was a couple of years ago, eh?

Pretty much all 40 & 9mm with a few 45ACP here and there.......each container weighs about 200 lbs.

 

[moooose102]

if any of it is A-MERC, you can throw it away.

i dont know about that, i have loaded (45 acp) A-MERC cases several times with no issues.
as for loading mixed brass, i might be hesitant to load max loads in mixed cases. if you have intentions of loading up some hot stuff, i would seperate out 50 or so that match. otherwise, you could end up with some over pressure loads.

 

[duck911]

wanderinwalker, yes, I did not plan on Trail Boss in 9MM. In fact, I really planned on just picking up the 38 SPL and TB today but they had the 9MM and couldn't resist.

--Duck911

 

[Archie]

Sorting handgun brass really only matters if you're shooting in the state, regional or national matches. And it probably doesn't really matter all that much then.

Check for aluminum, berdan primed cases is about all that's important.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Amerc brass...

Moose 102--

if any of it is A-MERC, you can throw it away.
i dont know about that, i have loaded (45 acp) A-MERC cases several times with no issues.

A-Merc brass is famous for being out of spec one way or another--varying thickness of rims, flash-holes off center, etc, etc. (Frankly I don't know how the company stays in business, but that's a whole nother question.)

That said, last time I was sorting .45 ACP cases, I ran across a couple of A-merc cases that had sneaked in and I'd reloaded--with no noticeable problems in reloading or shooting! Anyhow, A-merc accidentally makes the occasional case that meets spec. My feeling is, if you're happy with yr A-merc cases, for heavens' sake continue with 'em.

I have enough .45 ACP brass that when I find an A-merc case, I scrap it on general principles.

 

[Randy1911]

A general good all around powder that I use is Winchester 231. I load it in 38 Spl., 357 Mag., 380 Auto, 9 mm Luger, 40 S&W, 45 Colt and 45 Acp. with good results for all around plinking and pratice. I use other powders for special purposes.

The only headstamp I won't load is A-Merc. I have never had any problems with the few I loaded by mistake, but from what I have heard I don't like it.

 

[Historian]

I load .40 S&W and have found that Remington brass is one that I avoid. Case walls are thin and sometimes even after taper crimping, the bullet is still loose in the case. If the headstamp says RP, I will usually pass on it.

Historian