Marking Headstamps

[jinxer3006]

Anybody have any tips for marking headstamps on re-formed brass? (.270 brass resized to .30-06, for example) Any relatively permanent way to change the headstamp? Thanks.

 

[Sport45]

Maybe file a notch in the rim?

The only ones I reform are easy enough to tell apart that I don't worry about marking. 7.7jap from '06 and .375win from 30-30.

If you don't mind my asking, why are you making '06 from .270? Doesn't that leave the necks thin? Or was that just a hypothetical?

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

Try a colored paint stick (red, white, blue, etc). Rub across the markings and wipe off excess. I've marked some of my brass that way using white.

 

[rcmodel]

Any relatively permanent way to change the headstamp?

No.

As mentioned, file a small notch in the rim.

Or color the heads with a Magic Marker. It will rub off when fired & tumbled, but works for I.D. before they are fired.

I'm curious too why you would make 30-06 out of .270 brass?

It's usually the other way around as 30-06 brass is so common and .270 isn't.

rc

 

[rondog]

I haven't done it yet, but plan to make up a few hundred 9x18 makarovs out of 9x19 luger cases. I hear this works very well.

To mark the cases, I plan to very lightly sand the headstamp to scuff it up, then paint it with a red Sharpie. I'm thinking of just touching the headstamps to my orbital sander while it's running. Just enough to scuff the surface so the ink will get a grip.

Might work, might not. Just an idea.

 

[rcmodel]

George Nonte, in his book Modern Reloading, outlines a method of removing the old headstamp with a reshaped drill bit.

It is ground with two cutting blades to cut only a thin ring where the old headstamp is to be removed.

Cases are held in a drilled wood block clamped to a drill press table.

He further tells how to re-stamp new markings using 1/16" letter/number stamps.

Seems like a lot of work!

But if you had access to a small hobby lathe you cut do it very quickly & easily.

There is also this:
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=30797

rc

 

[jinxer3006]

Thanks for the ideas, everybody. The reason I mentioned 270 to 30-06 is that I have a friend that can get us some 270 brass, but we both shoot 30-06. We were debating between resizing it to 30-06 or just trying to trade it for 30-06. From the research I've done, it seems like plenty of people have resized it, but nobody had any method for re-marking the headstamps. Still not sure what to do.......

 

[Sport45]

If you don't have a .270 what's the worry? If you are shooting in a M1 or other autoloader just mark a ring around the brass with a magic marker so you can identify yours. If it's a bolt action there shouldn't be any trouble keeping them separate.

I still wonder about the neck thickness when sizing up like that. Do a few at first to make sure you have sufficient neck tension.