Been picking up a lot of brass lately. Seems like most is blazer. The bottom of the cases look like there is a slight concave. Can see a bit of light when holding a straightedge on case head. Not too worried really in 9 but probably will just use for woods ammo that I wont pick up. Havent loaded any yet still depriming and tumbling.
New blazer 9mm brass good or bad
- Thread starter ericuda
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LiveLife
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In the myth busting thread where we measured case wall thickness .100" and .200" below case mouth, Blazer brass was measured with thinnest case wall averages (.104" and .110") with subsequent bullet setback greater than other headstamp brass - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...neck-tension-and-bullet-setback.830072/page-4
For general purpose range blasting ammo I won't mind losing, Blazer brass is fine but for accuracy testing, I prefer to use WIN/RP and other headstamp brass that won't produce bullet setback.
For general purpose range blasting ammo I won't mind losing, Blazer brass is fine but for accuracy testing, I prefer to use WIN/RP and other headstamp brass that won't produce bullet setback.
Blazer is their economy line. If you recall, it used to be all aluminum cases. They came out with the brass to accommodate those that either wouldn’t or couldn’t shoot the aluminum cased stuff. It looks like other ammo. It shoots like other ammo, but it’s still cheap ammo. That’s why I don’t understand why it’s so expensive. I’ve gone to the browning stuff. It’s loaded by Winchester and it’s like $26 for 150.
fxvr5
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In the article below Blazer brass was found to have the least expansion in high pressure 9mm loads.
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/1/9/how-to-use-9-major-in-a-short-barrel/
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/1/9/how-to-use-9-major-in-a-short-barrel/
tightgroup tiger
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I'm going to look at my brass Blaser cases with a different point of view from now on.
Average Joe
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Just as good as any other ....
Charlie98
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WIN, RP, and PMC for me. I don't fool around with mystery meat 9mm cases. I've tested those 3 and they provide reliable loads with no surprises.
I bought about 3000 once-fired .45ACP cases... small primer cases. Fully 2/3rds are Blazer. My thought was to save my LP brass for when I know I will be able to recover it... and use the SP brass when it will likely disappear. They, too, have that concave base. For that matter, my Speer .45 cases do as well.
I find Blazer brass is inconsistent, I've noticed looking at the head stamp there are variations. This makes me think CCI sources their brass from a number of different manufactures.
I have collected a fare amount of Blazer brass over the years and have noticed about four variations, so how do I deal with this? I have found variations with in the variations, the main one being the resizing resistance which effects tension on the bullet. When I am sizing Blazer brass I sort it in three groups, hard to size medium hard to size and easy to size. I recycle the easy to size brass and load the hard and medium to size brass in separate batches, this has reduced the SD and ES numbers and improved accuracy for me.
I have collected a fare amount of Blazer brass over the years and have noticed about four variations, so how do I deal with this? I have found variations with in the variations, the main one being the resizing resistance which effects tension on the bullet. When I am sizing Blazer brass I sort it in three groups, hard to size medium hard to size and easy to size. I recycle the easy to size brass and load the hard and medium to size brass in separate batches, this has reduced the SD and ES numbers and improved accuracy for me.
FROGO207
Member
A majority of my reloading is range fodder. I check for washed steel and cases that have the step inside. Those get recycled. All the others work well with cast, coated lead bullets. I generally use nickel plated for good ammo. YMMV
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Fascinating article.
Looking at the charged cases, I bet he doesn’t have any problems with setback!
I wish he would have emphasized more often that most of the pistols that he was speaking of were compensated or otherwise modified to take it.
I have found similarly scalloped cases in Fourty Five Auto. And used them without incident.
Whether they were Blazer or not, I can’t recall.
fxvr5
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Fascinating article.
Looking at the charged cases, I bet he doesn’t have any problems with setback!
I wish he would have emphasized more often that most of the pistols that he was speaking of were compensated or otherwise modified to take it.
9 Major produces about the same recoil as a 45 Auto, so it's not as bad as some folks think.
Ironicaintit
Member
I think neck tension is pretty important, and Blazer brass (at least in 9 x 19) just doesnt cut it.
I'd use them with cast loads, but I don't cast (yet), so into the scrap pile it goes
I'd use them with cast loads, but I don't cast (yet), so into the scrap pile it goes
Professor Gascan
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I'm on my 7th firing of a batch of about 5k blazer 9mm brass.
I size with a lee U sizing die and have no problems with neck tension using coated, plated, or fmj bullets from .355 to .357.
The only thing I've noticed so far is some are getting very easy to seat primers in, but I color those headstamps with a red marker and cull them out deprime and tumble the next time.
So no, I've got no real complaints or problems with blazer brass.
I size with a lee U sizing die and have no problems with neck tension using coated, plated, or fmj bullets from .355 to .357.
The only thing I've noticed so far is some are getting very easy to seat primers in, but I color those headstamps with a red marker and cull them out deprime and tumble the next time.
So no, I've got no real complaints or problems with blazer brass.
Patocazador
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When resizing brass, I can tell by the feel of the ram whether it's Blazer/Federal or another brand. The Blazer and Federal brass feels like it's made of tinfoil. That tells me it's thinner than the rest.
sparkyv
Member
I give some creedence to empirical observation...
..but good testing and data is difficult to refute:
..but good testing and data is difficult to refute:
LiveLife
Member
That's why we do myth busting threads -
These are findings from the myth busting thread with Remington/Starline/Winchester brass as comparison - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...neck-tension-and-bullet-setback.830072/page-4Nothing better than anecdotal testing.
How about CCI, Federal, or Speer,Independence or American Eagle?
Average Case Wall Thickness .100" Below Case Mouth:
.0116" - R-P
.0111" - WIN
.0110" - Starline
.0108" - .FC.
.0105" - SPEER
.0104" - BLAZER
Average Case Wall Thickness .200" Below Case Mouth:
.0132" - WIN
.01225" Starline
.0121" - R-P
.0115" - .FC.
.0111" - SPEER
.0110" - BLAZER
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