Opinions on .45 ACP Brass

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scout26

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I'd be interested what people think are your favorites and what you think are garbage. Or just a list in general. However you decide.

(Yes, I know Starline and Speer are probably everyone's top of the line and A-merc isn't worth a bucket a warm spit except to recycle.)
 
I load anything. I load A-MERC. I load it all.
I only throw out stuff that is corroded that won't polish off, splits, or has problems.
So far had one A-MERC that had the primer hole so far off center it wouldn't deprime. Scrap bucket.
Everything else gets reloaded until I lose it.

.45 acp is relatively low pressure so brass lasts virtually forever.
 
My preference for .45 brass is in the following order, from favorite to least, based on thickness of the case walls and primer pockets:

1. Winchester
2. Federal
3. IMI/TZZ
4. PMC (the old one)
5. Speer/CCI
6. Remington
7. CBC/MagTech
8. AF/Armscor

A-Merc is reloadable, but you have to find a glue that won't contaminate the primers when you glue them into the oversized primer pockets...... It's also a good idea to mark the thickest side of the brass with a Sharpie, so you can lay them in the chamber the same way each time.... (in other words, they belong in the scrap bucket)

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Here's my order... including only brass I use regularly:

1) Starline
2) Federal (Almost a tie with Starline)
3) Winchester (pockets kinda tight)
4) PMC, CBC
5) Remington (lose pockets)
6) CCI/Speer/Ind (all seem the same to me, priming sucks)
7) S&B (crimped PITA)
8) A-Merc (never used it but I won't try if I find any)
 
i only shoot speer nickel plated

BUT

that's only because i'm easily distracted by shiny stuff :)
 
Old Remington .45 acp brass has thin walls, so neck tensions can be low if you don't have a really tight sizer.

AMERC is trash.

Anything else works fine.
 
All I use is Military (Lake City) once fired. When I was shooting on an Army Marksmenship Team, I would get a new ammo can of 850 rounds of Match, anytime I wanted one. All I had to do was to turn in the old brass to get one. I wound up exchanging all my old, mixed headstamp for it and now I only have the once fired Military...and a few new cans full of the Match. Once the crimp is removed from the primer pockets, the Mititary brass can be reloaded forever...
 
Last edited:
Once the crimp is removed from the primer pockets, the Mititary brass can be reloaded forever...
Click to expand...

Exactly why all of my plinking brass is WCC Match w/o a crimped primer, and I'm still using one lot in rotation that I first loaded in 1991. Headstamps are nearly worn away, but it still loads and shoots great!
 
345 desoto--I also prefer Lake City match, I used to use it for bullseye. Also used a bunch of Lake City with the crimp removed.

Now I usually purchase
1. Starline
2. Remington--bulk from Midsouth Shooters supply
3. Federal from IPSC matches (thrown away by the Feds and Canadian Shooters.)
4. Winchester
Never heard of A-Merc until this thread!
 
Never have purchased any 45 ACP brass. Too much of it lying around at the range. I'll load whatever I have. Never been a wow-wow shot with a handgun so don't think it would make a great deal of difference which makers brass I use.
 
Federal and Win seem work great for 45acp. I have a pile of Speer, and the primer pockets on it are tighter then I'd prefer, but it does work.

Amerc brass is the worst crap ever invented. I refuse to use it in any of my guns. Too many documented cases of Amerc brass dying in unusual ways (like case head separations) to risk it.
 
If you're using Range brass, and not loading for Competition, just check for anomalies in the cases, clean them all up and reload them. When they fail, unless you're loading them hot, chances are that they won't do any damage to the gun or you when they do. Then just toss them into the recycle bucket...
 
Here is what i have, it's all good:

1. Winchester
2. Federal
3. Speer/CCI
4. Remington
 
If/when I ever shoot through all my 45 brass and order virgin stuf i think winny will get my money....very consistent and seems stronger
 
Most are OK. Some IMI/TZZ and some S&B have given me fits but most seem fine. There are also some WCC with tight primer pockets. I just chuck whatever seems to be a problem.
 
I don't know that i have run into AMERC. But, I can tell you I hate that ?#%& WinClean (WIN NT) stuff. It uses a small primer, and if you don't catch it, it causes problems in the primer station. I actually popped a primer the other day due to one.
 
No bad experiences here. All my stuff is American, predominantly Federal, Speer and Remington UMC. I don't buy new 45 brass, just scrounge a lot of UMC droppings, seems to be the norm in my area because it's usually the cheapest plinking ammo locally.
 
Hit the jacpot at the range today. A couple of guys were shooting WW white box and did not want the cases. Must have picked up a couple of hundred.
 
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