Questions on brass longevity and help w/reloading .45 GAP (DFW area)

[Joey101]

Sorry, if someone has asked this before. But, I have been saving my .45 GAP brass shells hoping that I can find someone in my area to reload them. Since I don't have any reloading equipment myself.

First question. Is there a time limit on how long shells can sit after being fired, before they can be reloaded?

Second Question. Do any of you know anyone in the DFW Metroplex who reloads .45 GAP? I am willing to drive, and will pay all material costs and for the labor. I live in Mansfield, due south of Arlington. If anyone's interested then PM me!

 

[WayneConrad]

Is there a time limit on how long shells can sit after being fired, before they can be reloaded?

Probably, but I'll bet it's at least years and years. If green corrosion appears, or any stain that won't come off in a case cleaner, I'd be inclined to consider them spoiled. Otherwise, no limit that I know of.

Second Question. Do any of you know anyone in the DFW Metroplex who reloads .45 GAP? I am willing to drive, and will pay all material costs and for the labor. I live in Mansfield, due south of Arlington. If anyone's interested then PM me!

I could be wrong, but I don't think that a reloader can sell his ammo, for any reason, unless he holds the type of FFL license that permits manufacturing ammunition. I would guess this applies even if you are just paying the cost of the components.

I think it would be lawful for you to use a reloader's equipment to do the work yourself.

Even if there were not such a law, most reloaders will decline. There is some risk in reloading, and while reloaders consider the risk managable, most will not want to endure the consequences, legally and morally, should a piece of bad ammo make its way from their bench to your gun.

It would be much better for you to get into reloading yourself. It's a heck of a lot of fun in its own right, and you get to make exactly the ammo you want, and usually for cheaper than buying it.

 

[EghtySx]

I'd have to agree with Wayne. Most people (no one I know) won't shoot other people's reloads. Also, I wouldn't ask anyone to shoot mine. Big responsibility there. And liability if something were to happen. Not to mention, how would you feel if someone were shooting your reloads and their gun blew up in their face?

 

[Mal H]

I agree with Wayne on the first question. You should be able to keep any brass cases indefinitely as long as they are stored with the same care you would store live ammo. Keep them in a dry non-corrosive atmosphere and they will outlive you.

On the second question, I guess I wouldn't be quite as much of a stickler about it. Most reloaders I know would help you learn to reload your ammo on their equipment. Your paying for the components is a given. However, as Wayne implied, if you pay for the labor, then the reloader is essentially selling the ammo to you. On the other hand, again most non-commercial reloaders I know would be insulted if you tried to pay them for the labor. Let me hasten to add, that I am talking about reloading maybe a few hundred cases or less, not 1,000 and not on a regular basis. If that were the case then you would quickly become unwelcome at the bench.

If you find someone in your area who will help, I think it would be wise on both your parts to agree that he/she is not going to be held liable for any problems arising with the reloads. Perhaps that should even be a written agreement.

Now, I think the real problem you're going to run into is finding someone who reloads .45 GAP. That caliber isn't all that popular at this point (may never be), so the folks reloading it are going to be few and far between compared to, say, .45 ACP.

One last note - I took the liberty of editing your thread title to a more descriptive one. No need to ask forgiveness for asking perfectly reasonable questions.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Bought a Colt .357 mag SAA in 1966 and I am still loading some of the brass today. Out of 500 pieces I probably have around 200 pieces left. Let's see...That would make those cases around, what, 39 years old? And still working...

Why not start reloading your own? Admitedly it is habit forming, but.....The biggest problem with reloading is that you get bored with loading the same calibre and find the need to buy another rifle or handgun so you can experiment with another calibre. Of course you will have to buy another and another and another..............................................

 

[trickyasafox]

i dont know of any in your area , but here is a commercial reloader who offers a discount if you send brass:

http://www.nationalbullet.com/5-4.html
this link is directly to the price sheet if you send them your brass


seeing as how you are pretty unaware of reloading *no offense what so ever intended, just an observation* just so you know you can usually fit at least a 1000 pieces of brass into a 7.70$ flat rate box. over 2000 if its 9mm i think it might actually b 3k.. . . .not sure, but either way you can send a heck of a lot of brass very cheaply this way. it might want to be something you consider when your sending your brass to them. and i know this sounds kinda scary this whole "im not liable thing" it gives the impression we are all narrowly escaping death and would be better off doing tricks on our harley's at bike week, but reloading can be a fun enjoyable hobby as safe as shooting itself, and that is a very reputable reloader who will stand by their product.

just food for thought

 

[BigSlick]

fit at least a 1000 pieces of brass into a 7.70$ flat rate box. over 2000 if its 9mm i think it might actually b 3k.. . . .not sure

A Priority Mail large shipping box will hold:

9mm - 4000
40 S&W - 3000
45 ACP - over 2000, but nowhere near 3000.

If you ship a bunch of brass in one of these boxes, put the brass in a ziploc and then put it in the box. I bought some 45 ACP brass where the box got roughed up a bit in transit and leaked out about 40 pieces of brass.

Joey101, how much brass do you actually have ? There are a couple of places that will give you 'trade in' on brass toward the purchase of reloads from them. Maybe not exactly what you're looking for if you are hoping to get into reloading yourself, but it might lower the cost of shooting a bit.

You might consider picking up a press and get into loading yourself. You can start for just a few bucks, and find out if you have the time, interest, patience (some of us who reload have no outside life ) and space.

Buying reloads from unknown sources (even the most well meaning) leaves both parties open to potential problems. Most of the gunshow reloads I have seen over the years have been garbage. There are exceptions, but even with buying reloads, you may not save THAT much money in the long run.

By loading your own, your labor offsets some of the cost. $16 bucks worth of primers, $65 bucks (or less) worth of bullets (jacketed) and ~$15 bucks in powder will be enough to reload a 1000 rnd case in component costs. Figure a one time cost of between $100 and $350 to get the equipment to produce your own loads, depending upon your choice in equipment. After the initial cost is out of the way, that leaves a case of ammo for about $100, or $5 a box of 50 rounds. You can do the math, comparing the amount you would need to shoot to recover the cost of your equipment, after that, it's gravy.

The 45 GAP is a pretty new cartridge. Not many mfrs have put out cheap plinking ammo for it - yet. Lot's of people think the GAP will catch on and be here for the long haul, some don't. I think ammo mfrs are waiting for a demographic to develop before producing a ton of cheap ammo for the GAP.

HTH

BigSlick

 

[Joey101]

Big Slick- I don't have very much, only a couple hundred shells. Cost doesn't bother me too much, although yes I would rather pay 6.00 per 50 than 15.00 per 50. But again we all have to pay some consequence to shooting a .45 instead of a 9mm. Right? I don't mind so much. I just wish the companies would keep up with supply and demand. It doesn't matter where I go, No one has any left.

I lucked out last weekend at Cabela's they had a Full shelf, only about 10 boxes. But hey I'm used to finding a box or two. My point being if the companies would keep the ammo on the shelf. I would pay $15 a box and not think twice about it. But as it is some weeks I don't know if I'm going to the store for a $29 box of silvertip HP for plinking or like last weekend a $15 box of TMJ. I don't know if it's the stores so much, cause everyone says it's the stores not keeping up with demand. But that doesn't make sense. If the store is selling more they would order more, cause it generates more revenue.

For all those doubting that GAP will be around for the long haul, think again. PD are already catching on. And again if the those Ammo companies could keep it in plentiful supply it would get used more. Let's face it those Compact carry weapons that so many of us like appeal to PD's as well cause with smaller weapons they can outfit a wider range of cops. It just makes sense to me.

Anyway I'm done ranting on about it now. This isn't the place for it anyway. But thank you all for your replies!!

 

[Bullet]

Joey101


You might try here for 45 GAP –

http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=3&Categoryid=9851&categorystring=653***691***

 

[BigSlick]

Ammoman has some:

Eric the Ammoman

Looks like $16 bucks a box delivered to your door

HTH

BigSlick