R-P Headstamp

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Hizzoner

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I was reloading a batch of my new 185gr LSWC from MBC. Thank You Brad.
Anyway, I had a bunch of PMC and Federal brass that I had been using and when I ran out of that I started using some brass with the headstamp "R-P 45 Auto"
(Yes, I do sort my cases by headstamp. I can't help it.)
When I ran it through the press it "felt" entirely different.
It went through the Lee FC die much easier than either the PMC or Federal.
I checked the final crimp diameter, the case length and the OAL and it is the same.
I even went so far as to check wall thickness on the R-P vs Federal and Winchester cases.
The R-P is .0095 as opposed to .0010 for the PMC and Federal but that shouldn't make the kind of difference I was feeling.
I haven't shot any of it yet but I segregated it to see if it acted any different.
Any experience with that brass? I haven't run across it before.
 
R-P is "Remington-Peters". Must be some old brass, I haven't seen Peters brand ammo for sale in a long time. I used to use Peters Standard Velocity .22 Long Rifle ammo in my target rifle when I was a teenager.
 
RP is Remington brass. In most reloading circles it is considered better than FC or PMC. You should have no problem with this brass if it is once fired.
 
R-P is "Remington-Peters". Must be some old brass, I haven't seen Peters brand ammo for sale in a long time. I used to use Peters Standard Velocity .22 Long Rifle ammo in my target rifle when I was a teenager.
I'm old enough to remember that too. AND apparently old enough to forget I knew it.
The cases look brand new. I got them in a bunch of brass I bought from Ed's.
 
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Hizzoner, I sort 9mm for the same reason.

I can't vouch for 45acp brass, but R&P (Remington and Peters) is 'harder' brass in 9mm.
PPU, WIN, & R&P are harder than "ATK" brass (Fed, CCI, Blazer, Speer and more). Like you, on my press these two distinct groups of brass "feel" much different from each other. Remington still markets PPU and R&P pistol brass in 9mm.

The 9mm R&P distinction (usually) also includes a larger bevel on the primer hole. Primers are 'easier' to seat and deprime.

They load and shoot nicely in 9mm.
 
1SOW said:
The 9mm R&P distinction (usually) also includes a larger bevel on the primer hole. Primers are 'easier' to seat and deprime.

They load and shoot nicely in 9mm.
Click to expand...
The cases I have actually seem to seat the primers a little more firmly than the Federal or PMC.

I appreciate all the info folks
 
Remington brass is top-quality, made in USA material. I wouldn't mind finding a bunch of once-fired cartridges, myself.
 
remington's brass (R-P) is a scosh thinner and some complain of bullet setback problems with FMJ ball ammo; however they are the cat's meow for slightly oversized cast bullets (.452") and anyway, I never had problems with any headstamps but A-MERC so I use them all interchangeably.
 
It is good stuff, but generally thinner than other brass. Make sure your combination of sizer and expander leave you with enough neck tension.
 
I have 250 R-P cases from a bulk box of 250 45ACP hardball.
I like them for reloading. As has been said, the brass is a little thinner, but I have never had any problem with the loaded round or with the bullets moving.
Actually, with my Lee Classic Turret, each brand of case feels different as it is processed. Even the different GI headstamps. But they all fire about the same.
 
RP is thin walled. I only use them for .452 cast boolits in .45ACP. I also adjust my taper crimp die to compensate.

I also sort by headstamp. Now that we are finding all that SPP .45 brass I can actually make a rational argument for it besides my OCD. ;)
 
I found they felt different as well while loading .38 Special. I wasn't getting the neck tension as with other brass. The bullets were loose (Berry .38 124gr) after seating and I could push some of them into the case, some with my fingers and others when pressing against the bench. I've been sorting them and putting them to the side. My thought is to go back and reduce the flare and adjust the crimp to see if that helps. Does anyone else adjust their dies to accommodate this brand of brass?
 
lturford said:
My thought is to go back and reduce the flare and adjust the crimp to see if that helps.
Click to expand...

Adjusting the flare and crimp may help but you probably want to reduce the diameter the expander a little. 0.001"-0.002" may be enough..

This should increase your neck tension.
 
If you do not have enough neck tension, your sizer is too big, or your expander is too big, or both.

No amount of crimp will make up for poor neck tension. If you are over belling, adjusting that properly may help.
 
cfullgraf & Walkalong - thank you for your replies - I'll make the adjustments when I get into that batch of brass and see if I can get it to work - thanks again -
 
Size a case and see how neck tension is without using the expander. If you cannot seat a lead bullet without expanding use a plated or jacketed. If it has plenty of neck tension that way, but does not when using the expander, chances are it needs shaving a bit smaller as cfullgraf suggested. That is the easiest way to see if it is the sizer or expander. Another thing is after sizing see if the expander just slips right in the case with hand pressure. if it does it is most certainly small enough, unless the sizer is way to big.

I have three .45 ACP sizers. One is too big to use with RP brass, one is just right, and the other leaves a real bottleneck look as it sizes the brass way down.
 
R-P is the current head stamp for Remington and UMC. It has been in use since Remington dropped the REM-UMC headstamp in the middle to late 50's Remington also produced Peters ammunition using the PETERS head stamp for a few years after buying the company. They consolidated the three names-Reminton, UMC and PETERS under one head stamp;R-P and that is where we are today.
 
I use my own cast bullets in my 45 acp loads but my bullets have a bevel base so I can get away with minimum case mouth expansion. You might want to see if MBC makes such a bullet.
 
I love RP brass. When I load up hot and heavy for any of my firearms I prefer R.P.. I was putting some 7mm RM together the other day and while going through my sorted brass that is separated by head stamp and number of cycles my R.P. brass was holding up better than the Federal by a long shot. I do like Winchester even though it is a bit stiffer than RP but it won't get me 15 cycles for that 7 mag.. I honestly think that because the RP brass is softer than the other's, it holds together better when high pressures are being applied. I also find that it seems to spring back better, because I don't have to bump the shoulders back as often as with the other brands, Win. included. I got to 8 cycles before I absolutely had to bump where as with Win I'm bumping after only 4, maybe 5 if I can get the action closed.
 
R-P brass has caused me major issues at a couple USPSA matches. The thin walls causes enough setback to result in a 3-pt-jam in my 1911s. As a result, for my match ammo I sort out ALL R-P brass and other odd headstamps. Match ammo gets loaded with Speer, PMC, Winchester brass. R-P and all others are used for practice and general range plinking.
 
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