Reloading Blazer Aluminum Casings

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Is it safe to reload aluminum casings? Specifically, I am referring to CCI's Blazer aluminum-cased ammo. I imagine it would be fine so long as the casings do not show any signs of stress or defects, but I wanted to hear from you guys. Do you have any suggestions?
 
IIRC, it's Berdan primed. While theoretically possible, it's too labor intensive to be worthwhile. Providing you can get your hands on the proper primers. When normal brass is easily available, it seems like a solution in search of a problem.
 
I would not! (My opinion) I have seen slight cracks after first fired!

Like above I think it is not regularly primed.

Also one of the biggest concerns is sticking the aluminum case in your die! Aluminum likes to stick and gald to steel and even carbide.

I do not think it is worth the effort.:scrutiny:
 
Aluminum does not have the proper characteristics for multiple loadings.

Can one do it? Sure, folks have, but heck, brass is too cheap and plentiful AFAIAC. Maybe one day if all the brass disappeared I would. Heck, steel too if I was desperate for cases.

That said, they were designed for one firing, and reloading them is generally considered a bad idea. :)

They used to be Berdan primed, just for the reason rcmodel noted, but I thought someone here posted that they are Boxer primed now. Dunno.
 
Guys, the Blazer (aluminum) box says the cases are not reloadable, and gives reasons why. The cases themselves are marked "NR" which means not reloadable.
 
Most are Bardan but there is Boxer. I have loaded boxer before but the results weren't good. Most of the cases that I fired failed from one batch of unknown.

I have loaded them for shoot & scoot ammo & it done fine but I pick up some at the range that I shoot & my face felt like I was in a sand storm. I was a little slow & fired another & after the powder burnt on my face the second time I looked to see what happened. The case was burnt through all the way down to the head.

I went home & pulled them down. They weren't light loads but they wear far from max. That was the last aluminum I loaded.

If I got hard up I might load light loads for a 38 in them.
 
I just had to do it with some 45 ACP Blazers. The are boxer primed and did not stick in my Lee carbide dies. I reloaded them (25) once and fired them. A couple of them split. I loaded them (23) a second time and all most all of them split that time. So now I load them once and use them where I know that I will not be picking up my empties. Yes I have reloaded the 45 steel casings that are boxer primed and they reload well but will loose the shine and be hard to extract after 5 or 6 reloads. So I also reload them only once and discard.
 
Seriously, just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do it.

A brass 45 acp case can be had for pennies.

Ever price replacement eyes or face?

The case is a gasket that must withstand thousands of pounds of pressure.

Sure, nothing happened... yet.

How much to repair your gun when the breech face or barrel gets flame cut?

Those aluminum cases were designed for single shooting, not reloading. Just because you CAN reload them doesn't mean you SHOULD reload them.

OK, so maybe I'm being a safety Nazi but really, I'm a tightwad, and I wouldn't reload aluminum cases unless I was desperate. Like, world-ending, invaded by enemies desperate.
 
Look at just how many people (in this very small sampling) have tried this despite the manufacturer saying not to do it and putting NR on the case.

And you ask why powder/bullet manufacturers have reduced charges and firearm manufacturers claim that their warranty is voided by shooting reloads...
 
Just because you could lift one forklift with a second forklift, to reach something really high up doesn't mean you should! Just doesn't seem safe! That is why I leave aluminum cases in the trash cans!

forklift.png
 
Alum. case .40 S&W??

In sorting my last 10 gal. of range brass from my local PD, I have 2+ Med. Flat Rate boxes of Aluminum cases..Anyone want them?? PM me if so..Bill..:scrutiny:;)
 
Few years ago I owned a Corvette, took it out on the turnpike to see if it would top 160 mph, it did and I did, recommened? Not hardley.

And we wonder why the EPA and OSHA exist. And other laws restricting what we do.
 
Does anyone know the alloy and heat treatment Blazer uses for the aluminum cases? Theoretically possible to reload the cases but practically it is not.
 
I had a few blazer aluminum cases I had picked up while gathering my cases at the gun club. They've been sitting around for a while, I figured I'd try loading a few sometime.

I was loading 45's on the lee C turret, I figured what the hay, lets see if it goes okay. I was using a mid load and .452 lead boolits. Every one but 1 of ten I loaded split in the neck where the boolit was seated! Not enough flexibility of the alum. to allow a slightly over-sized bullet to seat without splitting.

I won't even bother to pick them up again. They're worth something as scrap, but not enough to bother. I pulled them down, reclaimed the powder, bullet and primers. Never again!:cuss:
 
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