Starline .45ACP brass weight... light?

[Luggernut]

I just picked up some brandy new Starline .45ACP brass. I've heard nothing but good things about this brass. However when I picked up some pieces it actually seemed a little light... so I took some measurements and here's what I found:

Federal - 82gr-84gr
Winchester- 82-84gr
CCI- 87-88gr (I was surprised at this.. I thought CCI was "thin")
Starline- 77-78gr

Now... other than Starline.. it was used brass, but I picked the cleanest cases I could find, so even if you add a grain or two for residue, the Starline is still lighter than the rest. Anyone else notice this? What make Starline so good?

 

[Walkalong]

What make Starline so good?

I don't know, other than it just lasts a long time. I use mostly range brass, but some years back I bought 300 Starline .45 ACP cases. I don't know how many times they have been fired, but many of them are still in use. I shot that batch a ton and then just started added range pickups to the batch to keep the numbers up and kept on shooting them. I lost many but did not wear any out. I really don't know if you can wear out .45 brass using 80% to 90% loads. I have tossed brass because it was really beat up, but it had not failed.

 

[Mal H]

Interesting obversation, Luggernut. To be honest, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't weigh some .45 ACP brass myself. My batch of Starline was a consistent 80 grains, R-P was 86, and Winchester was 87.

I would have bet big bucks that the R-P would come in lowest. It always feels much thinner to me when sizing.

Even so, rest assured that Starline is top notch. I'm not sure where they contain less brass - thinner web? thinner rim? I don't think the wall above the web is thinner though.

Oh, and I compared new Starline to fired and uncleaned Starline. They were the same, so the powder residue doesn't add enough to make a difference in the average weight.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

I wouldn't worry about it, it's very good brass. I use it in .32 H&R Mag, .357Mag, .45acp and .41 mag.

 

[Walkalong]

I would have bet big bucks that the R-P would come in lowest. It always feels much thinner to me when sizing.

That has been my experience. I have not weighed any cases, but the RP is thinner.

 

[Luggernut]

For CCI and R&P... which are heavier but appear to have thin walls... maybe for some reason the extra brass is at the lower parts of the cases. It does seem ironic that these thinner walled cases seem to be heavier...

 

[ReloaderFred]

Starline makes brass for Cor-Bon and Double Tap, and I've found all three to be lighter in most calibers. For .45 acp, the thickest brass is Winchester (not WCC), followed by Federal, then PMC (now out of business), then Remington, and last is Starline. You'll get very few case failures with any .45 acp brass, as it's a very forgiving caliber, if you stay within the parameters set for it.

When I resize brass from .45 acp to .400 Cor-Bon, I use Winchester brass exclusively, since it holds up better in the .400 Cor-Bon loading and I get fewer cases wrinkled in the reforming.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[JG2000]

It could just be the Brass Alloy that Starline uses. Lighter and stronger so they can make the walls thicker while still keeping overall weight down. Maybe less recycled brass in the mix? Whatever it is Starline is still good brass so keep loading it.

 

[jfh]

Hmmmm...12-to-15-yr-old .45ACP Starline, NIB,

weighs MORE:

I just was loading new Starline cases this afternoon--.45ACP cases I bought in the early-mid nineties, and which has been stored unused in Tupperware containers. Still shiny, no corrosion.

Five random samples:

1. - 83.6 gr.
2. - 83.6
3. - 83.8
4. - 83.9
5. - 84.1

FWIW, that's off an FA digital, zeroed with the 20 g. weight. Let's hope that Starline is using a new improved brass recipe, huh?

I did buy some new Starline 38SPL and .357 brass a few months ago--anybody got samples to weigh?

Jim H.

 

[E20thLRP]

Starline is an Alloy brass lighter stronger cost more to produce I have some from 1995 (45)!!! I just weighted it 78gr the best I have ever seen is Dated
WCC I have some cases dated 1941 & 1942 !! Echo...OUT

 

[243winxb]

From the Starline website 45 Auto +P

"45 Auto+P is a strengthened version of the 45 Auto with the same external dimensions. A thicker web and heavier sidewall at base strengthens the case in potentially unsupported areas. This case has approximately 2 grains less internal capacity than the standard 45 Auto." http://www.starlinebrass.com/ All i use is Starline in the 45acp, gives great accurace with the right load. LuggerNut, i use std. Starline brass for target loads.

 

[Luggernut]

243winxb- do you use the +P brass? I dont' use hot loads so I'm thinking the std Starline suff is good. Mostly shoot 1911 and P220 for .45s.

 

[jeepmor]

The only split cases I've encountered thus far were all Starline. Some on first firing with Double Tap, some on second firing reloaded with Blue Dot. Well under max loading also. My personal experience with it does not fit its current reputation for strength.

All these splits occurred with the 10mm cartridge exclusively.

I'm not impressed by any stretch. But it's reputation far exceeds my experience with it. I won't shun it and just figure that I've tapped into some marginal 10mm brass stocks.