jcwit I am not 100% sure of it but I think those casings your talking about are either German our Australian blanks ?
Steel case reloading !
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BADUNAME37
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The brass case acts as a seal against blow-by gases and pressures back around the case into the chamber and bolt area.
After firing your steel-case reloads, have you mic'd your chamber or looked at it through a microscope to ensure there is no erosion going on of which you are not aware?
I saw erosion from a failed primer where just a microscopic pinhole was created upon one firing. The amount of pressure blown back against that new bolt face was enough to create a divot in my .270 bolt face that basically ruined the bolt.
If there is said erosion occurring, just how much of this will be acceptable before the steel (or brass, for that matter) case finally FAILS to hold back 40,000+ PSI from blowing into your face -- either around the bolt, or finally sending the bolt back?
Have fun with playing with your high pressures.
Please do it alone, away from bystanders and away from everyone so if anything should happen and go awry, only you are the one who gets injured.
After firing your steel-case reloads, have you mic'd your chamber or looked at it through a microscope to ensure there is no erosion going on of which you are not aware?
I saw erosion from a failed primer where just a microscopic pinhole was created upon one firing. The amount of pressure blown back against that new bolt face was enough to create a divot in my .270 bolt face that basically ruined the bolt.
If there is said erosion occurring, just how much of this will be acceptable before the steel (or brass, for that matter) case finally FAILS to hold back 40,000+ PSI from blowing into your face -- either around the bolt, or finally sending the bolt back?
Have fun with playing with your high pressures.
Please do it alone, away from bystanders and away from everyone so if anything should happen and go awry, only you are the one who gets injured.
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jcwit
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The headstamp says---223 REM PCA 04
They have a groove on the inside of the neck so a bullet can only go so far down into the case. Friend of mine who was at the range claims they were shooting bullets, but I do not know that as first hand knowledge. So maybe they are/were blanks. This was 3/4 years ago, and my friend is 66 as am I. Have never tried to reload any, how ever I would think it would be possible. Just keeping the cases as an oddity.
They have a groove on the inside of the neck so a bullet can only go so far down into the case. Friend of mine who was at the range claims they were shooting bullets, but I do not know that as first hand knowledge. So maybe they are/were blanks. This was 3/4 years ago, and my friend is 66 as am I. Have never tried to reload any, how ever I would think it would be possible. Just keeping the cases as an oddity.
jcwit
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I'd get the rifle mfg., involved in this as they must be usin pretty poor steel in their bolts.
Hum! Now we are talking 270 ?
First off I must say I have never even seen any 270 caliber steel casings ?
Now we are talking a 223 or 5.56 caliber . Nothing to compare between the 2 " different " calibers .
I would still like to see pictures and more proof of this happening to you . Pictures of the bolt face and the round described and used to cause this problem .
Like I say I have never seen 270 in reloaded steel casings .
BADUNAME37
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It was a conventional BRASS case and there was a defective PRIMER that had a microscopic pinhole in it that ruined not only the bottom of the BRASS CASE, but burned a DIVOT into the steel of the BOLT FACE.
Sorry, I sold that gun over 20 years ago.
If you don't believe me, fine, I don't care.
Sorry, I sold that gun over 20 years ago.
If you don't believe me, fine, I don't care.
David Wile
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Hey folks,
I do not buy any ammo that has steel cases, Berdan primers, corrosive materials, or steel jacketed bullets.
Many years ago I tried to convert Berdan primed brass to accept Boxer primers. I had a couple of foreign calibers that were a bit difficult to get in Boxer primed ammo, so I thought about reloading the Berdan ammo. While you could buy Berdan primers at the time, they were very, very expensive, so the only way I was going to reload Berdan primed cases was if I could find a way to convert them to Boxer primers. I started trying to convert cases in a few different ways, and, after working on that project for several evenings, I finally gave it up for just not being worth the effort to me. I finally found some good buys on Boxer primed ammo for those guns, and I bought a whole lot of it.
I do not mention my efforts to convert Berdan to Boxer to tell anyone that it cannot be done or that it cannot be done safely. I only mention my efforts to relate that it was not worth the effort to me.
As far as reloading steel cases and the aluminum cases goes, again I would not bother to spend my time with either steel or aluminum cases. Firstly, all the steel cases I have ever seen are Berdan primed, and I have already said I was not willing to spend my time on Berdan primed cases. All the aluminum cases I have seen are in calibers where regular Boxer primed brass cases are readily available. For me, working with aluminum cases is a waste of my time when I have so many brass cases available.
Now, having said that I would not bother with steel and aluminum cases, I have no doubts that I could reload both of those cases and shoot them safely. In the case of the steel cases, you would either have to reprime with Berdan or go to the trouble of converting them to Boxer.
The aluminum cases I have seen were all Boxer primed I think, and they would be rather easy to reload. Would they be unsafe? I don't know why. If you can safely shoot an aluminum case once, why not twice? Or three times? I shoot brass cases until the necks split and then pitch them. I would guess steel and aluminum would not last as many reloadings as brass, but I see no reason why they could not be reloaded and shot safely if they are kept to at or lower than the original pressures intended for these cases.
Would I bother reloading steel or aluminum cases? No, it is not worth the effort to me. But it seems rather narrow minded to me for so many of us to simply say it cannot be done or it cannot be done safely. I would suspect that is more indicative of the writers' personal preferences rather than their personal experience or knowledge.
To those who wish to go forward with reloading steel or aluminum cases, I would suggest that you should have the knowledge and understanding of reloading and chamber pressures to do your experimenting in a safe manner.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
I do not buy any ammo that has steel cases, Berdan primers, corrosive materials, or steel jacketed bullets.
Many years ago I tried to convert Berdan primed brass to accept Boxer primers. I had a couple of foreign calibers that were a bit difficult to get in Boxer primed ammo, so I thought about reloading the Berdan ammo. While you could buy Berdan primers at the time, they were very, very expensive, so the only way I was going to reload Berdan primed cases was if I could find a way to convert them to Boxer primers. I started trying to convert cases in a few different ways, and, after working on that project for several evenings, I finally gave it up for just not being worth the effort to me. I finally found some good buys on Boxer primed ammo for those guns, and I bought a whole lot of it.
I do not mention my efforts to convert Berdan to Boxer to tell anyone that it cannot be done or that it cannot be done safely. I only mention my efforts to relate that it was not worth the effort to me.
As far as reloading steel cases and the aluminum cases goes, again I would not bother to spend my time with either steel or aluminum cases. Firstly, all the steel cases I have ever seen are Berdan primed, and I have already said I was not willing to spend my time on Berdan primed cases. All the aluminum cases I have seen are in calibers where regular Boxer primed brass cases are readily available. For me, working with aluminum cases is a waste of my time when I have so many brass cases available.
Now, having said that I would not bother with steel and aluminum cases, I have no doubts that I could reload both of those cases and shoot them safely. In the case of the steel cases, you would either have to reprime with Berdan or go to the trouble of converting them to Boxer.
The aluminum cases I have seen were all Boxer primed I think, and they would be rather easy to reload. Would they be unsafe? I don't know why. If you can safely shoot an aluminum case once, why not twice? Or three times? I shoot brass cases until the necks split and then pitch them. I would guess steel and aluminum would not last as many reloadings as brass, but I see no reason why they could not be reloaded and shot safely if they are kept to at or lower than the original pressures intended for these cases.
Would I bother reloading steel or aluminum cases? No, it is not worth the effort to me. But it seems rather narrow minded to me for so many of us to simply say it cannot be done or it cannot be done safely. I would suspect that is more indicative of the writers' personal preferences rather than their personal experience or knowledge.
To those who wish to go forward with reloading steel or aluminum cases, I would suggest that you should have the knowledge and understanding of reloading and chamber pressures to do your experimenting in a safe manner.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
Now it is better understood . Steel casings is the base of this conversation in this posting and I took you comments to be about steel casings !
I see and take you point made but I will not take your comments about ruining your bolt and using steel casings as no contribution to this debate .
I see and take you point made but I will not take your comments about ruining your bolt and using steel casings as no contribution to this debate .
Thank you . And your point is well made and taken as it is .
Kind of response I like to read .
BADUNAME37
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OK, look at what high pressure will do:
http://www.google.com/search?q="bur...7GGIK&um=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&start=0
http://www.google.com/search?q="bur...7GGIK&um=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&start=0
jcwit
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My, my, aren't we testy. Take a deep breath now.
BADUNAME37
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Well, the guy/gal wants a notarized statement with twenty 8"x10" color Glossies with the Serial Number and date of Notarization. 
Deep Breath Now.
Much better, thank you!
Deep Breath Now.
Much better, thank you!
jcwit
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In both cases, steel and alu. I'm talking about boxer primed cases, in other words what we would consider standard here in the U.S. with easily optained primers, "well they used to be easily optained".
I've found both at the outdoor range I frequent, the alu. is Blazer ammo. Steel is Wolf.
BADUNAME37
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I see so many new steel cases on the ground, I could literally walk off the range when no one is there, and have over 1,000 empty steel cases, that is 1,000 MINIMUN of EACH CALIBER!
There may be a slight rusting of some cases, but I bet I could get 1,000 that would be reloadable, if I was comfortable doing that. But I'm not comfortable and I don't want to ruin a perfectly good Bushmaster, my hands my face, my eyes and the rest of me, experimenting.
There may be a slight rusting of some cases, but I bet I could get 1,000 that would be reloadable, if I was comfortable doing that. But I'm not comfortable and I don't want to ruin a perfectly good Bushmaster, my hands my face, my eyes and the rest of me, experimenting.
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SharpsDressedMan
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Obviously can be done. Economically, not so much. Hard on dies, takes more time, primers (berdan) in short supply. Unless I was down to my last batch of brass/ammo, I would not bother with steel cases. Just so you can say that you did or do reload steel cases?
jcwit
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Then your solution is very simple, Do Not Experiment. Take everything as it already is, no progress.
BADUNAME37
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I have enough ammo in case I should need some. I also reload a lot with a lot more ready to assemble.
Understood and very much your right to do so .I see so many new steel cases on the ground, I could literally walk off the range when no one is there, and have over 1,000 empty steel cases, that is 1,000 MINIMUN of EACH CALIBER!
There may be a slight rusting of some cases, but I bet I could get 1,000 that would be reloadable, if I was comfortable doing that. But I'm not comfortable and I don't want to ruin a perfectly good Bushmaster, my hands my face, my eyes and the rest of me, experimenting.
And for your posting with the link for " DIVOT " burning on the bolt face it looks to me like it was done with all brass cased rounds ?
Look at the brass residue on the bolt faces gives away that it was done with brass casings .
Nothing said in the postings about steel casings doing it ?
Anything is possible with steel or brass but to link what was caused using one type of casing is not right to just blame steel casings as well and say that all steel casings will cause and do this when right in front of you is proof that brass does it as well ?
And to add I do use a primer sealant on these casings . Not to say that will prevent it from happening but it is a extra step I do to almost all my reloads .
Wolf brand ammo has boxer primed steel casings on the market. You can use standard primers to reload .
jcwit
member
So? As do I. Are we now in a bragging contest? I reload for over 25 different calibers. I cast all my own handgun bullets. My last inventory of 45 brass was in excess of 20,000 rounds.
Now then back to steel case reloading and its safety.
SharpsDressedMan
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Obviously can be done. Economically, not so much. Hard on dies, takes more time, primers (Berdan) in short supply. Unless I was down to my last batch of brass/ammo, I would not bother with steel cases. Just so you can say that you did or do reload steel cases? It is nice to know that someone proved that you CAN, but it seems like a last resort when there are better materials available.
BADUNAME37
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EXACTLY, SDM!
Hey, if you see a lot of nice ones at the range, they may not be bad to have on hand just in case all else fails and it is the end of the world, and you need to load just one more batch!
Hey, if you see a lot of nice ones at the range, they may not be bad to have on hand just in case all else fails and it is the end of the world, and you need to load just one more batch!
BADUNAME37
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No, I am not bragging.
You stated "No progress"
I stated that I am still progessing without the steel cases.
That's all.
Back to the steel cases now.
You stated "No progress"
I stated that I am still progessing without the steel cases.
That's all.
Back to the steel cases now.
BADUNAME37
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I was not saying that the same thing WOULD happen, I suggested it COULD happen.
There is a big difference between those two words.
jcwit
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Progress is usually associated with experimenting, was what I was getting at.
This is only ment as levity. Don't forget SHUDA. As in shuda, woulda, coulda.
This is only ment as levity. Don't forget SHUDA. As in shuda, woulda, coulda.
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