Unfired, primed aluminum cases.

[jgh4445]

Saw some of these in .45 ACP and 9mm. Has anyone loaded with them? Once? Twice? The idea is that you can load a hunting round with them and not have to worry about picking up your brass. I also read on some forum or other where a poster said he always picks up aluminum cases at the range and reloads them. Says they don't usually split until the 3rd or 4th loading LOL.

 

[jmorris]

I wouldn't do it myself but I have had issues with aluminum cases in the past.

What are you hunting where you fire so many 9mm or 45 rounds where you would be concerned about the loss if you didn't pick them up?

 

[jgh4445]

River swamp. Hogs, usually at night. Sometimes with a can on the end of a 1911. Hate to start out with 25 or so matched .45acp brass cases and lose 4 or 5 in the dark. Adds up after several months.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I pick up these aluminum cases at the gun club. I reload them for winter shooting out on the range. They fall in the snow and are lost. The 9MM works great in my American Eagle Luger.

 

[hdwhit]

I also read on some forum or other where a poster said he always picks up aluminum cases at the range and reloads them. Says they don't usually split until the 3rd or 4th loading LOL.

I once got some aluminum .38 Special cases in a collection of pick-up brass that was given to me. At one point some of the aluminum cases were being made with berdan primers or boxer primers of a non-standard size - apparently to discourage reloading. The results on the boxer-primed aluminum cases was unsatisfactory. Reloading dies are designed to resize brass cases, not aluminum, and while I was able to get them resized, neck tension was a problem and the bullets did not seem to be held adequately.

I ended up giving up. With once-fired brass cases available in .38 Special or .45 ACP for less than a dime each and 9mm Luger available for as little as 3 cents each (in bulk), the savings didn't seem to me to justify the sacrifices and frustrations.

 

[entropy]

I pick them up, and have sized, flared (the hardest part to get right), and primed many .45 ACP, but haven't loaded them because I only own autos right now. I do want to get a .45 ACP revolver, and would load them very light for plinker loads.

I am all ears about anybody's experiences with loading .45 ACP for autos....

 

[PO2Hammer]

For blasting ammo I use Blazer brass (small primer). So many people leave it behind at the range that I started using it, and no worries if lost.
It seems like very consistent brass.

 

[Grumulkin]

I've reloaded aluminum cases with no problem but I'm sure they'll split sooner than brass cases. Don't bother polishing them as it doesn't make them prettier.

 

[Robert101]

I've used them in 45 acp but only for 1 reloading. I use them in areas where I can't pick up my cases.

 

[mdi]

Are you asking about new, unfired and primed cases for sale? Never heard of that, but for a one time deal it seems to be OK. For reloads, I've tried aluminum cases, but since I have 1.358 metric tons (?) of brass cases I don't bother with steel or aluminum...

 

[Sunray]

Al cases are for ugly drawer pulls. Al is not elastic like brass is and doesn't resize properly. Not considered reloadable for that reason and that most of 'em are Berdan primed.
"...not have to worry about picking up your brass..." Tree huggers and environmental police will be after you if you leave your empties in the bush.

 

[jgh4445]

A place called American Reloading has brand new, unfired, primed aluminum cases for 9mm and .45acp. I understand its better to spray some lube on the cases before sizing. Just wondering if anyone had tried them. Thanks for the replies.

 

[FROGO207]

Nope. But I have reloaded some CCI AL with my standard charge and 230 grain plated RN. I have shot 50 of them till the majority split. You can safely get one reload and possibly two out of them before the majority will split upon opening the necks to insert the bullet. I now only reload them once and use them where I cannot recover my empties (indoor range where it hits the floor then they own them). With unused casings you will be able to get two handloads safely if you recover the casings but I would think that would be where I would stop were it me. I would also weigh the cost for those already primed vs cheap fired brass and primers. It might not be the deal you think---specially in 45 ACP.

 

[BigBore45]

I have loaded about 6k of them and shot about 1300 of them. They work fine. Try not to flare it very much as it is hard to get good neck tension. I bought mine from RMR and loaded them with factory pulled 230 RN. They shoot great. Used a mid load of titegroup.

 

[jmorris]

Try not to flare it very much as it is hard to get good neck tension.

And setback especially in 9mm s a bad thing and can give you a kaboom pretty easy.

Why I won't mess with aluminum cases anymore and would never reload them. Brass is free at the ranges I go to, just pick it up. I don't have any firearms that are worth taking the chance of damaging them to save a few cents.

At least chamber them, then eject and measure them to make sure they are not moving around or worse.

Like this one.

 

[reddog81]

Sounds like a solution looking for a problem. I'd rather use once fired brass than buy aluminum. You don't have to pick up brass anymore so than you have to pick up aluminum.

You run the chance of losing brass anytime it's shot out of an auto-loader. You can buy once fired bass for pennies per case.

 

[entropy]

But I have reloaded some CCI AL with my standard charge and 230 grain plated RN.

Do you think 5.0 gr. of Bullseye would be OK with 230 LRN?