what brands of ammo to avoid for reloading
- Thread starter chartgpa
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R.W.Dale
Member
I avoid S&B brass to to extremely tight primer pockets and the occasional berdan primer
9mm nato for the primer crimp
magtech (cbc) brass is just generally poor quality all together
a couple of your cartridges will be starline only propositions, which in my experience is most excellent brass
9mm nato for the primer crimp
magtech (cbc) brass is just generally poor quality all together
a couple of your cartridges will be starline only propositions, which in my experience is most excellent brass
Stay away from the Wolf steel cased ammo. It is not reloadable even though it is Boxer primed. Like Walkalong said, stay away from all military unless you feel like removing the primer crimp before reloading. If you remove the crimp, it is good brass.
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Amerc. Today I had two primers fall out of reloaded 45 ACP Amerc brass.
One primer I lost. The other I found under the bench. With my thumb, I pushed the primer back in the case, dropped it in the chamber and fired it.
Then I took that Amerc case and dumped it in the brass barrel.
I really should not complain as these were range pick up brass. Still, I trashed the other Amerc round that still had a perfectly good bullet and powder inside.
One primer I lost. The other I found under the bench. With my thumb, I pushed the primer back in the case, dropped it in the chamber and fired it.
Then I took that Amerc case and dumped it in the brass barrel.
I really should not complain as these were range pick up brass. Still, I trashed the other Amerc round that still had a perfectly good bullet and powder inside.
Hondo 60
Member
Actually in .38 spec & .357 mag Fiocchi is very good. I have probably about 800 cases that I've reloaded at least 3x each.
evan price
Member
Don't buy the aluminum cased Blazer ammo- even though some of it is Boxer primed it is not safe to reload...
But the Blazer Brass is very good brass.
I've never had any problems with CBC/Magtech brass and consider them to be very good, one of my favorites. Not Starline, but as good as any other out there.
Fiocchi brass I've never had any more than cosmetic problems with (multiple-strikes of the bunter, which makes some very interesting overlapping headstamps!)
I've never had trouble with Aguila or PMC, either. The Federal/CCI/Speer/Independance stuff is all equally good.
The Cor-Bon and Hornady brass is excellent, as is Starline, which is "the best".
I don't favor Winchester brass, but lots of people do. It's OK brass, but not to my opinion that much better than the others.
By and large the worst brass is A-MERC. It is so grossly out of spec and poorly made it's a wonder it can be fired once at all. I used to keep it segregated for use as range-only where I couldn't pick up brass when I didn't have any. Then I had primers start falling out on their own. Now they all go in the scrap bin automatically.
The only other brass I have had problems with is R-P (remington) nickle plated and the REM-UMC (also remington) revolver brass. It tends to split. But other than that it's fine.
I don't mind military brass and as a matter of fact they are sturdier than most others. I have had trouble with military .38 specials and lead bullets being too fat to fit the cylinders of one or two revolvers.
Only problem is in 9mm it's so easy to not have to use crimped primer brass so I keep them separate for "just in case", kind of like small primer .45's.
But the Blazer Brass is very good brass.
I've never had any problems with CBC/Magtech brass and consider them to be very good, one of my favorites. Not Starline, but as good as any other out there.
Fiocchi brass I've never had any more than cosmetic problems with (multiple-strikes of the bunter, which makes some very interesting overlapping headstamps!)
I've never had trouble with Aguila or PMC, either. The Federal/CCI/Speer/Independance stuff is all equally good.
The Cor-Bon and Hornady brass is excellent, as is Starline, which is "the best".
I don't favor Winchester brass, but lots of people do. It's OK brass, but not to my opinion that much better than the others.
By and large the worst brass is A-MERC. It is so grossly out of spec and poorly made it's a wonder it can be fired once at all. I used to keep it segregated for use as range-only where I couldn't pick up brass when I didn't have any. Then I had primers start falling out on their own. Now they all go in the scrap bin automatically.
The only other brass I have had problems with is R-P (remington) nickle plated and the REM-UMC (also remington) revolver brass. It tends to split. But other than that it's fine.
I don't mind military brass and as a matter of fact they are sturdier than most others. I have had trouble with military .38 specials and lead bullets being too fat to fit the cylinders of one or two revolvers.
Only problem is in 9mm it's so easy to not have to use crimped primer brass so I keep them separate for "just in case", kind of like small primer .45's.
the problem tha i had been told about the fiocchi was with the primer being tight and in one of the above replies S&B was mentioned with the same thing. Would this just afect the first time the primers were removed or every time they are removed?
LiveLife
Member
For S&B, it's tight every time you prime - gives my thumbs a workout on the hand primer.
), I use a lee case deburring tool to slightly open the top of the primer pocket, works fine everytime and cleans off the sealant they use.R.W.Dale
Member
Smokey Joe
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Brass to avoid...
Chart GPA--I don't shoot/reload the same cartridges you use, but I have some thoughts about reloading for pistol, FWIW:
1. Second the motion everybody makes about Amerc ammo--It's trash, the brass is trash also. How they stay in business making such s**t is a mystery.
2. S&B cases work just fine for me--haven't noted any particular problems with tight primers, and anyhow, tight primers wouldn't seem a problem to me--it'd be loose primers I wouldn't like.
3. Remington brass, in pistol ammo, IMX, while it reloads fine, has thinner walls than most brass, and therefore doesn't hold the bullet as tight. I think there'd be pressure differences (therefore velocity differences) due to (a) larger case volume due to thinner walls, and (b) bullet moves easier, before the powder burn has had a chance to get up to full pressure. I've stopped using Remington brass for these reasons.
4. Everything else I just load, shoot, reload, shoot again, repeat until the brass splits or I lose the case in the weeds.
Chart GPA--I don't shoot/reload the same cartridges you use, but I have some thoughts about reloading for pistol, FWIW:
1. Second the motion everybody makes about Amerc ammo--It's trash, the brass is trash also. How they stay in business making such s**t is a mystery.
2. S&B cases work just fine for me--haven't noted any particular problems with tight primers, and anyhow, tight primers wouldn't seem a problem to me--it'd be loose primers I wouldn't like.
3. Remington brass, in pistol ammo, IMX, while it reloads fine, has thinner walls than most brass, and therefore doesn't hold the bullet as tight. I think there'd be pressure differences (therefore velocity differences) due to (a) larger case volume due to thinner walls, and (b) bullet moves easier, before the powder burn has had a chance to get up to full pressure. I've stopped using Remington brass for these reasons.
4. Everything else I just load, shoot, reload, shoot again, repeat until the brass splits or I lose the case in the weeds.
RidgwayCO
Member
The only Fiocchi brass I have is in .38 Special, and it works very well for me. The primer pockets are snug, but not particularly tight (w/CCI SP primers). Besides, I prefer the pockets be too snug rather than too loose...
Marlin 45 carbine
Member
since you're loading .32acp and 9Mak I'll chime in with Privi Partisan is good brass, so is Magtech and PMC.
you may run into these brands for those 2 chamberings.
you may run into these brands for those 2 chamberings.
Otto
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S&B was bought out by MagTech/CBC.
Lately, I've been running across S&B casings that are brass plated steel. You can't tell by looking that the casings are made from steel, it requires a magnet. I'm hoping that other manufacturers don't follow this trend.
Lately, I've been running across S&B casings that are brass plated steel. You can't tell by looking that the casings are made from steel, it requires a magnet. I'm hoping that other manufacturers don't follow this trend.
Sunray
Member
"...32LC 32 ACP 25ACP 380..." Not many reload any of those. Finding bullets, locally, will likely be an issue. Maybe not so much for the .380 though.
"...9mm NATO for the primer crimp...all military..." Not a big deal. Removing the primer crimp is a one time nuisance. Mind you, it can be a big nuisance. Some milsurp primers also have a sealer that can act like cement. End of the primer comes out, but leaves the rest of it in the pocket.
"...9mm NATO for the primer crimp...all military..." Not a big deal. Removing the primer crimp is a one time nuisance. Mind you, it can be a big nuisance. Some milsurp primers also have a sealer that can act like cement. End of the primer comes out, but leaves the rest of it in the pocket.
jcwit
member
Just a little info here. I did a number of posts about a year or two ago about reloading alu. and steel cases. I did it as an experiment and nothing more, not recommended, but can be done. With all the good brass available why bother. I will concur about Amerc brass, it is good for recycling tho.
bobelk99
Member
You have heard several comments about modifying cases to make primers fit.
Given that they are a multitude of cases that work without mods or questions, if I were a new reloader I would stick with old standards, such as Winchester, Remington and Federal.
You will have plenty of time later to experiment.
Given that they are a multitude of cases that work without mods or questions, if I were a new reloader I would stick with old standards, such as Winchester, Remington and Federal.
You will have plenty of time later to experiment.
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