Proud Rebel
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Just want to know what's the typical lifespan for a casing after firing, and reloading?
What's the useful life of a casing, how many times can you use the casing till it becomes bad?
- Thread starter Proud Rebel
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LiveLife
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Pistol or rifle?
And if pistol, semi-auto or revolver?
And if pistol, semi-auto or revolver?
OP
OP
Proud Rebel
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Pistol, semiautomatic...
Hooda Thunkit
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Many variables, but generally up to 10 for higher pressure pistol.
Many people lose their brass before then.
Many people lose their brass before then.
earlthegoat2
Member
Depending on the load and how you take care of them before and after, it can be indefinite/undetermined.
I’ve known folks to have over 100 firings on some black powder cartridge brass. Apparently annealing is important.
I’ve known folks to have over 100 firings on some black powder cartridge brass. Apparently annealing is important.
edwardware
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Anywhere from 1 firing, to 100+ with extreme care. It's all details from here.
My guess at an average, in a typical semi pistol caliber, is 5 reloads.
My guess at an average, in a typical semi pistol caliber, is 5 reloads.
40-82
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When you should quit on a case is probably sooner than when you have to quit. I probably shouldn't be filing on old .45 ACP military cases to get them to fit into a shell holder to load them the one more time. With moderate loads it's amazing how long a case will last. Sometimes a load in an old case will no longer fit in the gauge, and I'll set it aside for practice, expecting it not to work. Most of the time they just chunk through the action just fine.
Sometimes I wonder if I don't cull cases more for cosmetics than real need.
With a revolver, I'm even worse. I finally did retire a few thousand State Police range pickup .38 Specials that dated back to the 50's. They still loaded and fired and dropped in the cylinder well enough, and at fifteen yards, they shot into a big ragged hole, but out at twenty-five yards the groups starting opening up--thought it was my eyesight before I bought some new Starline.
Relying on cases that are just too old is a lower and more slovenly habit than never replacing your underwear.
Sometimes I wonder if I don't cull cases more for cosmetics than real need.
With a revolver, I'm even worse. I finally did retire a few thousand State Police range pickup .38 Specials that dated back to the 50's. They still loaded and fired and dropped in the cylinder well enough, and at fifteen yards, they shot into a big ragged hole, but out at twenty-five yards the groups starting opening up--thought it was my eyesight before I bought some new Starline.
Relying on cases that are just too old is a lower and more slovenly habit than never replacing your underwear.
LUCKYDAWG13
Member
I lost count but i know that i had a lot of 357 brass from the 90's that was shot a lot
Targa
Member
I have no idea how many times I have reused my brass.
Ohen Cepel
Member
So many variables. I shoot .38's till the cases fails.
Charlie98
Member
On straight-walled pistol cases, revolver or semi-auto... in most cases... the case itself will tell you it's Time. Mouth and sidewall splits, loose primer pockets, not enough bullet tension are the big culprits.
I have some .45ACP brass that I've been shooting since the late '80's... and I've got (had) some .38SPC brass that failed on the 2nd or 3rd firing (sidewall splits.) Much of it depends on the brass itself... and any headstamp (brand) brass can be good in the long-term, or bad.
I have some .45ACP brass that I've been shooting since the late '80's... and I've got (had) some .38SPC brass that failed on the 2nd or 3rd firing (sidewall splits.) Much of it depends on the brass itself... and any headstamp (brand) brass can be good in the long-term, or bad.
mcb
Member
Shoot'em till they split.
There's no one answer to this question.
With high quality brass, "normal" loads, and a decently supported chamber, you'll lose a heck of a lot more of them than you'll ever wear out. Eventually you'll get dings on the rim that start to make gauging, and ultimately feeding, iffy. Or, with some brass, it'll get work-hardened and lose tension. Run the pressures up really high or shoot them in a loose barrel with lousy case support, and things can change.
I've got some 10mm cases that have 10-20 loads on them and no sign of trouble. I can't get more than 2 loadings out of some brands of brass for my 9mm Major race gun (and I wouldn't try even a single loading with some other brands). It just depends. But most of the time you'll lose more than you wear out.
Hondo 60
Member
Case life depends on how hard the case is used.
I've got some 38 spl they've been reloaded 20+ times
If you load em up at a max charge they can split the 1st firing.
Just for fun I ordered some Goex black powder ammo.
Had3 cases split on the initial load.
They sent me 2 new boxes when I alerted them.
I've got some 38 spl they've been reloaded 20+ times
If you load em up at a max charge they can split the 1st firing.
Just for fun I ordered some Goex black powder ammo.
Had3 cases split on the initial load.
They sent me 2 new boxes when I alerted them.
Read an article where someone loaded the same 45 brass over & over with a midrange powder load. If I recall correctly he got around 20 firings. He then did it with 38 specials. He got over 30 reloads out of them. I have been loading 9mm since 2015 and have never had a case fail yet. I know some have been loaded a dozen times. Loading 45 since 2014 and have had 1 piece of 45acp brass split. I have used up some 38 & 357 brass but at first I didn't have a lot of it and it all got reloaded frequently
John Joseph
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A lot depends on the quality of the brass, the amount of working the brass gets, the stiffness of the loads you're loading, et cetera...
I have 45 ACP brass with the head stamps nearly worn off that still load good. I've had new once fired brass that seem to split if you just look at them wrong and I have some old Western brass that never seems to wear out.
I have 45 ACP brass with the head stamps nearly worn off that still load good. I've had new once fired brass that seem to split if you just look at them wrong and I have some old Western brass that never seems to wear out.
rfwobbly
Member
I load 9mm exclusively for target (usually under 1050fps). I know I have 25 loads on most of my cases. More than that on my 38Spcl.
I reload them until they split, won't hold a primer, or get lost.
I reload them until they split, won't hold a primer, or get lost.
Obturation
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"How many times can a case be reloaded?"
-how longs a piece of string?
-how longs a piece of string?
16in50calNavalRifle
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I've got some WWII government arsenal 45ACP brass in my stock - I think Denver arsenal? A bit smooth on the bottom of the case, but works fine.
Like many have said, lots of variables, but low-pressure straight-walled (or 9mm, technically tapered) brass can last a loooong time.
Happen to be resizing and trimming a ton of 30-06 brass (for the M1) today, where it's more a live question.
On the CMP forums I think I recall some very experienced guys saying they got up to 6 reloads, with high confidence in safety - of course careful inspection is involved with high-pressure rifle caliber in a semi-auto, quite different from churning out low-pressure 38spl practice rounds. My current assumption is I'll use these cases for 3 reloadings (so 4 total firings), then recycle them. The laziness/cost balance currently looks that way (it's all HXP, mixed years, bought from the CMP).
As any Garand shooter knows, the rifle beats the living daylights out of the rims, so I've become sort of an artist with brass and small files, to get some into the shellholder - though I don't know that this kind of art has a name, and my masterworks just get mangled again next time they go bang ....
Like many have said, lots of variables, but low-pressure straight-walled (or 9mm, technically tapered) brass can last a loooong time.
Happen to be resizing and trimming a ton of 30-06 brass (for the M1) today, where it's more a live question.
On the CMP forums I think I recall some very experienced guys saying they got up to 6 reloads, with high confidence in safety - of course careful inspection is involved with high-pressure rifle caliber in a semi-auto, quite different from churning out low-pressure 38spl practice rounds. My current assumption is I'll use these cases for 3 reloadings (so 4 total firings), then recycle them. The laziness/cost balance currently looks that way (it's all HXP, mixed years, bought from the CMP).
As any Garand shooter knows, the rifle beats the living daylights out of the rims, so I've become sort of an artist with brass and small files, to get some into the shellholder - though I don't know that this kind of art has a name, and my masterworks just get mangled again next time they go bang ....
1KPerDay
Member
I have lots of .45 ACP cases that the head stamp is hard to read. I don’t keep track of how many times I’ve fired pistol brass but I only have a couple thousand .45 cases and I shoot them a good bit.
I have at least 5 reloads on a couple batches of my M1 Garand .30-06 brass (I do track reloads on those) and as 16in50cal points out those rifles mangle the rims pretty well. As long as they pass the dental pick head separation test and will size to pass the case headspace gauge and the primer pockets and neck tension are adequate I’ll still use them. A few are getting “work hardened” and require a couple trips through the sizing due with it cranked down further to pass the case gauge. I haven’t tried annealing but I imagine bolt action riflemen who do could likely get quite a few loads on cases that aren’t loaded to sticky bolt levels.
I have at least 5 reloads on a couple batches of my M1 Garand .30-06 brass (I do track reloads on those) and as 16in50cal points out those rifles mangle the rims pretty well. As long as they pass the dental pick head separation test and will size to pass the case headspace gauge and the primer pockets and neck tension are adequate I’ll still use them. A few are getting “work hardened” and require a couple trips through the sizing due with it cranked down further to pass the case gauge. I haven’t tried annealing but I imagine bolt action riflemen who do could likely get quite a few loads on cases that aren’t loaded to sticky bolt levels.
rdnktrkr
Member
I have had good luck with 30-06 by annealing the neck every 2nd load, I have some that have been annealed 3 times, usually the primer pockets give out, I have some from WWII era,Korean War era and about 500 from the Vietnam War era. I have some 38spc nickel cases that you can see the brass underneath easily from shooting and cleaning. Some of my 45-70 cases are from my uncle and I've loaded it about 4 or 5 times and who knows how many times he loaded it.
I used to keep track of the number of times I reloaded pistol ammunition. Now, I just load and dump them loose in ammunition cans. I do have 44 Magnum that has been fired, with 3/4 and full power loads, that are on their 20th reload. The lifetime of brass is pretty much dominated by case neck cracks, body cracks, and the tightness of the primer pocket.
The wonderful 38 Special cartridge is low pressure in today's world, and I have nickled 38 Special brass that I have reloaded enough times to have worn the cases to a mostly brass finish.
The wonderful 38 Special cartridge is low pressure in today's world, and I have nickled 38 Special brass that I have reloaded enough times to have worn the cases to a mostly brass finish.
When I was but a wee whippersnapper and had all of 100 pieces of .38spl brass. I counted every reload. Cried when I damaged or lost one. Now my brass is in buckets w/ mixed head stamps and unkown, mixed number of reloads. Fire'm till they split. Now my .458SOCOM brass is a totally different story. 
As you can surmise from above, lots of variables, including I would think chamber size. I've always used 10 as a rule of thumb, if you're calculating reloading costs.
As you can surmise from above, lots of variables, including I would think chamber size. I've always used 10 as a rule of thumb, if you're calculating reloading costs.
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