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Using .40 range pickup brass - Do you sort? Exclude some? Precautions?


LeviSS

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When using range-scavenged brass do you sort brass into groups by headstamp?  Do you prefer a certain headstamp?  Do you not use certain brass? What precautions do you take, if any, before beginning the loading process?

 

Is a push-thru sizing die a must for .40 range brass?

 

I'm getting ready to get into loading for .40S&W and want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

Edited by LeviSS
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7 minutes ago, LeviSS said:

When using range-scavenged brass do you sort brass into groups by headstamp?  Do you prefer a certain headstamp?  Do you not use certain brass? What precautions do you take, if any, before beginning the loading process?

 

Is a push-thru sizing die a must for .40 range brass?

 

I'm getting ready to get into loading for .40S&W and want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

I use a Redding push-through die for the first reload but not after that.

G

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I run the egw undersize die....and case gauge all ammo. Loaded 6k plus of 40 for the ol 2011 using range rando brass on my shiny new 650. I look down into the case after it comes out of the powder station. I've seen a few that seemed to have more powder and found the cause was dirt in the bottom of the case.... although it's a fraction of a percent based on the volume it makes me sleep better night to see the powder lvl before putting a hat on it

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Push through die during the winter to start fresh with all my brass.  Then just load it during the rest of the year

Hand cycle through gun before big matches.  Locals just shoot it out of the bag.

 

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I pick up all brass I think I can reload.  I run it through the vibratory cleaner and inspect it.  I sort by headstamp.  I resize/bell/prime and finish reloading it sooner or later.

I don't have a special die, just the Lee set with a carbide resizing die.

I don't have any preferred brand of brass in .40 S&W, not yet anyway.

My .40 S&W reloads get shot in a P07, an M&P FS and a Beretta 90-Two.  No issues so far, except the Beretta has a really short chamber vs. the other two.

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If it says Amerc, toss it in the nearest trash can. Bulged Glock brass has not really been a problem for me, but I use my reloads in two Xdm's, so I think for me at least, looking visually for a bulge works OK, then I run those through a Lee sizer die. I'm not sure if that holds true for a CZ or 2011/1911 system.

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I buy my 40sw brass.  The first 3000 was from a Police firing range.  I lost about 20% from Glock'd brass and crimped primer pockets.  I won't do that again.

Now I buy my brass from a guy who wet cleans it thoroughly.  It costs 3 cents each, but it is worth it to me.  All I have to do is dump it into the case feeder and go.  The Hornady carbide resizing die does a better job of decapping crimped primers than the Dillon.  I now use a Lee Factory Carbide crimping die.  That resizes the case after the bullet has been seated.  That in combination with the Hornady resizing die has almost completely eliminated the Glock'd brass problem.  Now I get 2 or 3 out of 100 that won't freely drop in and out of the chamber checker.  It's always the last little bit of the case the crimping die can't reach.  Even though all the rejects feed, fire and cycle in my pistol, I use them for practice.  If I wasn't shooting a lot of competitions, I wouldn't bother checking them.

I shoot a lot of lost brass matches, so the thought of using a push through sizing die for one reload is unthinkable.  This setup works well for me.

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I toss any notoriously crap head stamps, steel pretending to be brass, crimped if I don't feel like dealing with it, too Glocked, damaged, etc, but don't sort by head stamp.  All go through a Redding dual-ring at stage one without any prior sizing. 

Edited by BBQRibs
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If the brass has an obvious Glock bulge, I toss it.  In my opinion, the bulge indicates the brass has been weakened and it isn't worth it to take a risk the brass will fail.  To be honest, it has been quite a while since I've seen a piece of Glocked brass so it is less of a problem than two or three years ago.  I do tumble all my brass and then shove them through a push-thru die (Lee carbide crimp with the guts removed) before going into the progressive.  I'm somewhat anal (OK - a lot anal) so I hand inspect each round at the end to look for brass that cracked during reloading or is otherwise compromised.  I may find 1% or 2% of the loads with a problem and I just disassemble the round and toss the case at that point.  

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When you pick up range scavenged brass you're picking up brass that I shot that is nearing the end of its useful life with primer pockets that are starting to loosen up and stuff.  Have fun loading it.  

Just buy once fired brass from somewhere that is likely to actually be fired only one time like an indoor range.  Then you aren't reloading garbage.

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I tumble in walnut hull and inspect each piece. I only throw out those with damage, and do not sort in any way. Bulged brass has never been an issue so, on the the press. Once loaded, I drop it in an extra barrel (chamber check). GTG!

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2 hours ago, darkvibe said:

When you pick up range scavenged brass you're picking up brass that I shot that is nearing the end of its useful life with primer pockets that are starting to loosen up and stuff. 

Is this a 40/major pf problem?  I've shot a lot of after match range pick up 9mm and had no problems.

 

Edit: Nevermind...I see now that you were talking about you specifically.

Edited by LeviSS
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If you pickup federal NT brass throw it in the trash!  Not sure how those pockets are crimped but the swage on a 1050 will not clean it out.  

I stopped picking up brass.  I now buy fully processed once fired brass that is cleaned, roll sized, then decapped and sized.  The 1050 runs like a dream with good brass.  I am no longer having to stop and jack with the press every time I want to load.  Just spray a little one shot on the brass and crank away.  PM me if you want info on my brass guy, I might can get you a decent discount too.  

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19 hours ago, darkvibe said:

When you pick up range scavenged brass you're picking up brass that I shot that is nearing the end of its useful life with primer pockets that are starting to loosen up and stuff.  Have fun loading it.  

Just buy once fired brass from somewhere that is likely to actually be fired only one time like an indoor range.  Then you aren't reloading garbage.

Ah, so it's YOU!  Seriously though I agree with this.  Bigass bags of once-fired are the way to go.

I'll pick up my own after a solo practice but don't grab randos much anymore unless someone left a pile that looks good.  So much is trash or in the what the hell category.

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On 1/17/2017 at 3:49 PM, CrashDodson said:

If you pickup federal NT brass throw it in the trash!  Not sure how those pockets are crimped but the swage on a 1050 will not clean it out. 

I've noticed this, too.  The primers aren't crimped, they're just weak and only the anvil and top of the primer pop out, leaving the sides in the pocket.  Annoying.

As for me, the local indoor range that I go to is populated mostly by newbs who buy new ammo and leave their brass.  I ask if they're keeping it, they usually collect it for me! 

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I pick up anything that isn't weathered and I don't sort it. That said I have had one case failure that caused the gun to mimic a squib and he RO stopped me. I actually got the reshoot because it wasn't. Yes I do feel guilty about it but it was to my advantage. Anyway I'm going to be more careful for major matches and use once fired. Other than that if it doesn't split it gets loaded. 

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I just keep an eye out for asymmetrical bulges at the case web.  Those are not pleasant to fire, what with the case rupture and face full of gas.  Gun will still run, might stovepipe.  No biggie.  Finish the stage.

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My range seems constantly littered with once fired from cops and weekenders so if I see the trash barrels full of factory boxes and the same headstamp on the ground (more or less), I pick and use everything I see.  NT brass I know to look for and set aside then swags when I've got a jug of it by itself.   Haven't done near as much 40 as 9x19 though--do FM and Ammoload step their 40 brass too or is that only a 9mm problem? 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I bought  about 3000 once fired brass from a guy on Brass bank facebook page and have been reloading that for about a year and a half. I have also had a few club members give me some range brass over the past couple of years. I now have enough to start reloading it. Since there are not a lot of people around here shooting 40 caliber I figure most of this is once fired from guys that do not reload.

After hearing that Winchester brass is a little weaker than others I have decided to sort and use the Winchester brass for loss brass matches. That way I "lose" it before it's been reloaded more than twice.

The only other head stamps I sort out are my federal that I bought online if it gets mixed in with other range brass at a local match and Herters (Cabela store brand). The Herters absolutely sucks when it comes to primer seating. I have about 20 cases that I can not get a primer to seat flush in no matter how hard I lean on the press. Now I just toss the Herters into a box I plan on sending into a bullet manufacturer for credit, if they will take them. I have not run into any Federal NT brass that I can recall.

One other thing I have noticed is when I get a case that sizes a little harder than others it's always a GFL headstamp. I don't know if their brass is over size, thicker walled or maybe harder brass but I can tell when I pull the lever on the press. I'll usually check the case and it will almost always be GFL.

Edited by tedbeau
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I process all my match brass through a redding GRX push through size die. I tried the undersize die so that I wouldn't have to process brass separately. I found though that it made the case quite tight on the powder bell and hard on the downstroke. I'm using a 550 btw. 

 

As far as brass preference the only one I have is federal brass. My primers seat easier and deeper in those. I have noticed the opposite for winchester cases and the primers are never below flush, just right at flush. and it never fails the one time I have a light strike it always seems to be on a winchester case. I am using CCI primers by the way. I still use winchester brass, but I check very closely for high primers especially on those and try to avoid them for major matches. 

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