aceinyerface
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Posts posted by aceinyerface
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At first glance your list looks a little odd. As a matter of fact it is the exact opposite of what most of us have found to be true of brass.
Blazer, Speer and CCI are all the same family and pretty much some of the best brass I have found for reloading.
RP and straight WIN as well as FC are all very good brass.
S&B generally has pretty tight pockets and has the nick name of primer crushers. They are not crimped, just too tight for most to fool with. Also, S&B has a nasty habit of using steel cases that look just like real brass to the uninformed eye. Takes a magnet to find it in the brass pile.
I tend to agree on PPU. I have found it to be junk mostly.
As for the NATO and "some WIN". That's because the primer pockets are crimped. Any NATO military 9mm brass is going to be crimped. As for "some WIN", let me guess? WIN NT and WCC. WCC is military brass and is crimped. Anything with NT I pitch. NT is non toxic primers and something is screwy with them. FC NT and WIN NT are more difficult to load without swaging.
I usually just collect that type stuff for a few years and sell it off on here to a 1050 user and let them swage it all. The only one I keep because it is just so stout is WCC. I remove the crimp with a pocket reamer in a drill and store it. I have about 15k under the bench.
Some have said they found some straight WIN brass that is crimped recently but so far I have never found that to be the case for me.
There are several threads on here about good/bad brass. You should search them out. Very good reading and it keeps the press problems to a minimum.
I agree with this.
OP's list is backwards like Sarge states.
I personally disagree on the PPU. I've had no problems loading it. I don't prefer it, but no issues.
Love Blazer brass. Primers go in so smooth and easy it sometimes feels like it actually didn't go in!
Interesting, Based on your post, I tested 5 random pieces of Blazer brass, same way, pics taken of everything.
Case 1 PPD .167, Primer seated slightly crooked, can use for practice
Case 2 PPD .166, Primer seated slightly crooked, can use for practice
Case 3 PPD .167, Primer deformed as with the Win, unusuable
Case 4 PPD .168, Primer seated slightly crooked, can use for practice
Case 5 PPD .1675 Primer seated properly, can use for match
Each of the Blazers had a sharp shoulder of the primer pocket, is this causing the lip of the primer cup to hang up slightly causing it to go in crooked, hard to say??
I see UniqueTek makes a part called the Turbo Bearing for the 550, which allows the shell plate to be tightened up, theoretically reducing the play. I wonder if this will help with the weird brass.
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Since Sarge indicated my experience is unusual, I decided to look into it a bit further.
I attached pics of 5 Win cases that should be identical, but they aren't.
I marked them distinctly so they could be tracked. I arranged them in orderthat I thought they would be useful.
Case 1 Primer Pocket Dimension .167
Case 2 PPD .166
Case 3 PPD .165
Case 4 PPD.166
Case 5 PPD .165
Case 1 was sucessful in seating the primer properly, 2-4 failed miserably (I usually back off when I feel it going wrong, but just for posterity, I attempted to seat them), and 5 is slightly uneven.
As a control, I measured 3 R-P PPD
R-P 1 PPD .1695
R-P 2 PPD .1685
R-P 3 PPD .169
All seated the primers perfectly.
I also measured the Federal Small Pistol Primer from the Blue Box. Primer diameter .173
I have pics of everything, but I am limited in what I am allowed to post here.
First thing someone is going to say is that I'm doing it wrong. I have thousands of rounds loaded, it isn't that.
I figure I am getting an actual brass spec issue in about 25% of the range brass I see. I am culling at a rate slightly more than that. I can see correlations in some brands, and a visual inspection will show some primers just look smaller than others.
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I've been finding a lot of tight primer pockets/ square shoulders on the primer pockets on range brass here lately. I know I can swage them, but that adds a step to my reloading process.
For the time being, I am looking at the primer before putting it into the Dillon 550. If the pocket looks tight, I pitch it in a box, if I try to seat the primer and encounter too much resistance, I pitch it into the box.
In particular, the worst is PPU, NATO, oddball stuff, most Agulia, some Blazer, Speer, some Win, etc...
The best brass for primer pockets is RPC and S&B.
The softer Federal primers are quick to deform.
What is the deal?
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I've been on the road all week. Family time this weekend. I can sneak away for a little range time and dryfire.
I did sign up for an RO class.
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A box of 1000 rds of 147gr 9mm from Xtreme Bullets showed up today, only I didn't order it. I guess that is their way of making it right for the delay. That shows a lot of class, I'll stick with them.
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2nd USPSA match in the books, some lessons learned...
1) My match management is crap. I am so focused on shooting that I mess up the base level instructions. 1st stage, 6 targets one shot each both hands, reload and 1 shot each with strong hand. I went to shoot the 2nd string with both hands, luckily the RO knew I was a noob and hollered "one hand" so I didn't blow the stage. 2nd stage, 99-11 El Prez, one of the standard drills I dryfire, I'm boned up, I'm ready, I don't seat the mag fully to start the stage. My time was crap and I sped up so I didn't get all A's either. 3rd stage, went ok, 4th stage, I almost set the gun on the barrel with the hammer cocked, the RO warned me, then I planned to reload twice... nah, I ran to slidelock twice instead. 5th stage rainout. It was a small scale catastrophe.
2) While the scores aren't posted, I know my hits were pretty good. I'm kind of shocked at how well I shoot that Stock 1. But still, I am pulling the trigger when the sights are not on target, and when I goof up I try to go faster. I can tell that is the wrong thing to do, but it is some kind of compulsive behavior that seems to affect most shooters. It is like the Double Whammy of Doom, your time sucks so you speed up which makes your accuracy suck, as well.
3) When there are two rows of poppers, one in front of the other, shoot all the front ones to give them time to fall then shoot the back ones. I planned to shoot front back front back, that is too slow waiting for the front to fall, I changed mid string to compensate.
I did manage to tighten up two things I learned in the last match. My mag changes went pretty well when I wasn't forgetting to do them. And, I moved pretty well. There was two turns, they went well, one big field course I moved pretty well on. Some side to side movement went pretty good.
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The heater is sighted back in, I put about 400 rds through it and it's running like a champ.
I am trying to find out the cadence that allows me to get the A's the fastest. I can slow down a tick and get the hits, or let it all hang out with some C's. Hmm, what should I do??
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I bought a Beretta A300 shotgun and shot the sporting clays match, 51, I'll take that for my 5th time shooting clays.
I saw powder at the gunshop and called one of the guys, got him hooked up.
I got the sight installed, match sunday. If anyone needs me tomorrow, I'll be sighting in the pistol and dryfiring.
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Dawson Sight came in! Fan-friggin-tastic!!! Ordered on 8/12 delivered on 8/14! I can put it on tonight, sight it in tomorrow, be ready for Sunday.
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Still no sights, so no dryfire.
Instead I went to shoot sporting clays with a coach, that is a lot of fun. There is a charity match day after tomorrow, I won't suck as bad.
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I just got my Xtreme shipment in today.
Like I said, I'm reasonable, if you tell me you have a problem then I'll cut you some slack. If you stay silent, I think you are slacking.
I'll give them another chance.
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I worked out a trick for dealing with the damned Federal primers... dump them into a 100 rd 9mm Dillon ammo box lid then tip it up and pour them into the primer flipper.
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Xtreme Bullets
Order confirmation 07/28/2014 11:10 am
Ordered departure scan 08/12/2014 9:07 am
Scheduled Delivery Monday 08/18/2014
I'm shopping for a new Bullet company. Suggestions? The price to beat is .08 cents per 147 gr plated RN.
I feel you on this. I placed an order 7/31 which also just shipped today, but delivery is scheduled for 8/20. Of course, I ordered them for a match 8/23, so assuming they hit the normal delay in IL (seen on my last 2 orders) I'll be spending next week working up a new load.
But, you can't beat their price on plated... I ordered some Bayous - delivered day 3 after ordering. Assuming they work out I'm done with Xtreme.
I'm a reasonable guy, you tell me it is out of stock, kids are in the hospital, you're in Africa on a Zebra hunt, it is International Margarita Day, etc... I can understand I may not get the shipment promptly. If you tell me it is in stock, I'm expecting you to get the order out within a few days. Anything less is bad service.
I point to Summit Gun Broker, the guy is often not available, and he puts that on the front page so you know what to expect.
I'm going to get ahead on my loading then work up a Bayou Bullets load. If they work half as good as the hype, Xtreme is going to lose a customer due solely to bad service.
I managed to get to my local gun shop and got a box of Xtreme, I just loaded some, so at least I am making forward progress again.
On a side note, Federal primers are so hard to deal with, I'm going to stop buying them. CCI and Winchester packages them flat on a small tray that fits a standard primer flipper. Federal stores them on their side so they roll around in a huge tray that you need a $30 Dillon flipper to deal with them. Again, know your customers... who the F loads primers on their side? And why choose a huge package that is not compatible with standard reloading equipment??
I'm done with substandard products and service.
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Xtreme Bullets
Order confirmation 07/28/2014 11:10 am
Ordered departure scan 08/12/2014 9:07 am
Scheduled Delivery Monday 08/18/2014
I'm shopping for a new Bullet company. Suggestions? The price to beat is .08 cents per 147 gr plated RN.
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I tried to do mag changes for 10 min, but there is no soul in it. I'm going to have to wait.
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Dawson kit came in, trying to remove the sight, the allen wrench broke off in the screw. I managed to get it off anyway, it looks like it has JB Weld on the bottom of the sight to build up the material. That is the problem with "gunsmithed" used guns, it could be half assed done. I ordered a new sight. I'm down until then, no dryfire until the sight comes in, then I need to sight it back in.
I may not make the match this weekend.
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Friday, I shot a 50 shot round of sporting clays for practice as we have a charity shoot coming up on Friday for work. Are back muscle spasms normal after that??? Getting old sucks. The 100 rd match may not be my finest hour.
Xtreme Bullets has taken 10 days to charge may card and we are on 12 days without a shipping notification, I bought a box of Bayou Bullets but they seat deeper and I don't want to have to monkey with my dies only to have to change them back when Xtreme gets the sand out of their vajayjay.
I don't have enough ammo loaded to go practice and shoot the upcoming match. No shooting and no loading. In short, nothing is getting done, and that is always the best way to make improvement.
Dawson is sending me the allen wrench and inserts so I can tighten up the sights on the Stock 1.
Next Sunday is the next USPSA match and at this rate, I don't deserve to shoot well.
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I got 40 min of dryfire in. Sometimes I suck other times, I suck less. I'll eventually notice what I am doing different when I suck less, and do that more often.
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My little boy has both ears infected, mawmaw has come to look after him. She is staying in my dryfire room, so none of that.
I got 2 more mags in.
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My speed increase on the mag change has become easier to repeat. Now I see 2 other things that need work, turning the gun in my hand to hit the mag release, and determining the optimal angle to hold the mag well so the feed lips don't hang up.
The better I get the more I realize I need to work on. But, that is good. I can only really fix one thing at a time anyway.
Setting a 10 minute timer really helps keep me into the dryfire session. 2 weeks til the next match, I want to hit 3 10 min dryfire sessions per day until then.
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Mag change breakthrough. I can't do it every time but now I know what I am looking for.
Setting a timer for 10 min helps structure my dryfire.
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I got 4lbs of powder for myself, picked up some Titegroup for one of the fellas, and some Federal Primers. I don't know if Federal could package the primers more illogically. On the side makes them harder to load the flip tray (compared to CCI) and takes more plastic and cardboard to package them.
Dryfire continues...
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I decided to try Emery cloth first. It seems good to go now. I ordered 2 more mags. Another 1000 Xtreme 147g are on the way. Gun show tomorrow, I want to stay up on my powder stores, I hope they have plenty of 7625.
Enough gear nonsense.
Dryfire continues. I think the DA trigger is forcing me to get my trigger control tightened up, because the stroke is so long it amplifies mistakes. So far I am just straight pumping every shot in DA during dryfire, it doesn't seem to be an issue when I switch to live fire, but I will be monitoring it closely.
It seems like there is a match in driving distance every weekend. I am considering the balance between family and shooting, I think for the time being I will stick with one match per month, as we become accustomed to that I can add another match.
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I taped off the gun and hit the edges with medium and fine emery cloth, I think it is good to go now.
"Bad" Brass
in 9mm/38 Caliber
Posted
I've never had a problem, but I'll keep that in mind. I think that is a separate issue to the primer pocket issue. Although, out of spec brass may be out of spec in more than one way.
I load 147g Xtreme Bullets.