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.40 brass for reloading


perazzisc3

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I scrap Amerc and S&B....heard too many bad things about those two brands.

R-P and Winnie seem to be the best brass. I don't load AMERC, S&B, RWS, some Fiocchi USA, or old style Federal 40 cal. Every 40 case I load goes through a Magma sizer.

I have sufficient OCD to sort personal brass by headstamp. I prefer to load R-P brass. ALL Winnie and Remmie 40 cases are solid head.

What is the headstamp on this brass?

Greg

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I'll take a stab at answering this: At any given time, I have 3 versions of 40SW Federal brass cases.

1: Lightweight case that has a clearly demarcated circular "low spot" surrounding the primer hole. The case text is stamped in a very narrow Arial-ish font.

2: Same case style, but the font is BOLD like the text on a Blazer case.

3: Exact same font as on case#2, but text says "· FEDERAL · ". I call this the 2 dot federal case. The case lacks the depression around the primer hole, making this a "solid head" case. It's stonger, but holds less.

The weight of the #1 and #2 cases are almost identical on average. The #3's weigh ~4.5 gns more.

To me, #1 is the "old-style" case. I think #2 is the #1 design using the same brass formulation as #3 (harder than #1) and same font as #3 minus the 2 dots. Hence, my distinction of 2 dot and no dot federal brass. FWIW: the federal silver cases are of the #2 type.

Just my own observations, and probably more than you wanted to know...

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Just my own observations, and probably more than you wanted to know...

Not at all. Thank you very much for the explanation. Now I know the different Federal markings! :D

Greg

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Nope, Chuck, Systems Analyst, but my dad and siblings are all engineers.

Here's are some additional thoughts on the TulAmmo cases: They are solid head, but weigh the same as the federal #1 cases. So its a lighter brass alloy or its thinner somewhere. Gonna go in the "Don't use with hot loads with fast powders" pile.

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I'll take a stab at answering this: At any given time, I have 3 versions of 40SW Federal brass cases.

1: Lightweight case that has a clearly demarcated circular "low spot" surrounding the primer hole. The case text is stamped in a very narrow Arial-ish font.

2: Same case style, but the font is BOLD like the text on a Blazer case.

3: Exact same font as on case#2, but text says "· FEDERAL · ". I call this the 2 dot federal case. The case lacks the depression around the primer hole, making this a "solid head" case. It's stonger, but holds less.

The weight of the #1 and #2 cases are almost identical on average. The #3's weigh ~4.5 gns more.

To me, #1 is the "old-style" case. I think #2 is the #1 design using the same brass formulation as #3 (harder than #1) and same font as #3 minus the 2 dots. Hence, my distinction of 2 dot and no dot federal brass. FWIW: the federal silver cases are of the #2 type.

Just my own observations, and probably more than you wanted to know...

I was just checking my cases again after the info you supplied. If the "low depression" cases are the weaker of the bunch,are they still OK for minor loads? I have far more of those cases than the "2 dot".

I have other (I'm assuming Federal) cases with just the letters F C,and some with the number 12 after the letters. They look exactly like the "low depression" cases,so I'm guessing they are the weaker ones also.

Greg

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Greg, making case type distinctions is most important when working up loads for power or accuracy. The cases with the depressions are only "weaker" in the sense that the case head may be more susceptible to separation under maximum loads with fast powders and unsupported barrels like the older glocks.

If you want to plink or shoot minor, they are perfectly fine and good to go. The weaker cases also seem to suffer from enlarged primer holes sooner if used at max loads, so case life might be diminished.

My guideline is to segregate cases into solid head group or non-solid (depressed). Solid heads get TiteGroup or magnum primers or loads above published maximums. The depressed get slower powders, standard primers and non max loads.

One tip when working up loads for accuracy - use the exact same make/model brass and primers within each test group. I test in groups of 30 rounds, shooting 5 shot strings.

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MainlineSteve

I like your ideas on strictures for brass consistency on tests for accuracy. In that way you would be eliminating that variable and are left with several others that seem even more important to accuracy: bullet configuration, powder load, COAL and perhaps crimp (presuming range testing indoors where environmental factors do not play largely).

We'll start using that as a criteria when I would otherwise randomly choose 20-30 rounds of a new production (reload) scheme (new bullet type or change in powder levels). I will be interested to see if I can reduce the volatility of performance measures(accuracy, velocity SD, etc..).

Interesting!

Chuck

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Thanks again for your insight Steve. I'm new at reloading, and any info from seasoned reloaders is much appreciated. From the beginning,I separated all the different headstamps. Now I know that can be taken a bit further. At least for the Federal anyway.

Greg

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I've found that standardizing brass for test loads does provide smaller group SDs, so I get a better picture of load accuracy potential. It's sweet to work a load down to a ragged hole without the freak fliers nagging you to question its potential real-world performance.

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I too like R-P brass, though I find that the Nickle plated stuff cracks easier than the brass (I understand from Travis Tomasie that Remington is no longer going to produce it) and I sort by head stamp, especially for major matches, for accuracy on the target, and at the chrono.

Do any of you have any good reference or tests on the comparative case capacities for the various 40sw head stamps. IF R-P and Win were each the same case capacity, for example, and FED and CMC were each the same case capacity, I would have no qualms about shooting them together.

Anyone?

Mark

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One brass to avoid is Amerc - it is off the market now but shows up - often the extraction groove is misformed and the brass is out of spec. All calibers - toss it.

+1 on this... I have run into these as well. It freaks me out.. forcing me to recheck my Dies.... toss em.

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Whats the most times anybody ever got on avg loading a particular head stamp?

I think most guys on here, if they are shooting USPSA or some other sport, don't get to track this. I just pick up what I can, and throw out the cracked cases, which are not that many.

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Whats the most times anybody ever got on avg loading a particular head stamp?

I used to try and keep up on this but I loose my brass to other reloaders at the range. They pick up mine, I pickup thiers...It's a never ending cycle so I just gave up and load what I get.. I've never had any real issues.

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