Military vs. Commercial Brass

[jim6918]

I recently placed an order with a highly rated brass supplier for 9mm, .38, .380 and .40 S&W.  Their description for each has a statement that the brass is mostly commercial, but there could be a small percentage of military brass mixed in.  They send an additional 3% to make up for this.  That seems to tell me that there is an "issue" with military brass.

 

As far as I can tell the only meaningful difference is that military brass head stamps indicate the arsenal of manufacturer and commercial has the stamp of the commercial manufacturer.  Is there any other difference I need to know about?  Is military brass reloadable without concerns?

 

Or, is military brass even found in typical handgun calibers?

 

As a newbie, I am being extra, EXTRA careful about each step I am taking.

 

I still need my right index finger to pick my nose.  

 

I am pretty sure that Berdan brass is a horse of a different color, right?

Edited August 30, 2018 by jim6918

[Sarge]

As a rule, military brass will have crimped primer pockets. This means you will need to ream or swage the pockets before Reloading.

[Hi-Power Jack]

8 minutes ago, Sarge said:

As a rule, military brass will have crimped primer pockets.  

 

That's the reason I throw all military headstamps out ….

 

Now, if I had a 1050, I wouldn't have to throw them away    

[jim6918]

Thank you, I think the best plan is to just sort and set aside all military brass at this point.  Who knows what the future holds.  I may want to decap, and ream, down the road.  Also I just read that military brass is thicker, and I don't want that to throw off my die settings at this point either.

[blaster113]

At my PD range I regularly find 9mm military brass of what looks like Winchester manufacture with the NATO headstamp from local military units which borrow our range.  I load those military brass the same as I do any other 9mm brass on my 650.  Other than the primer pockets being a little tight, the brass resizes/deprimes/primes normally.  The primer pockets do not appear to be crimped. 

[Steve RA]

Some are crimped and some others aren't.  About the only way to be 100% sure is to look at the case.

[coordinator]

I have found CCI primers to have some radius at the top, where it seats into the primer pocket. My experience is that this radius helps ease the primers into military brass. In addition, I have a Dillon depriming tool mounted on the reloading bench for those occasional pieces of brass, with a crimp, that slip through.

[Hi-Power Jack]

22 minutes ago, coordinator said:

 I have a Dillon depriming tool mounted on the reloading bench for those occasional pieces of brass, with a crimp, that slip through.

 

You must be reloading brass that is a LOT more expensive than the 9mm range brass that I'm reloading    …..      

[coordinator]

Perhaps.

[M1A4ME]

I use all of it.

 

I only have to swage the primer pocket once (out of how many reloadings??) to remove the crimp.

 

7.62X51 brass is thicker than .308 brass.  

 

I've not seen 9MM NATO brass that was thicker than 9MM commercial brass.

 

There are some foreign ammo makers that do make thicker 9MM brass.  When you look into the case you can see a ring/step so far down that would stop a bullet from being pushed back into the case if neck tension fails to hold it.  That brass can cause problems when trying to use bullets heavier than 124 grain and can cause pressure issues with your load due to the smaller internal volume.

 

When I run across that "stepped" 9MM brass during cleaning/inspection steps I toss it in the scrap brass jug.

[jim6918]

Thanks for all the replies folks.  In my "better safe than sorry " quest, I still plan to set aside all crimped brass.  If I get desperate in the future, I will decap and ream that brass as needed.  I have the tools to do so.  Based on what I read here, along with some YouTube videos, It's going to be a hell of a lot easier to see the crimp than it is to try and focus my eyes on the headstamps.

[Timmeh]

It's never bad to save it, keep it if you ever end up getting a 1050 or something like that

[RangerTrace]

I started getting some .40 with crimped primer pockets a couple years ago all WIN.  Somebody here said it was because the Coast Guard started using it.  Cause me to but a swager.  And now I no longer own a 40.  Next step is sell the whole 650 set up and buy a 1050.

[jschweg]

Missed one of those little NATO buggers last night.

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[SilverBolt]

On 8/31/2018 at 6:49 AM, M1A4ME said:

I use all of it.

 

I only have to swage the primer pocket once (out of how many reloadings??) to remove the crimp.

 

7.62X51 brass is thicker than .308 brass.  

 

I've not seen 9MM NATO brass that was thicker than 9MM commercial brass.

 

There are some foreign ammo makers that do make thicker 9MM brass.  When you look into the case you can see a ring/step so far down that would stop a bullet from being pushed back into the case if neck tension fails to hold it.  That brass can cause problems when trying to use bullets heavier than 124 grain and can cause pressure issues with your load due to the smaller internal volume.

 

When I run across that "stepped" 9MM brass during cleaning/inspection steps I toss it in the scrap brass jug.

The stepped cases are actually formed from two pieces swaged together.  Absolute junk and should not be reloaded.  Not just foreign as Freedom also used that crap.   

[Rod603]

have been reloading military brass for 9mm awhile now, again swage them and they reload like commercial.

[AHI]

Just a heads up for all of you that pitch crimped  cases. New shooter came over with his wwb brass.

They all were crimped.  That's the white box not brown ones in the ammo can.

Edited September 17, 2018 by AHI
ca

[SteelCityShooter]

On 9/5/2018 at 7:39 PM, RangerTrace said:

Next step is sell the whole 650 set up and buy a 1050.

That's an awfully expensive way to get a primer pocket swage.  There is a much cheaper alternative.  RCBS makes a primer pocket swage set that works in any single stage press and sells for about $35.  Here is Midway's listing:  https://www.midwayusa.com/promo/FreeShipping-092118

 

I've used it for .223/5.56 and 9 mm brass and it's pretty fast and works very well.    Since you only have to swage cases once it's not like it's a requirement for each and every reload. 

 

BTW, Unique Tek sells a primer pocket go/no go gage thats great for sorting cases and setting up swage tools.  Here is their listing: http://www.uniquetek.com/product/T1521

[MrPan]

Military brass takes alittle more oomph to take the primer out, id watch out for aguila stuff too, ive gotten alot of aguila that wouldn't pass the case gauge.