.45 Brass Headstamp Markings

[arblacksmith]

As a beginning reloader, I found several .45 brass cases at a gun range last week. I recognized several (Speer, Starline, Federal, Wilson, Winchester, RP) but I don't recognize any of the following. Can anyone tell me who manufactures them and which ones should I stay away from?

WCC 77, 79 Match, 80, 82, 84, 85, 90, 94, 96, 97, 99

TZZ 85, 86 Match, 91

GFL

RA 66, 69 Match

MFS .45 Auto +P

W-W

Amerc

CBC

AP00, AP02

Super-Vel

IMI or 1M1

*I*

[Greg Jones]

Here you go-probably more than you ever wanted to know about headstamps!

[Merlin Orr]

Here you go-probably more than you ever wanted to know about headstamps!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats a pretty good list! Don't know why but that link went to "My Favorites."

[Sac Law Man]

arblacksmith,

The list supplied should answer your questions..Generally the number after the wcc is the year of manufacture..cases made prior to 1993 have crimped primer pockets. Unless you have a reloader that will take the crimp out of the pockets, you may have a hard time reloading old brass..

Also, brass with the headstamp AMERC, (American) never gauges well for me, so I throw it away.

[Kenpo Joe]

+1 on the AMERC, except that the primers keep falling out. If I miss them when sorting the brass before reloading, I usually find them when loading magazines by the missing primer.

[boo radley]

+1 on the AMERC, except that the primers keep falling out.  If I miss them when sorting the brass before reloading, I usually find them when loading magazines by the missing primer. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

%*(##@$*( AMERC don't gauge properly, and seem to jam in my Dillon Square Deal B press.

Before I started loading, I went through a period of range scrounging at matches and during practice. I remember someone even telling me: "You're welcome to all my brass, but it's AMERC and I personally, don't like to reload it."

What did HE know, I thought? I greedily added his hundred casings to my collection. Believe me when I say that I rue that %*(%(# day.

[G+16]

+1 on the AMERC, except that the primers keep falling out.  If I miss them when sorting the brass before reloading, I usually find them when loading magazines by the missing primer. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AMERC brass is crap!!!!, I had to take about 400 apart and throw away after I tried to gage them(allways use dillion gage)

[TBF]

+2 on the AMERC.

It's short thick low quality brass.

About anything else works fine in 45 ACP as long as it has a large primer pocket.

Travis F.

[davidwiz]

Am I the only one on the planet who has never come across Amerc brass?

[JD45]

I got ahold of some of that brass stamped *I* . It's really good stuff! The primer pocket is perfect and they run slick through my Dillon.

[TreblePlink]

In .45, I try to stay away from the following:

"WIN NT" - these are the non-toxic primer flavor - with SMALL primers.

As others have mentioned "A-merc" tend to be highly variable in hardness - sometimes requiring 500% of normal resizing pressure.

Finally, I find Remington "R-P" brass to be okay for lead bullets, but marginal for jacketed - the case walls mic about .001 thinner than others and neck tension can be marginal. This problem is even more severe in the "UMC" cases, - I throw those away.

Sometimes Winchester "WCC" can have crimped primers - and I haven't figured out a way to cope with those on a 550. The old reliables IMHO are "Winchester", "Federal", and "PMC". Many others are fine too, but YMMV.

[folsoml]

"WIN NT"  - these are the non-toxic primer flavor - with SMALL primers. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Federal makes an NT also...with small primers.

[TM262]

AMERC is a bust for me too. It sticks in my press everytime without fail. I have tried to load a few, but they usually will not pass the gauge.

[AZReloader]

Here's another website to help identify headstamps ATFE Headstamps