How many times do competitors reload their 9mm cases?

[85win]

I am not a competitor, in fact I am just now getting into target shooting and reloading for the 9mm and trying to learn all I can.  I read somewhere that competition shooters only use their brass for two firings.  Is this because of accuracy issues?  With the price of new brass being high, this was discouraging to me.  Does anybody know how many accurate reloadings you can get from 9mm cases?

[AHI]

Till loss or the case splits.

[racer-x]

1 minute ago, AHI said:

Till loss or the case splits.

+1

[slowhands]

I have no idea how many times my brass has been loaded. If it's not damaged, I'm going to use it.

[looking4reloadingdeals]

Agreed with everyone above. It’s loaded until it’s lost or splits during reloading. 

[superdude]

1 hour ago, 85win said:

I am not a competitor, in fact I am just now getting into target shooting and reloading for the 9mm and trying to learn all I can.  I read somewhere that competition shooters only use their brass for two firings.  Is this because of accuracy issues?  With the price of new brass being high, this was discouraging to me.  Does anybody know how many accurate reloadings you can get from 9mm cases?

 

Some people who load 9 Major will limit the number of times they load their 9mm brass.  But for generic 9 minor, see the answers above. 

[Intheshaw1]

Once, after that you can mail me the used cases for proper disposal.

[echotango]

Same. Lost or split. 

[Matt1911]

As many times as I can. 

[Farmer]

1 hour ago, superdude said:

 

Some people who load 9 Major will limit the number of times they load their 9mm brass.  But for generic 9 minor, see the answers above. 

^^^This

The hotter you run a load the more stretching and working of the brass thus shortening it’s life. That being said I have some 327 Fed Mag Starline Brass that’s been loaded 20+ times with hot loads and still going strong. 

[36873687]

Till it cracks or u lose it. If u case gage u will catch stuff u wouldn’t with just eyeing it

[Bobkoh]

5 hours ago, Intheshaw1 said:

Once, after that you can mail me the used cases for proper disposal.

 

+++1

[RickT]

Until they crack.  Exception would be for a PCC match where I would bin the rounds to selected cases that had not been excessively first.  My 1911 will eject basically anything, but my PCC has a bit of a tendency to FTE on a cracked case.  

 

[PhotoRecon]

For 9mm Major I hand seat primers and once the pocket loosens up I toss them. That typically happens before they split.

[191138sc]

12 hours ago, slowhands said:

have no idea how many times my brass has been loaded. If it's not damaged, I'm going to use it.

+1

 

[Chutist]

As others have said....

Until the case is damaged. 

 

 

[zzt]

Well, I'm different.  I buy once-fired, fully processed, same head stamp cases and use them for 9mm major.  I leave them on the ground at matches.  For 9mm major practice my club requires you police your brass.  I do and retrieve only my marked cases.  I use them to load 9mm minor for steel challenge for my Open gun and PCC.  I leave them on the ground at matches.  So basically the only time I reuse brass for minor more than once is when I practice with minor and retrieve it.  

[goldfish]

As noted by everyone. 

Also, you will have to do your own quality control. Not all 9mm case are created equal, different brands will give you different results.  There are numerous discussions on the Good the Bad and the Ugly on these 9mm cases.  Some are gun or reloading component specific and others are by personal preference.  Part of the hobby to learn and know what works best for you. 

[Chills1994]

As you tumble your 9mm brass to separate it from whatever media, you will hear the typical “tink...tink ...tink” noises as the brass pieces hit each other.

 

a case with a split or cracked mouth will produce a noise much different than the rest.

 

I guess the best way I can describe it is the noise sounds more tin-like... flatter even.

 

you can usually locate those cases by ear.  Grab a handful of brass, shake it and listen for the tin-like sound.  If they sound good, dump that handful into the good bucket.  Grab another handful of brass from your media spinner, shake, listen, etc.

 

on a 650, you can feel how easy the new primer gets pressed in.  If too easy, I can stop the press, pull the case before it gets charged with powder, and make sure the primer is going to stay in there.

 

If the primer looks like it is going to stay, then I will stick it back into the press.

[85win]

Thank you guys, I was concerned that there may have been an issue of some sort with case hardening or neck tension, over time, as the cases get reused.  This helps me.

[rowdyb]

until i lose it

[4n2t0]

A gazillion times or when they split. I also shoot split cases one last time if they slip past my initial QC .

[TonytheTiger]

1 hour ago, 4n2t0 said:

A gazillion times or when they split. I also shoot split cases one last time if they slip past my initial QC .

Yup.

[JohanntheHorrible]

I use a Lee Bulge Buster on range pick-ups but use anything and everything that is not cracked. Love it when people do not pick up their brass, it all goes into my stash. 

 

[9x45]

Only once. That's because I get once fired indoor brass for free. So some other shooter gets my twice fired brass for free. In fact, no one on my squad picks up their brass.

Edited October 28, 2020 by 9x45