ZQI brass - 9mm

[jejb]

Ran into some really odd brass. It's ZQI brand and it has a stepped interior. The bottom near the primer pocket is quite thick, the middle is stepped down a little and the mouth is normal. My RCBS sizer die does not like them. I can pull them through with a lot of effort, but I've just been removing them and tossing them. No staked pockets, so they don't look like military stuff. 

 

Anybody else run into these?

[SteelCityShooter]

I ran into the same type of brass with a MAXXTech headstamp.  I discovered them when my Dillon 650's decapping pin refused to go in all the way and locked up the press. 

 

I'm glad it did as they could be dangerous.  The reduced interior volume would greatly increase pressure if given the same powder charge as a normally configured case.  I threw out all of them I came across.

Edited June 8, 2021 by SteelCityShooter

[36873687]

U have picture of this zqi brass?

[RudyVey]

There is a lot of crap brass out there lately...guess due to the ammo shortage, a lot of brands I never heard of coming out now.  I still sort all my brass after cleaning (range pick up, mine is often mixed with others brass), and some goes straight to the scrap bin (brass scrap prices are good right now). Also see a lot of military brass lately.

[Silver_Surfer]

I overheard our PCC guys talking about this brass. "Avoid it!  The brass will crack in half leaving the front section stuck in the chamber"

[George16]

They’re located in Virginia.

https://zqiammunition.com

 

https://zqiammunition.com/contact-us/

 

[jejb]

20 hours ago, 36873687 said:

U have picture of this zqi brass?

I'll take some pictures next time I run across one. Trash day was yesterday though, so the ones I had are gone now. 

[JohnnyD]

I am finding more stepped brass now in headstamps I haven't seen before.

 

The ZQI I have found before was normal but crimped.

[OnePivot]

It used to be pretty decent non stepped nato spec stuff. Walmart had it for absolutely dirt cheap, and then it was gone and came back months later as stepped garbage at twice the price. Too bad!

[jejb]

Sorry for the delay on posting a picture. Looks like I'm going to have to be more careful picking up range brass from now on. 

 

[CHARLES D]

I’ve started running across this stepped brass at a local outdoor range. My 650 definitely doesn’t like to deprime it. 

[lefty o]

too much good brass out there to deal with junk, recycle it.

[mkmckinley]

I don’t understand how it’s possibly cost effective to pay for the extra metal in that brass vs a little more powder.

[Sarge]

5 minutes ago, mkmckinley said:

I don’t understand how it’s possibly cost effective to pay for the extra metal in that brass vs a little more powder.

I think I read it is less processing involved. I also believe the ledge supports the bullet to prevent setback

[CZ85Combat]

On 6/18/2021 at 11:06 PM, mkmckinley said:

I don’t understand how it’s possibly cost effective to pay for the extra metal in that brass vs a little more powder.

Stepped brass prevents bullet setback, = lower insurance cost. Lower internal case volume requires less powder to achieve the same pressure. in today's market less powder per round = cost savings. Even 0.03gn powder savings adds up when you are loading million of rounds

[Sarge]

1 hour ago, CZ85Combat said:

Stepped brass prevents bullet setback, = lower insurance cost. Lower internal case volume requires less powder to achieve the same pressure. in today's market less powder per round = cost savings. Even 0.03gn powder savings adds up when you are loading million of rounds

Don’t forget. Still garbage.

[George16]

On 6/18/2021 at 2:30 PM, jejb said:

Sorry for the delay on posting a picture. Looks like I'm going to have to be more careful picking up range brass from now on. 

 

I bet those are not ZQI. ZQI is not stepped or doesn’t have that ledge inside.

 

I have seen ZQI brass and have reloaded them just to try and they worked great. 
 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by George16
Spelling

[pjb45]

On 6/9/2021 at 12:23 PM, Silver_Surfer said:

I overheard our PCC guys talking about this brass. "Avoid it!  The brass will crack in half leaving the front section stuck in the chamber"

Last Thursday it happened to two of us in a PCC match.  

[jejb]

22 hours ago, George16 said:

I bet those are not ZQI. ZQI is not stepped or doesn’t have that ledge inside.

 

I have seen ZQI brass and have reloaded them just to try and they worked great. 
 

 

You bet? Why would I lie about it? It most definitely is ZQI brass. Maybe there is some ZQI that is not stepped, but this ZQI stuff is. 

[AHI]

Can you post a pick of the head stamp. It should stop all the debate. In the past some one was saying PMC brass was junck. Eventually they posted a view of the head stamp

it was PMP not PMC.

[George16]

1 hour ago, jejb said:

You bet? Why would I lie about it? It most definitely is ZQI brass. Maybe there is some ZQI that is not stepped, but this ZQI stuff is. 

Post it then.

[jejb]

All of the ones I had are in the trash and down the road. Why do I need to prove it? Again, why would I lie about it? This is just plain insulting. 

[Sarge]

On 6/24/2021 at 6:41 AM, jejb said:

You bet? Why would I lie about it? It most definitely is ZQI brass. Maybe there is some ZQI that is not stepped, but this ZQI stuff is. 

Agreed.  FM brass was once stepped and now it no longer is. I still find both types on occasion. 
 There can definitely be stepped and non stepped of same headstamp.

[jejb]

For the doubting Susan's:

[9x45]

IMT, AmmoLoad, Freedom Munitions and MaxxTech, all stepped, all crap. Case will separate and leave you with a brass sleeve in the chamber and a dead gun.