Reusing Brass

[redwoods]

I load 9mm, .40 and .45

How many times can I reuse my brass?

45 has low pressures

40 has higher pressures

I load 45 and 40 for major uspsa

I load 9mm for IDPA

I try not to load hot, but just enough to make power factor.

Thanks,

Redwoods

[BritinUSA]

Each time the brass is extracted from the gun it will mark the rim of the case. If the cases continue to extract cleanly and there are no splits in the case then you could in theory reload 30,40, or even 50 times or more.

Once you start to see cracks or badly damaged rims then it may be time to trash that batch an get some new brass. For this reason never mix old brass with new. All your brass should then start to fail at the same time.

[George]

The old saw on .45 auto is to shoot the cases till they split and load them one more time just don't pick them up after that

I would only use .40 at major IPSC PF until the headstamp looks a little beat, maybe 5-6 times. Depends on the load and bbl support.

For 9x19 at standard pressures, you really could get literally dozens of loadings. You should thoretically be able to load them until the extractor groove is too worn to grab. I have pushed 9x19 cases at minor PF to almost 20 loadings before I gave up for so little of a batch left, not because they were too far gone to load again.

Major 9x19 is another story and I would only try for a few loadings (maybe 3-4 at absolute max).

The amount you bell the case mouth can also effect lifespan in any caliber. Lotsa' bell, early mouth splits from brass working.

There is no standard and there are different sensibilities in play as to judging shootability, so the best I can say for sure is that YMMV ;-)

[al503]

great advice so far. You should also keep an eye on the primer pockets. You might get accelerated breach face erosion if they're too loose. Once I start getting loose primer pockets, I'll shoot the rest in lost brass match and leave it.

[SiG Lady]

Mostly load .45ACP, and lightly charged at that. I just keep loading them until I see cracks. Even the slightest crack gets thrown out. I have too much brass on hand to take any chances and tossing out one or two is negligible. I essentially still using the same 1,000 casings I started with a couple or so years ago. Plus I have lots of once-fired just sitting around in bags in storage.

A far-more-experienced-than-me shooting friend said, "I just reload them until I can't read the headstamp any more." Well, you get the idea.

[Run n Gun]

A far-more-experienced-than-me shooting friend said, "I just reload them until I can't read the headstamp any more."

I don't know if I've ever said that to YOU or not but I DO say that a lot!

Ed

[stingerjg]

I load 9mm, 40, 45, and 38SC. The 38SC i load about 5-6 times, then i use trash the whole batch. The 40 i usually load it about the same but i loose a lot of it b4 its time to get rid of it. 9mm and 45 i load until it cracks. I only throw out the cracked cases.

[Vlad]

I load 9mm and .45, and I no longer keep track of batches of brass. I have two big piles, one for clean brass, one for dirty. Most often I loose my brass long before it wears out. When it comes to loading, I don't have a case feeder so every case goes through my hands and if the case is split, or looking like might split soon, or if the rim looks chewed up it gets tossed. It is kinda funny by some .45 brass is still going strong even though the headstamp is not readable anymore. I do see the occasional loose primer pocket, mostly with 9mm, but only once in a blue moon.

[Matt Cheely]

I load my brass one time, but only because I don't want to walk around picking it up.

Now my 38 special brass is another story. I think that stuff has been loaded 20-30 times already with PPC loads...

[warpspeed]

We covered this before :Here

[alellis]

I load .40 and .45 to major pf.

I reload them till they won't fit in the chamber gauge.

Then I FCD them and fire for the last time.

Been reloading some of it for 5 or 6 years.

al

[hiropro]

9mm and 45 I load till they crack. I have just huge piles of brass. I do not keep track of loads anymore. If the primer pocket is really easy to load or feels loose I scrap it.

40 I only loaded them 3 times them gave tehm to a buddy.

Hiro

[sargenv]

I've some plated brass that's been loaded so many times the plating has been worn off. This is usually done with 38 spl brass but I havea few 40's that have been loaded this many times. I shoot it till either it is too long (10 mm, 357 Magnum) and then I trim it or until it splits and then toss individual cases out. The plated 40's I have seems to split pretty fast, I just toss it if it does that and keep loading it all till it splits or I can't find it.

Vince

[TEricksen]

I threw brass out for two reasons: #1: split. #2: The case heads would get so battered, they would expand too large to fit in the shell plate on my press.

You know they are getting old when you can no longer read anything on the headstamp.

Edited October 18, 2006 by TEricksen

[TBF]

45 until it splits.

If you are shooting a Glock or other 40 with a huge chamber , don't load them very many times.

Standard 40 chambers ( aftermarket ) are easier on brass and can be loaded a bunch of times.

Just .02

Travis F.

[et45]

Ditto on the cracking .45s

[JFD]

Back when I was checking certain brands of .45 auto brass, I found that I could reload most anything at least 17 times with major loads. Not that they would split after 18 loadings, I just got tired of keeping up with it.

With .40 brass it's not such a big deal since it's so cheap. What seems to be happening is I reload the brass around 5 - 6 times and then it goes to a match where I abandon it.