.38 Super Brass Life

[ErikW]

How many firings of Major loads are you getting out of your .38 Super (or SuperComp, TJ, or similar rimless Super, not 9x23) before the brass is unserviceable?

(Consider it IPSC Major, 160 power factor or better.)

My "RP .38 Super Auto +P" brass has been fired 7 times with 3N37 and N350 (not at the same time!) under 115 gr bullets, and they seem to be at their end. Reloading them produced 1% of rounds that will not pass the tight Dillon gauge. And at least 40% do not easily slip in and/or out of the gauge, they are just a little "sticky." There seems to be a visible bulge at the bottom of all the cases.

[lynn jones]

erik,

i usually buy 2000 round of nicke rem +p each year. i reload the brass ever how many times during that year, 4-5 times at most.

lynn

[George]

I have gotten 6-7 firings from Rem +P+ Nickel before it got chucked. In fact, I had no bulge problems whatsoever and it all gauged fine on the 6th & 7th loadings (Lee sizing die). I stopped using it because of heavy headstamp and extractor groove wear.

The WW +P Brass I have been using lately has only had 2-3x on them so far and still looks good.

Regards,

[eric nielsen]

5-9 times with Rem +P nickel. By then they split at the mouth or show a hairline crack right behind the back of the bullet. Those 2 spots get the most stress from firing-resizing-firing-resizing.

Many guys who shoot faster powders (faster than SP2 or 3N38) will toss them sooner due to primer pockets blowing out. If you ever feel a primer go in too easy (sorry, Dillon 1050 doesn't allow this) then you should immediately pull that case and trash it.

PS - for brass brass you might get less bulge with 9mm sizing die. I did. Now I only use nickel & a 38super die. Dot tracks better.