Is this brass dent okay for reloading?

Synolimit · Jan 28, 2013

Deep Creek Rock said:
The damage on the necks on those alone- look like they would split at the mouth at first firing. Ive seen that happen before.

I'd like to think after a resize though you wouldn't even be able to tell about the neck. From googling "reload sig 556 brass", many do and we all have the neck issue. I guess try one out and see if it splits?. At least I get two shots out of it haha. As for the body I didn't have a buffered side to lessen the blow (I know better now) so next time they should look better like the OP's.

If I do decide to scrap these...how about for 300 blackouts? A die that can run down the whole length should make it perfect again no? Of course the die needs to not form a new neck.

Synolimit · Jan 28, 2013

Warpspasm said:
My Mini-14 dents most of my cases like this. I've been reloading them without a problem. YMMV

Any pics of your worst ones you'll reload?

Deep Creek Rock · Jan 28, 2013

Synolimit said:
I'd like to think after a resize though you wouldn't even be able to tell about the neck. From googling "reload sig 556 brass", many do and we all have the neck issue. I guess try one out and see if it splits?. At least I get two shots out of it haha. As for the body I didn't have a buffered side to lessen the blow (I know better now) so next time they should look better like the OP's.

If I do decide to scrap these...how about for 300 blackouts? A die that can run down the whole length should make it perfect again no? Of course the die needs to not form a new neck.

I cant say what it would do on an AR style gun - I load .223 for a bolt gun. But it seems that the .223 brass Ive got on the range that gets that nick in the neck-close to the mouth, ends up splitting at the mouth at next sizing & firing, It doesnt do harm to a bolt gun, but the case is done with. But I dont lose sleep over tossing .223 brass, they pretty much everywhere (or at least was before the current panic buying market)

The sizer, may iron some of it out, but it is still weakened where its nicked at the mouth/neck.

Some manuals will state to toss out brass with dents in the body, as it weakens it. Ive fire formed .223 brass in my bolt gun, and they pop out.

The ones in your pic seem pretty deep. Seems like what ever gun that was fired in, is not too nice on brass.

lkenefic · Jan 28, 2013

It's the creases on the case mouths and necks that would give me pause. The dents in the case body might work out during resizing (or at least be less pronounced), but the damage to where the bullet is seated is troubling. This is where pressure deviations can cause case separations. I wouldn't risk it...

BTW... to the OP, those cases look OK to reload...

Synolimit · Jan 28, 2013

Deep Creek Rock said:
I cant say what it would do on an AR style gun - I load .223 for a bolt gun. But it seems that the .223 brass Ive got on the range that gets that nick in the neck-close to the mouth, ends up splitting at the mouth at next sizing & firing, It doesnt do harm to a bolt gun, but the case is done with. But I dont lose sleep over tossing .223 brass, they pretty much everywhere (or at least was before the current panic buying market)

The sizer, may iron some of it out, but it is still weakened where its nicked at the mouth/neck.

Some manuals will state to toss out brass with dents in the body, as it weakens it. Ive fire formed .223 brass in my bolt gun, and they pop out.

The ones in your pic seem pretty deep. Seems like what ever gun that was fired in, is not too nice on brass.

FYI here's a better pic of the necks. They're just slightly pushed in. Some are worse but pushed in shouldn't weaken them, at least I'd think.

BlackBart · Jan 28, 2013

Synolimit said:
FYI here's a better pic of the necks. They're just slightly pushed in. Some are worse but pushed in shouldn't weaken them, at least I'd think.

Load em.

jimbobborg · Jan 29, 2013

Synolimit said:
FYI here's a better pic of the necks. They're just slightly pushed in. Some are worse but pushed in shouldn't weaken them, at least I'd think.

I've reloaded some like that, just make sure the expanding button can get through. I take a small Phillips head screwdriver and spin it around in the mouth. Takes that dent out and you can reload from there. The earlier pictures made it look like there were cuts, not dents, there.

Rockzilla · Jan 30, 2013

I have reloaded worse than the ones shown, the ones with the case mouths, I tend to use a tamper punch from a punch set or a regular punch to round out the case mouth, also in the case of 5.56 if it is tooo bad then they become 300 blackout cases. Have you ever reloaded for an HK91,93,some PTR (HK clones) they tear the brass up, flutes (polygonal rifling chamber) dirty, sides dented (unless you use an ejection port buffer), you need plenty of lube, FL size first, then SB size if you need to, have brass from these, that have been reloaded so far 6 times, they tend to grow more. I tend to keep these separate from the rest. Use your own judgement....

-Rock

Major03 · Jan 30, 2013

Case necks I wouldn't think twice about unless they were split, your dies will take care of that no problem. If you're worried about excessive working of the brass on the neck after a couple of firings, read up on annealing and you'll get more life out of your brass.

Case bodies...subjective. If you're not loading to extreme pressures, 999/1000 you'd be fine. Small minor dents, I'd reload them and not think twice. The pic with the more pronounced dents...I'd probably toss them just for piece of mind.

RipkinC · Jan 30, 2013

Case mouth dents mean the brass only will get a few uses before cracking, a lot of blackout shooters have this problem because it hits the brass deflector right on the case mouth/neck area, some put some black rtv (on the deflector) to pads it there, it can help. Body dents if small should be no problem, just check b4 loading again for cracks esp if using a semi auto.
More dents means less firings because they will harden" faster in those places from being worked more and eventually lead to case failure

bratgirllcp · Jan 30, 2013

Warpspasm said:
Yeah, but it's the sticky residue you have to watch out for.

you guys are bad go stand in a corner! LOL
sticky sticky sticky thats what SHE says...

lkenefic · Jan 30, 2013

I agree too... load 'em... the updated pics don't look nearly as bad. If you're getting anal retentive about accuracy, you might want to run it through a case concentricity gauge before loading it. I can't remember if you were reloading this for a gas gun or a bolt gun... this shouldn't really matter all that much in a gas gun.

Jerry M · Jan 31, 2013

The dented necks can be opened up with needle nose pliers and a quick turn of the wrist. The reason these pliers were invented. The dents in the cases shown in the pictures are minimal. I would reload them.

Good luck

Jerry

AngloSaxon · Feb 2, 2013

Load em they will be fine

Is this brass dent okay for reloading?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Synolimit

Member

Synolimit

Member

Deep Creek Rock

.._. .._ _._. _._ .._

lkenefic

Ultimate Member

Synolimit

Member

BlackBart

Banned

jimbobborg

Oddball caliber fan

Rockzilla

Ultimate Member

Major03

Ultimate Member

RipkinC

Ultimate Member

bratgirllcp

Ultimate Member

lkenefic

Ultimate Member

Jerry M

Ultimate Member

AngloSaxon

Member

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Share this page