Is this brass reloadable?

Armory » Reloading

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is this brass reloadable?

Posted: 3/22/2017 8:49:14 PM EDT

I was looking through my brass and inspecting when I came across these. I'm reloading for a m1 garand and bought some used brass off the EE

Some kind of weird head stamp crimp thing going on here

Attached File

This is a HXP 30-06 case. Is it ok for it to be bent like this?

Attached File

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:01:39 PM EDT

[#1]

I'm betting it's Berdan primed.

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:02:32 PM EDT

[#2]

I would trash it

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:08:56 PM EDT

[#3]

I would cull the case with the bent rim and pop a primer out and see if the pocket would swage to hold a primer correctly. There are primer pocket gages but I have not used any. I have never seen a base like those. They look crimped and staked. I do reload the staked or crimped cases. If you just have a few I might try one but probably just cull the few. Sorry not much help. Someone here has surely seen this type case. Probably Berdan

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:12:18 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm betting it's Berdan primed.

View Quote

Just checked, It's boxer primed.

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:15:30 PM EDT

[#5]

Good thing I didn't put money down.

Knock a primer out and see if a new one fits.

Posted: 3/22/2017 9:32:52 PM EDT

[#6]

In regards to the HXP case, if your going to reload for a Garand be prepared to see a lot of rims like that................it's just what those rifles do. They are not HK hard on brass, but they beat it up a little. I'd load it, and have loaded worse.

The top cases are WW1 production M1906 from 1918..............don't use it. Lots of low number 1903 rifles were blown up do to case ruptures with WW1 production ammo which was one of the factors that lead to the "don't shoot low serial number 03's" nonsense. It was just as much an ammo problem as it was a rifle problem.

Posted: 3/22/2017 10:28:39 PM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:

Just checked, It's boxer primed.

View Quote

Those are very old cases as in of interest to a collector.

I wouldn't do anything with them but preserve them.

Posted: 3/23/2017 2:18:21 AM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Those are very old cases as in of interest to a collector.

I wouldn't do anything with them but preserve them.

View Quote

From the head stamp they appear to be made by US Cartridge Company in 1918, almost 100 years old.

Posted: 3/23/2017 2:41:51 AM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Those are very old cases as in of interest to a collector.

I wouldn't do anything with them but preserve them.

View Quote

100% agree. Heck even a casual collector like myself would like to have some of those.

Don't that last sentence as some kind of solicitation I'm just making a point.

Motor

Posted: 3/23/2017 5:01:11 AM EDT

[#10]

Wow that's pretty cool. Thanks for the info. The guy that shot them must not have known what he had

Posted: 3/23/2017 6:54:24 AM EDT

[#11]

Do you have an old 03 or M1917?

When I reload my 30.06 I'm picking out the WW2 era brass and saving it (just picked out 8 or 10 the other day in a batch of brass).

I'm going to reload it and put it in a couple M1 Garand clips to save, just for the heck of it. Winchester primers are brass colored, like the WW2 primers and once I seat a 150 grain Hornady FMJBT it'll look like a 150 grain FMJ used in military issue ammo. I'll put it in a couple old clips and use it for a "paper weight" or conversation piece at the house. Or give it to the boys with a couple of the WW2 era M1's, one of these days.

Posted: 3/23/2017 8:43:46 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Those are very old cases as in of interest to a collector.

I wouldn't do anything with them but preserve them.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

Just checked, It's boxer primed.

Those are very old cases as in of interest to a collector.

I wouldn't do anything with them but preserve them.

I totally agree here. They are nearly 100 years old and very collectible.

Oil them inside and out and put in a plastic bag. Many collectors want the original patina so don't polish them.

Lucky bastard ! The oldest '06 I have in my collection is mid 20's.

Posted: 3/23/2017 10:41:46 AM EDT

[#13]

You've got United States Cartridge Company cases dating from 1918. And I'm entirely too lazy to spend the time looking, but the use of corrosive priming is entirely possible. So a 100 year old case, most likely used with corrosive primers, may well be technically reloadable but I would advise against it.... I shudder to think about the potential interior case corrosion that has resulted from those cases sitting there after firing for an undetermined number of years. Its only a couple cases... Keep them as novelties..

Posted: 3/23/2017 2:01:32 PM EDT

[#14]

Neat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Cartridge_Company

Posted: 3/23/2017 4:00:11 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
You've got United States Cartridge Company cases dating from 1918. And I'm entirely too lazy to spend the time looking, but the use of corrosive priming is entirely possible. So a 100 year old case, most likely used with corrosive primers, may well be technically reloadable but I would advise against it.... I shudder to think about the potential interior case corrosion that has resulted from those cases sitting there after firing for an undetermined number of years. Its only a couple cases... Keep them as novelties..

View Quote

According to Hatcher those primers are definitely corrosive. If you wanted to use those cases after depriming they should be scrubbed out with hot water. Better to not use them.

We were still using corrosive primers in WW II.

Posted: 3/23/2017 4:57:45 PM EDT

[#16]

I don't believe it's corrosive primers that are hard on cases, it was the mercury primers that predated them that were death to cases as it weakened them.

I don't remember off hand the year that when mercury primers were discontinued. Would have to look that up in Hatchers Notebook.

My real world experience is loading corrosive Berdan primed 7.62x39 range brass. Never had any problems with them.

The age was unknown, but certainly not 100 years old.

Posted: 3/23/2017 9:56:06 PM EDT

[#17]

You'll see many bent rims on M1 Garand brass. If there is no other damage but just some bent rims then I take a flat file and file the case head flat (before sizing). Slightly bent and filed smooth causes no problems.

Posted: 3/23/2017 11:40:09 PM EDT

[#18]

Didn't read any other reply.

Having loaded thousands of rounds of this brass, I will say 75% is good.

Check them all before you run them.

I haven't seen one in 18 months that's wasn't reloadable but check them anyway.

You would be a fool to scrap useable brass, but not all of it is.

Posted: 3/25/2017 9:13:29 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Didn't read any other reply.

Having loaded thousands of rounds of this brass, I will say 75% is good.

Check them all before you run them.

I haven't seen one in 18 months that's wasn't reloadable but check them anyway.

You would be a fool to scrap useable brass, but not all of it is.

View Quote

Sell it to the collectors and buy more new brass.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is this brass reloadable?

Armory » Reloading

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us