What is this, 9mm shell

Armory » Reloading

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What is this, 9mm shell

Posted: 1/12/2019 6:59:00 PM EDT

I found about fifty of these at the range when shagging brass. What is it??

9mm brass with a little shelf inside it. I thought at first a smaller shell was stuck inside, but that's not what it is. The are a bunch like this. Just never seem it before.

Doc

Posted: 1/12/2019 7:02:27 PM EDT

[#1]

They are called stepped cases

Posted: 1/12/2019 7:13:33 PM EDT

[#2]

Candidates for the recycle bin.

Posted: 1/12/2019 7:28:35 PM EDT

[#3]

Junk meant to shut down a progressive press.

Posted: 1/12/2019 8:20:08 PM EDT

[#4]

those turds have been around for a while now, throw them out.

Posted: 1/12/2019 8:38:09 PM EDT

[#5]

What's the headstamp on that sucker?

Posted: 1/13/2019 8:05:29 AM EDT

[#6]

If you reload them, they tend to separate at the step.

Posted: 1/13/2019 8:50:49 AM EDT

[#7]

I find them once in a while and most of them are marked FM for Freedom Munitions. They all go in the scrap brass bucket.

Posted: 1/13/2019 9:19:45 AM EDT

[#8]

Freedom Munitions, IMT, AmmoLoad and MaxxTech all use that type case.

Posted: 1/13/2019 10:53:14 AM EDT

[#9]

Hmmmm never seen that before but will certainly keep and eye out for them. Seems like another case of a solution for a nonexistent problem.

Posted: 1/13/2019 1:15:04 PM EDT

[#10]

It would prevent bullet set back.

Still, it's a solution to a non-existent problem.

Posted: 1/13/2019 1:54:49 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
It would prevent bullet set back.

View Quote

It would prevent set back if located correctly. Not the shelf in those is so far down in the case, even a 147 or 158 gr. bullet would still be too deep before it hit the shelf.

From what I understand, this was done to simplify manufacturing. I believe there has been enough outcry from people that they have stopped making brass this way. Or at least I don’t find piles of these at the range any more.

The three headstamps with stepped brass (IMT, AMMOLOAD, and FM) I believe we’re all loaded by Freedom Munitions. New-produced FM brass is still thicker inside toward the base, but it tapers vs. having a hard shoulder. Those seem to reload and shoot just fine.

Posted: 1/13/2019 2:46:57 PM EDT

[#12]

9mm brass has always tapered internally and externally, for some reason a few brands decided a step was better, it looks like the internal volume would be different and for at least one brand it is, but most are close enough not to matter for all but the most demanding applications.

I have loaded hundreds, probably thousands of them and never had a separation, but I hear about them all time, I load a 133gr cast to 1000fps (1200 in my PCC). I also shoot with a guy loading 9Major that doesn't bother sorting them out with no issues. Many of the separations I have heard about have been in blow back guns so maybe that makes a big difference I don't shoot my PCC much. YMMV

Posted: 1/13/2019 3:13:42 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Junk meant to shut down a progressive press.

View Quote

This

.

Posted: 1/13/2019 9:34:06 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

I have loaded hundreds, probably thousands of them and never had a separation...

View Quote

Yeah, but it does happen. It locks up a semi-auto, when it leaves the front half of the case in the end of the chamber.

It’s even more exciting when shooting an open-bolt subgun. The separated case ring acts like the end of the chamber, the next round is fed in and the primer is set off with the back half of the next round unsupported. It generally makes a noticeable bang out the ejection port. I imagine you don’t want to be facing the port when that happens.

The couple of times I’ve experienced this, no damage was done to the gun. But it’s still not a good thing. So now I go through all of my 9mm brass and cull any stepped brass that I come across.

Posted: 1/14/2019 12:35:09 AM EDT

[#15]

Why case inspection is important.

Stepped cases in 9mm.

Small primers in 45 ACP.

Either one can cause problems.

Posted: 1/14/2019 7:53:00 PM EDT

[#16]

My range find sorting for the 380 / 9x19 cases,, old gift card,, 380 usually get picked out,, old gift card to drag 9mm off into box,, also looking for shelf & Berdan prime.. Can you spot the shelfs in the pic ....

Headstamps come at later sorting

Attached File

Posted: 1/16/2019 1:11:46 AM EDT

[#17]

Garbage. Give them to your local scrap hound.

Posted: 1/16/2019 6:27:57 PM EDT

[#18]

Those cases are reloadable, but the dies are proprietary. I throw mine in the recycle bucket.

Posted: 1/17/2019 5:36:22 PM EDT

[#19]

Interesting, didn't know such a thing even existed.

Posted: 1/17/2019 6:24:10 PM EDT

[#20]

I just ran into my first one of these.
9mm Maxxtech plated brass.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/9mm-brass-question/5-2185762/?r=76787449&page=1&anc=76787449#i76787449

Posted: 1/21/2019 9:17:18 PM EDT

[#21]

the ones I find get scrapped...

Posted: 1/23/2019 2:48:16 AM EDT

[#22]

I either throw them in the junk bin, or we set them up and use them for target practice with the .22 rifles at 20 yards.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What is this, 9mm shell

Armory » Reloading

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