General Case Prep Questions > General Discussion

Posted: 2/8/2008 4:24:59 AM EDT

hey folks , newbie here with a few questions...

1) I have a few K of 1X fired LC that has been tumbled clean but not deprimed, is it okay to store the brass like this indefinitly (until I am ready to use it)?

2) Do I need to Full Length Size a case if I am resizing the same batch of brass for the same gun? can I neck size only? semi-auto gun.

3) Do I always need chamfer/debur the case neck if I don't trim the case?

4) How many times can I reload a case?

5) This was a stupid mistake, I deprimed some cases and resized others and somehow got them mixed up. How can I tell which is which? Should I just resize all? Does resiszing a case twice work the brass if it hasn't been fired?

Thank you

Posted: 2/8/2008 4:38:07 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
hey folks , newbie here with a few questions...

1) I have a few K of 1X fired LC that has been tumbled clean but not deprimed, is it okay to store the brass like this indefinitly (until I am ready to use it)? yes

2) Do I need to Full Length Size a case if I am resizing the same batch of brass for the same gun? can I neck size only? semi-auto gun. Neck size is ok IF the case is fit to the weapon and you will only use it in that gun. I got bit by this though,as I traded an AR when I had several hundred rounds made up for it,which I couldn't trade. Tried them in the new AR,which choked frequently.

3) Do I always need chamfer/debur the case neck if I don't trim the case? I don't if I don't trim,but it can't hurt and takes little time

4) How many times can I reload a case? depends on pressure. Higher pressure cases tend to fail earlier,as do bottlenecked or belted cartridges

5) This was a stupid mistake, I deprimed some cases and resized others and somehow got them mixed up. How can I tell which is which? Should I just resize all? Does resiszing a case twice work the brass if it hasn't been fired? run 'em through a case gauge. You can resize twice,but it may stress the brass. Just use a case guage for simplicity.

Thank you

Reloading forum is your best option. My opinions in red.

Posted: 2/8/2008 4:50:33 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
hey folks , newbie here with a few questions...

1) I have a few K of 1X fired LC that has been tumbled clean but not deprimed, is it okay to store the brass like this indefinitly (until I am ready to use it)?
Yes
2) Do I need to Full Length Size a case if I am resizing the same batch of brass for the same gun? can I neck size only? semi-auto gun.
You can neck size only. However each time you fire the case it will fit a little tighter in the chamber. Eventually you'll need to full length resize. If you shoot this ammo in rifle with a tighter chamber it may have problems. You could alternate neck size once then full length size the next. But it would be easier to just full length size every time.
3) Do I always need chamfer/debur the case neck if I don't trim the case?
No
4) How many times can I reload a case?
It depends on a few variables like chamber size, quality of the brass and how hot your loads are. I think 5 is a safe number. The first things to go are loose primer pockets and split necks. Once you see more than a couple of these in a batch it's time to ditch the brass.

What I've started to do lately is measure my brass. Once it reaches the point where it really needs a trimming (over 1.770"), I trim it, load it and stash it away for the next zombie infestation. Any with loose primer pockets get trashed.
5) This was a stupid mistake, I deprimed some cases and resized others and somehow got them mixed up. How can I tell which is which? Should I just resize all? Does resiszing a case twice work the brass if it hasn't been fired?
Yes it works the neck. The body of the die resizes the neck to be undersized. Then the expander ball expands it to be the correct size. So every time you run the case though the dies you work the brass.

I wouldn't worry about it though. The worst that could happen is that you get a couple more split necks. Split necks are not dangerous. The neck only holds the bullet. It's the case head that contains the pressure.

Thank you

Posted: 2/8/2008 4:52:10 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
hey folks , newbie here with a few questions...

1) I have a few K of 1X fired LC that has been tumbled clean but not deprimed, is it okay to store the brass like this indefinitly (until I am ready to use it)?

Yes

2) Do I need to Full Length Size a case if I am resizing the same batch of brass for the same gun? can I neck size only? semi-auto gun.

Size full length every time for an auto loader. You might get away with neck sizing one or two reloads, and maybe not. Learn to minimally size the cases to fit the chamber of the gun.

3) Do I always need chamfer/debur the case neck if I don't trim the case?

No

4) How many times can I reload a case?

There are too many factors to state a definite number, and depending on whether you anneal the case necks. You may get from 5 to over 30.

5) This was a stupid mistake, I deprimed some cases and resized others and somehow got them mixed up. How can I tell which is which? Should I just resize all? Does resiszing a case twice work the brass if it hasn't been fired?

Size all the cases, and worry less about the amount of cold working of the case.

Thank you

Check the Reloading Forum out. You'll find more help than you can stand there.

Posted: 2/8/2008 5:01:26 AM EDT

[#4]

I thought I posted this in the reloading forum, can a mod move it there for me?

Thanks for the answers fells...

two more questions

1) Do I need to clean the primer pocket?

2) How do I check for a loose primer pockets and bad case head?

Posted: 2/8/2008 5:25:16 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I thought I posted this in the reloading forum, can a mod move it there for me?

Thanks for the answers fells...

two more questions

1) Do I need to clean the primer pocket?

Occasionally this might be required, only so the primer will seat correctly. This is a good reason to deprime before tumbling to clean; walnut won't remove all the carbon residue, but it will take some out, slowing down the accumulation.

2) How do I check for a loose primer pockets and bad case head?

You'll notice loose primer pockets when seating a new primer. If the primer does not unseat after tapping the edge of the case rim on the bench top, it's okay. Segregate those cases aside from others with tight pockets so they are easier to track.

There's not much to do with the case head. Measuring expansion at the web is not reliable and requires a micrometer, not a caliper. If there are dents from the ejector, smeared lettering, or a rim bent by the extractor, the pressure was too high and the load must be backed down.

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