.40 s&w brass life test today

[mhs]

I have some .44 mag cases that I've loaded around 20 times (240 going 1050) that seem pretty much as good as new. With .45acp target loads I use cases until they split, which is probably over 30 loadings.

 

[SSGSAD]

I would love to see a comparison between the brass and nickel plated. I have plenty of Nickel if you need a donor...

The nickel rubs off, after numerous resizing, and tumbling... I have .38 spl., that used to be nickel, and now I can't tell them from my brass...
Probably 20 loadings...

 

[l c gun guy]

Don't think I have ever hade brass go bad I ether lose it or smash it by steping on it. Try some rifle brass 308 223 let me know how that works.

 

[mhs]

A few years back I had several hundred mixed brass and nickel Federal .38 cases. I used them for mild target loads, and didn't discard them until the necks split. The nickel split much sooner than the brass.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Don't think I have ever hade brass go bad I ether lose it or smash it by steping on it. Try some rifle brass 308 223 let me know how that works.

Rifle brass is more variable. If you are loading for a bolt action gun you can get long life if you are neck sizing only. I've felt incipient head seperation in as few as 12-15 loadings for my semi-auto guns. My routine is that my rifle brass goes 5 loadings for the semi-autos and then gets relegated to my bolt action guns (I own a bolt action gun for every semi-auto rifle caliber I shoot).

 

[excursion12]

Oh no you don't! I'm educated regarding statistics and I'm a scientist, I understand how to set up a proper experiment. I'm doing this for fun and empiricism, you're going to have to pay me to get me to document and run that experiment!

Man, I was going to do all the hard work of pulling the trigger for you!!!

 

[PM66]

I do not think folks give:
1. .40 it's due: It won't blow up automatically in Glox. All the stories I see are crazy loads, police shooters (and some of the horror stories about those guys and how well they maintain their guns, not all, but some). It is a great cartridge, I kind of like a less recoil, cheaper 10mm!
2. Lee dies it's due: They are good dies! They aren't super, uber, competition dies, but they do work, they will size the cartridge IF PROPERLY set up (something alot of bargain basement reloaders fail to do, couple that plus wild loads).

Thanks for the post Shibumi!

True. I've loaded a ton of 40 S&W on a pair of Lee single presses with Lee Carbide Dies! Never had a problem.

 

[shibumiseeker]

10 more!

And I just finished 10 more loadings/shots with this brass bringing the total up to 40 for this .40.

The headstamp is disappearing and I'm inspecting it real close for neck splits, but it's still holding tension!

 

[shibumiseeker]

some pics of the setup

Ok, I've had a few requests for pics of my shooting shack setup, so here's a few. This is still not finished yet (gotta get power and lighting and other stuff), but I'm pretty happy thus far. If I had to do it over again I'd make it a little bigger. It's 7.5'x9.5' inside, and took me about 8 months to get the basic structure built in my spare time. It was my first experience with slip-form concrete work so it's a little sloppy, but it was also a project to teach me how to slipform since the new house will have some of that technique. Sand and some of the gravel for the concrete was from the property, as is the sandstone for the landscaping, and some of the lumber for the gazebo was stuff from my mill. I still have to finish the landscaping which is waiting on two more concrete pours for retaining walls, and some of the lumber for the gazebo was stuff from my mill. The floor and roof were concrete off a truck, and the roof has a 1" slope to prevent ponding. I can prone shoot from the roof.

 

[kwatters]

Sweet, tuck a mini fridge under the counter and you are set. I assume you are heating this in the winter? Any issues with dampness rusting your presses or dies? I ask because I am putting my reloading bench in my garage and that was a concern for me.

 

[HICKMAN]

This thread keeps getting more awesome!

 

[shibumiseeker]

Sweet, tuck a mini fridge under the counter and you are set. I assume you are heating this in the winter? Any issues with dampness rusting your presses or dies? I ask because I am putting my reloading bench in my garage and that was a concern for me.

A little, but I painted the entire inside with several coats of water blocker, the roof was coated, and there's plastic against the wall where it contacts the backfill (which is mostly sand so it's well drained). Thus far though I've had less moisture problems than I did in my previous location.

This thread keeps getting more awesome!

It's this .40 brass that is getting more awesome! I just finished another ten loadings, for a total of 50, plus the original. The case has grown a little, it's now at .830". Those ten cases kwatters is sending are going to take a while at 10-20 rounds a day

 

[mhs]

The problem with this is that some not-so-bright reloader will see that you loaded .40 cases safely 50 times. Then he'll load his max stuff for his first gen Glock and kaboom at 8 reloadings.

 

[Cat-Herder]

Nice place you got there Shibumiseeker! I'd be jealous if i did that emotion!

 

[shibumiseeker]

The problem with this is that some not-so-bright reloader will see that you loaded .40 cases safely 50 times. Then he'll load his max stuff for his first gen Glock and kaboom at 8 reloadings.

Yep. That is entirely possible that it will happen. Life sucks when you do stupid things. I could KB my little PPS with this test too which would suck. I've blown up a pistol before (no, I am NOT going into the details), it sucked.

 

[mhs]

Yep. That is entirely possible that it will happen. Life sucks when you do stupid things. I could KB my little PPS with this test too which would suck. I've blown up a pistol before (no, I am NOT going into the details), it sucked.

BTW, I'm very jealous of your shooting shack.

 

[shibumiseeker]

The test is done! I'd been noticing a little bit of a ring just above the base the last couple of times I shot it, so today I loaded it and shot it and the ring was more pronounced. I loaded it again and the ring was definite, I could feel it and when I miked it the ring was .005" thinner diameter than the base, while the control brass had no ring and the base was the same diameter as the same spot where the ring was forming, so I decided it was time to call this test quits. I probably could have gotten a few more loads out of it, but why tempt fate even further than I have? When I ran my thumbnail across the ring it was distinct.


So, the totals are, 52 reloads, for a total of 53 shots from one piece of brass.

Here's pics for you pic-happy folks. A once fired piece of Federal brass was used as a side by side:


The headstamp is disappearing...

If you squint you can see the wasp-waist on the right.

The ring is more visible here.

 

[HICKMAN]

that is amazing work, thanks for you efforts and sharing of the information!

 

[Dr Falken]

Nice post Shibumiseeker. Did you say you were tumbling the case at all? Or is the headstamp "erosion" all from firing?

ps. Glad I could help with the donated brass!

 

[shibumiseeker]

Nice post Shibumiseeker. Did you say you were tumbling the case at all? Or is the headstamp "erosion" all from firing?

ps. Glad I could help with the donated brass!

I didn't tumble it at all except for the initial one after you gave me the batch of brass. I wouldn't say the headstamp was eroding so much as just being beaten to death . When I started this little test it was just to have some fun. I should have known that I'd want the complete set of data and should have weighed it before and after. I also need to invest in a better mic, it would have been interesting to know the wall thickness at various points throughout. Ah well, I go too far down that road and it becomes work again.


I was polishing the brass with a paper towel the last dozen or so firings, but that was so I could inspect it better for signs of failure.