Brass you hate?

[Woobie]

Loose primer pockets kind of are what they are, if we're talking unfired brass. If you haven't had them, awesome! Not much you can do, though if you buy it brand new from the factory and it shows up that way. Either shoot it and see if the primer holds, or throw them away. I use a Sinclair priming tool on my good ammo, so I can always tell what I've got right away.

 

[17 squirrel]

So, this had me curious and I went and looked it up. Looks like hornady buys brass cups from somewhere and draws them into the cases for the specific cartridges. Now there is a rumor out there I didn't take time to confirm that Hornady Frontier cases were indeed made by Winchester. The headstamps on my stuff just says Hornady Match, though, and it is some nice brass. I would not have been too surprised though, if it had been true. There is a lot of private label business in the gun industry.

So much of manufacturing nodays goes out on bids, sometimes Fed is making some rimfire for CCI. Winchester is making some brass for Hornady, Hornady is making some for themselves. If you did find someone with a manufacture that will talk to you you most likely get, I don't know who made it unless you give me a lot number. I know Starline makes alot of odd sized brass for some manufactures. Some brass is only made by one or two company's because it's not worth tooling up to make it. They do a annual run of it and that's it until next year. Great sales for two months, but not worthy to keep online of it running or another company to get into making it.

 

[tallend]

Dont like aluminum cases (not brass) Despise copper washed steel (not brass) I will not (knowingly) put steel cases in any of my firearms (not brass)----dont like any berdan primed "anything"even if it is brass

I like Winchester brass------Remington---Starline and the older Norma brass-----------------usable,and reasonably priced---------

tallend

 

[Woobie]

So much of manufacturing nodays goes out on bids, sometimes Fed is making some rimfire for CCI. Winchester is making some brass for Hornady, Hornady is making some for themselves. If you did find someone with a manufacture that will talk to you you most likely get, I don't know who made it unless you give me a lot number. I know Starline makes alot of odd sized brass for some manufactures. Some brass is only made by one or two company's because it's not worth tooling up to make it. They do a annual run of it and that's it until next year. Great sales for two months, but not worthy to keep online of it running or another company to get into making it.

A lot of industries work that way, really. It's about what makes the most business sense at the time.

 

[17 squirrel]

Loose primer pockets kind of are what they are, if we're talking unfired brass. If you haven't had them, awesome! Not much you can do, though if you buy it brand new from the factory and it shows up that way. Either shoot it and see if the primer holds, or throw them away. I use a Sinclair priming tool on my good ammo, so I can always tell what I've got right away.

I can honestly say, the only time I have had primer pocket issues is loading for 22 Hornet or one of the wildcats that uses Hornet brass. With there being such a small case head as soon as you get to the upper level of pressures in that case, the pockets are the weakist link in the chain. With loading 17 squirrel, loading only 3 to 4+ grains of powder .1 or .2 tenths can instantly put you in overpressure. And as soon as that happens, BAM you expand at minimum or blow out a pocket.
I also use a hand primer tool for certain bolt gun ammo also, and I also use new brass when its needed for certain shooting for my son or myself. When I do buy good quality new brass I buy a minimum of 500 at a time most of the time by the thousand. If I was seating primers with a new lot of brass and the pockets were loose, I would be on the phone with the manufacturing company to discuss how we are going to resolve this problem. But that's me..
The only problem I have ever had with new brass is I ordered 500 45-90 pieces of brass from Starline, and they were short in lenght. I called and quickly ended up with the owners son on the phone and the result was he sent me a new box of 500 as a replacement. The replacement included a note for me to keep the brass and use it as I saw fit. He has a customer for life.

 

[Woobie]

And that's what I should have done. Winchester probably would have preferred to fix the issue. But I never seemed to find the time, and some nice brass was given to me. So now I'm content.

Edit: did you make 45-70 brass?

 

[17 squirrel]

At this time I have yet to use any of it. I keep it for one day I will buy another Highwall or a Sharps that I can use the brass in or reform it for a different cartridge. At the time it was about 400 retail dollars worth of brass.
I was shocked he didn't want it back. It's just sitting quietly on the shelf, waiting to be used.. LOL...

 

[Woobie]

Nice!

 

[jgressley2003]

Fed 223 and Hornady 357 because they are shorter than the other cases. Also like someone else said, anything marked 380. Got most of my issues ironed out with that caliber though thankfully.

 

[Broom_jm]

Federal 308 brass, from their GMM line. I don't know if they are soft, or if that line of ammo is loaded a little too hot, but primers seat way too easy for my liking. I used a decapping die to see if the primers were actually in better than I though they were, and when I got to the point where I should have felt some resistance...I simply didn't. The primers basically FELL back out of the pocket. Just for grins, I took one piece and set a primer on top of the pocket and then pressed it into place...with my thumb.

Now, this was all brass that I know was once-fired, because I was at the shoot where it was unboxed and fired. So, some guys can claim there's nothing to it, but I've seen enough to know better. I even tried using some of those Federal cases to load low-pressure 308 rounds with 135gr Hornady spire point and H4895. They worked, but I tried loading some of those cases again and every primer pocket was ridiculously loose. That was it for me and that particular batch of Federal 308 GMM brass.

 

[j706]

Sushhhhhhhhhh.. Don't tell them who runs Lake City..... Or any of the other DOD ammunition plants.

Federal runs/owns (which ever) Lake City but Lake City and Federal brass are not one in the same.

 

[j706]

Federal 308 brass, from their GMM line. I don't know if they are soft, or if that line of ammo is loaded a little too hot, but primers seat way too easy for my liking. I used a decapping die to see if the primers were actually in better than I though they were, and when I got to the point where I should have felt some resistance...I simply didn't. The primers basically FELL back out of the pocket. Just for grins, I took one piece and set a primer on top of the pocket and then pressed it into place...with my thumb.

Now, this was all brass that I know was once-fired, because I was at the shoot where it was unboxed and fired. So, some guys can claim there's nothing to it, but I've seen enough to know better. I even tried using some of those Federal cases to load low-pressure 308 rounds with 135gr Hornady spire point and H4895. They worked, but I tried loading some of those cases again and every primer pocket was ridiculously loose. That was it for me and that particular batch of Federal 308 GMM brass.

I agree 100% and have had the same problem. I am not so sure that the brass they use is not key to its accuracy in some way. But I pitch all Federal 5.56 and .308 brass and will not mess with it. Do not know about any other calibers.

 

[17 squirrel]

Federal runs Lake City but Lake City and Federal brass are not one in the same.

Uhhh oh, now you have gone and taken the lid off Pandora's Box.

 

[Yeah]

Federal runs LC, they don't own it. But as the brass production is contracted out (to Federal at present) the quality ebbs and flows along those lines. LC production under Federal is as soft as everything else they do.

LC stamped bass isn't built to any spec except in the imaginations of its adherents.

 

[oldpink]

Very weird to hear all the negative comments about Federal brass.
I've always had great luck with it, especially for .45 Colt, although they quit selling unprimed brass for that a while back.
Starline is at least as good for that caliber, though.

 

[Broom_jm]

Very weird to hear all the negative comments about Federal brass.
I've always had great luck with it, especially for .45 Colt, although they quit selling unprimed brass for that a while back.
Starline is at least as good for that caliber, though.

It's not all Federal brass, IME anyway. It's specifically the 308 Winchester brass from their GMM line. I use Federal brass in 270 Win and no problems with it.

 

[OHOIAN]

Lake City Army Ammunitions Plant is owned by the US Army. The primary purpose of the plant is to supply the armed forces of the US with small arms ammunition, up to and including 50BMG. The military considers 50BMG as small arms ammo. That is reasonable because to them 120mm tank shells, 5 inch navy shells and 155mm artillery shells are considered large arms.
The operation of the plant is contracted out to ATK. ATK owns Vista Outdoor, who in turn own Federal, CCI, RCBS, Outers, Alliant, Speer, and many others.
All the brass that comes out of the plant weather made in house our outsourced, meets military specifications. If it didn’t they would not be operating the plant for long.
　
Radford Army Ammunitions Plant is also operated by ATK.
Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant is operated/overseen by the Nuclear Regularity Commission. BIG BOOMERS there
I am not sure who is operating McAlester, but it is the largest plant land wise. Much larger than the city it is name after.
Lone Star Army Ammunitions Plant is now closed, like so many others have been since WW2
And that is all subject to change as soon as the government decides to change it.

 

[TBone3006]

Just found some berdan primed 9mm brass, the hard way. I will be buying a new decapper pin very soon!!

 

[17 squirrel]

Lake City Army Ammunitions Plant is owned by the US Army. The primary purpose of the plant is to supply the armed forces of the US with small arms ammunition, up to and including 50BMG. The military considers 50BMG as small arms ammo. That is reasonable because to them 120mm tank shells, 5 inch navy shells and 155mm artillery shells are considered large arms.
The operation of the plant is contracted out to ATK. ATK owns Vista Outdoor, who in turn own Federal, CCI, RCBS, Outers, Alliant, Speer, and many others.
All the brass that comes out of the plant weather made in house our outsourced, meets military specifications. If it didn’t they would not be operating the plant for long.
　
Radford Army Ammunitions Plant is also operated by ATK.
Iowa Army Ammunitions Plant is operated/overseen by the Nuclear Regularity Commission. BIG BOOMERS there
I am not sure who is operating McAlester, but it is the largest plant land wise. Much larger than the city it is name after.
Lone Star Army Ammunitions Plant is now closed, like so many others have been since WW2
And that is all subject to change as soon as the government decides to change it.

I just had a V8 spicy....

 

[WEB]

Small primer .45 ACP should be outlawed. I sized , deprimed about 10 cases the other night. Went to clean the pocket and discover the small pocket. I should have sorted first but still made me mad. Single stage reloading is enough work as is