How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

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How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by PCK » 21 Dec 2019, 4:12 pm

G'day all
I've been picking up cases at my local range. Some or them are well tanished. Could well have been out there for years. What I would like to know are they safe to reload, given all the other things are right, no splits, primer pockets not blown etc.
Be most grateful for any science or practical knowledge.
Peter
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by SCJ429 » 22 Dec 2019, 9:02 am

I tumble clean brass so I can see any defects like split necks. Then look into the case to make sure there is nothing inside. Good on you for using range scrap, if people want to give you free brass then you would be silly not to pick it up. Just check them over carefully.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by grumpy308 » 22 Dec 2019, 3:17 pm

Hi Peter. Make sure that none of the cases are berdan primed before you destroy a decapping rod. I'm not sure what type of range you are getting them from or what cases they are but there are a lot of berdan primed 308 cases laying around on fullbore ranges. Sometimes shooters bring out some older issue rounds at non competitive events to use it up and there were quite a lot of early rounds that were berdan primed. They would be more likely to get left on the mound. Regards Malcolm.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by wanneroo » 23 Dec 2019, 1:15 am

Sometimes I will find cases I shot on my own range that sat outside for a few months or more and I use them again. I simply wet tumble everything and anything that looks off gets the recycle bucket.

What to watch for is pink brass because the zinc has leached out of the brass and will end up brittle.

Brass is pretty durable overall which is why it has been used in firearm cartridges for over 150 years.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by marksman » 23 Dec 2019, 9:37 am

as wanneroo has mentioned if you are looking at a pink/salmon colour the cases are toast
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by duncan61 » 23 Dec 2019, 10:20 am

Its brass and easy to clean and work with.I pro shot roos for 10 years and learned to empty the case in to my right hand because if they fell to the floor in the ute and had blood on them it took forever to polish them clean then you would find they had split necks etc.Good call on the berdan primer but I feel that you are talking about .223 or 5.56 military cases.If you anneal the case with a blowlamp and quench you will be surprised at how clean they become.I had the case holder you can fit in a cordless drill and would spin the brass in steel wool before I purchased a tumbler.We all wish for shiny toys
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by grumpy308 » 23 Dec 2019, 1:16 pm

Hi duncan61. Can't say I have ever seen a 223 or 5.56 Berdan primed case but there were certainly plenty of Berdan primed 308 / 7.62 military issue around. When reloading became legal for fullbore shooters I know quite a few that persisted loading the Berdan cases as they swore they gave better accuracy. Peter didn't say what calibre he was using so I though a caution might be in order as there was a lot of European ammo both rifle and pistol that could be found loaded in Berdan cases not that long ago. Regards Malcolm.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by Oldbloke » 23 Dec 2019, 3:57 pm

Clean & check for faults. (Listed above) Toss out the duds and use the goodens.

It isnt rocket science.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by sungazer » 23 Dec 2019, 4:30 pm

Oldbloke wrote:Clean & check for faults. (Listed above) Toss out the duds and use the goodens.

It isnt rocket science.


Well strictly speaking it is very near to Rocket science :D at least its controlled explosion science.

Have a good Christmas OB :thumbsup:
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by duncan61 » 23 Dec 2019, 5:10 pm

I agree grumpy308.I have seen the 2 hole 308/7.62 cases on the range.We had SLR and Bren guns 83-86 That is why I suggested that the O.P.may be collecting 223/5.56
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by Oldbloke » 23 Dec 2019, 5:25 pm

sungazer wrote:
Well strictly speaking it is very near to Rocket science :D at least its controlled explosion science.

Have a good Christmas OB :thumbsup:


Left myself open there. Lol
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by in2anity » 23 Dec 2019, 10:41 pm

Wet tumble
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by Stix » 23 Dec 2019, 11:20 pm

PCK wrote:G'day all
I've been picking up cases at my local range. Some or them are well tanished. Could well have been out there for years. What I would like to know are they safe to reload, given all the other things are right, no splits, primer pockets not blown etc.
Be most grateful for any science or practical knowledge.
Peter


Hi PCK...

Welcome...

There are some folk here that have some mighty fine knowledge about reloading other peoples used brass indeed...so take the advice you've been given here mate...

But ill throw my 2 cents worth in for the sake of it...

For me, ive found a basic routine of brass prep, along with paying attention to seating bullets, should pick up any abnormalities...particularly in the case of split necks.

So if the brass is really badly tarnished, in the past (before i had a wet tumbler), i used to plop a blob of Autosol on a rag, & wrap that around the neck of a case & turn it, giving the neck a good polish...
Do 100 cases in front of the TV & feel that burn in the thumb... :clap: :lol:

The dirtier the cases, the more rag & Autosol you go through, but you get a shiny neck very quickly... :thumbsup:
From that, with half decent vision, you can see the neck pretty well for any damage...not to mention, the rag may well catch on a badly split neck then & there... :thumbsup:

If you dont have great vision, & are doing this while sitting watching TV, have a torch on the coffee table, or hold the case of the neck against the backlight of the TV, & a split neck can be seen pretty easy, by way of light coming through the neck where it shouldn't be...

If sizing the case with a die that uses an expander ball, you should feel a split neck--not always, but most of the time...either from the expander ball dragging excessively through a neck thats in need of annealing (or lube... :lol: ), or mostly from it feeling easy to size/not as much resistance as the other cases...

Any damaged neck cases that you dont pick from that, you'll surely pick either while your trimming them all to the same length...&/or...when you chamfer & deburr them---a split neck will give a "bump" to the chamfer/de-burr tool, that you should pick up by feel if you're paying attention to what you're feeling.

As for the head of the case...look up "case head seperation" on the net...that'll give you an indication of what to look for (the line where the case head is joined to the case)...
And with this, you'll no doubt find some points about the place explaining how to bend a paper clip, insert it into the case & drag it up the wall of the case, feeling for the paperclip catching on a section inside the case...

Ive found most of my split necks from feel while doing brass prep...the lesser majority from visual inspection against a bright light next to my press...and the occasional one from a slight visual difference in the appearance of the neck while generally handling them...

I havnt read all the replies in this thread, so hope i havnt doubled up on any...but no doubt i have...

Hope that helps... :thumbsup:
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by SCJ429 » 24 Dec 2019, 7:09 am

duncan61 wrote:I agree grumpy308.I have seen the 2 hole 308/7.62 cases on the range.We had SLR and Bren guns 83-86 That is why I suggested that the O.P.may be collecting 223/5.56


I don't recall the Australian Army using Bren guns in the 80's. The GPMG was the Pig, M60.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by duncan61 » 24 Dec 2019, 7:54 am

I have had this discussion before.Engineers had Bren guns.I have seen the M60 the Infantry had them But I never shot one
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by PCK » 25 Dec 2019, 9:20 am

My thanks to all, for the most useful and informative replies. I think my query has been exhaustively answered, with many tips that will prove most useful.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by SCJ429 » 25 Dec 2019, 5:24 pm

duncan61 wrote:I have had this discussion before.Engineers had Bren guns.I have seen the M60 the Infantry had them But I never shot one


That is interesting. I know that they could convert the Bren to 308 and use SLR magazines but never saw one in the Armoury. I saw some old stuff like the F1, SLR and M79 but never a Bren.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by duncan61 » 25 Dec 2019, 5:46 pm

Yes the SLR mag went straight on.the difference from the old 303 was my magazines were straight and supposed to hold 30 but 28 was better as with blanks and 30 the first shot would jam and one would fall out the bottom so I would load 28 and it would cycle perfectly.I took all my magazines back to barracks one weekend and thumbed all the blanks through them as they needed a bit of a file and bend to cycle blanks properly.On one exercise during the battle at the end my Bren was the only one working.the flash suppressor is different as well it is slots machined in the end rather than a cone
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by duncan61 » 25 Dec 2019, 6:01 pm

I found it its the mk 4 .Australia: during World War II and Korean War. Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation (as L4A4).[28] Continued in limited service until about the time of the general introduction of the F88 Steyr (ca 1990).[citation needed] I have found lots of pictures but am having trouble uploading as It will not take jpeg images I will keep trying
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by Stix » 25 Dec 2019, 6:37 pm

Actually, further to what i said, I should add that if feeling for split necks with the chamfer deburr tools, you will only have a chance to feel the split if it has travelled all the way to the end of the neck...

Ive had a few where the split is before the end of the neck...only ever picked those faults up by vision...
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by Blr243 » 25 Dec 2019, 7:33 pm

GLASSES. Have not read the thread so not sure if it’s been mentioned. I’m fifty. If the case is clean and I’m wearring specs I can see absolutely everything It’s amazing
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by wanneroo » 26 Dec 2019, 9:11 am

Stix wrote:Actually, further to what i said, I should add that if feeling for split necks with the chamfer deburr tools, you will only have a chance to feel the split if it has travelled all the way to the end of the neck...

Ive had a few where the split is before the end of the neck...only ever picked those faults up by vision...


I've only had a couple but have also had similar splits and cracks in the shoulder or around it. And again that goes back to my liking for a good clean of the brass as it makes easier to see such defects.
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Re: How to tell if tanished cases are safe to reload

Post by SCJ429 » 26 Dec 2019, 12:26 pm

You can clean up your necks with some fine steel wool. For range scrap, I am worried about stuff being inside the case. Once picked up a case and it had a 22lr spent case inside it.
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