Brass

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Brass

Post by Noisydad » 14 Oct 2014, 12:26 pm

Wonder if it's just me or does anyone else have a little "inside smile" at the sound of a pile of empty cases?

It's said that "Money cant buy you happiness but it can buy you ammo and that's the same thing!" :D
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Re: Brass

Post by Jack V » 14 Oct 2014, 12:33 pm

My little "inside smile" is when I make my own bullets , then load them into my reloads . :D
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Re: Brass

Post by Shotfox » 14 Oct 2014, 12:35 pm

Do you mean empty cases of beer.?? :lol:
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Re: Brass

Post by cavok » 14 Oct 2014, 12:52 pm

Jack V wrote:My little "inside smile" is when I make my own bullets , then load them into my reloads . :D


You make your own projectiles, then paint them, dry them and then load. All the same calibre?
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Re: Brass

Post by Hardcast » 14 Oct 2014, 1:31 pm

Yes I smile also, but more so at that high tensile sound of loaded ammo clinking together.

The 7mm RM especially, it really makes me happy, cos I know what's going to happen when I squeeze one off.

Reloading anything makes me happy, knowing there's another lot there ready to go, waiting in antisipation with expectations.
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Re: Brass

Post by Lorgar » 14 Oct 2014, 1:53 pm

I get an inside smile when I blow apart someone's target frame at the range.

I pretend I'm sorry, but really I like it.

There was this one sucker at Little River a while ago that... Oh, right...

Forget I said anything.
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Re: Brass

Post by greyghost » 14 Oct 2014, 1:57 pm

cavok wrote:You make your own projectiles, then paint them, dry them and then load.


It's like the shooters version of easter eggs? :)
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Re: Brass

Post by VICHunter » 14 Oct 2014, 2:00 pm

Gotta say I'm pretty over it now :lol:

I've done my share of sizing, trimming and loading... If I could just skip to the shooting part all the time I'd take it :lol:
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Re: Brass

Post by cavok » 14 Oct 2014, 2:03 pm

VICHunter wrote:Gotta say I'm pretty over it now :lol:

I've done my share of sizing, trimming and loading... If I could just skip to the shooting part all the time I'd take it :lol:


I would have thought on your remuneration package and perks you could afford two lackeys to do that hard work for you. :lol:
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Re: Brass

Post by Jack V » 14 Oct 2014, 3:25 pm

cavok wrote:You make your own projectiles, then paint them, dry them and then load. All the same calibre?


I make them , moly coat them and then load them in 3 calibres .
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Re: Brass

Post by cavok » 14 Oct 2014, 3:49 pm

Jack V wrote:I make them , moly coat them and then load them in 3 calibres .


Pistol as well as rifle? Impressive.
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Re: Brass

Post by bigfellascott » 14 Oct 2014, 3:50 pm

My inner smile comes when I see the fur fly! :D
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Re: Brass

Post by brett1868 » 14 Oct 2014, 6:53 pm

I don't have an inner smile, being a lesbian trapped in a mans body I have an inner woman. When the brass comes out of the tumbler after 3 hours all I can think of is..."Oooooo...Shiney" and I get a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside me. My wife has the exact same expression and tone when she sees diamond anything :)
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Re: Brass

Post by Noisydad » 15 Oct 2014, 10:04 am

Lorgar wrote:I get an inside smile when I blow apart someone's target frame at the range.

I pretend I'm sorry, but really I like it.

There was this one sucker at Little River a while ago that... Oh, right...

Forget I said anything.

Come with me children - we don't want to be around that rough boy any more! :lol:
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: Brass

Post by Jack V » 15 Oct 2014, 11:25 am

cavok wrote:Pistol as well as rifle? Impressive.


Rifles cartridges only . I don't have any pistols .
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Re: Brass

Post by cavok » 15 Oct 2014, 11:35 am

brett1868 wrote:I don't have an inner smile, being a lesbian trapped in a mans body I have an inner woman. When the brass comes out of the tumbler after 3 hours all I can think of is..."Oooooo...Shiney" and I get a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside me. My wife has the exact same expression and tone when she sees diamond anything :)


How can you tumble cases for 3 hours, mine get 15 minutes at best, then they are shinny and every now and again I treat mine to some cleaner in the medium, they come out extra shinny. After 3 hours they are probably worn out? :lol:
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Re: Brass

Post by brett1868 » 15 Oct 2014, 4:18 pm

cavok wrote:How can you tumble cases for 3 hours, mine get 15 minutes at best, then they are shinny and every now and again I treat mine to some cleaner in the medium, they come out extra shinny. After 3 hours they are probably worn out? :lol:


Some cases are bigger then others and require a little more time in the tumbler...

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Re: Brass

Post by pucker » 16 Oct 2014, 9:03 pm

brett1868 wrote:Some cases are bigger then others and require a little more time in the tumbler...


The size makes a difference?

You can fit less in the tumbler obviously, but it's getting just as tumbled as a small case?

All the brass is being worked against media I mean, you know?
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Re: Brass

Post by brett1868 » 16 Oct 2014, 9:20 pm

I don't think you can 'Work" brass by tumbling as your not actually squeezing or expanding the metal.

Even it does get a little worked by bumping into other cases the last step prior to priming and loading is a hot lap on the Vertex Annealer (pun intended) :) When you cough up almost $1700 for a set of forming dies you don't want to cause premature wear with dirty carbon encrusted brass.

Tumbling time would also be dictated by the type of media used, I use the over the counter Lyman treated corn cob which seems to do a good job.

My smaller cases generally get 30-60 mins but the ex-army used 50BMG brass takes much longer to achieve the same lustre.
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Re: Brass

Post by pucker » 17 Oct 2014, 2:09 pm

Nah hangon, we've got a crossed wire here. I didn't mean 'work' like case sizing, fire forming etc.

Just on the comment "Some cases are bigger then others and require a little more time in the tumbler"

I mean say a 308 has 30sq cm of case surface and a 300wm has 60sq cm of case surface. It's bigger but all the surface is still getting hit by media, so why would it take longer?

Know what I mean?
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Re: Brass

Post by brett1868 » 18 Oct 2014, 10:24 am

pucker wrote:Nah hangon, we've got a crossed wire here. I didn't mean 'work' like case sizing, fire forming etc.

Just on the comment "Some cases are bigger then others and require a little more time in the tumbler"

I mean say a 308 has 30sq cm of case surface and a 300wm has 60sq cm of case surface. It's bigger but all the surface is still getting hit by media, so why would it take longer?

Know what I mean?


Yep, I know what you mean and had the same thought that irrespective of case size it shouldn't require any longer then a regular case to achieve the same result. These particular cases were used ex military ADI brass that could have been sitting in a bag for some years allowing the crud to harden or possibly the brass is harder then the Hornady 50BMG brass I also use. Not to matter, they are all shiny and purdy now :)
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Re: Brass

Post by Jack V » 18 Oct 2014, 8:50 pm

Brass hardens just sitting in the cupboard , it's called stress corrosion ( age hardening) . That is why a lot of very old cases split when fired . The brass can also shrink in diameter especially at the neck the most stressed point if loaded . Annealing and thorough cleaning cases is a good idea before long term storage in air tight containers that don't promote corrosion as some plastics do . I have found that food grade plastic bags and containers are usually good.
Certain chemicals harden brass like ammonia and all amines. Never use Brasso in tumble media . Never clean cases with Sweets solvent. Never leave traces of Sweets solvent or any ammonia based solvent in the chamber .
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Re: Brass

Post by brett1868 » 18 Oct 2014, 10:04 pm

Jack V wrote:Brass hardens just sitting in the cupboard , it's called stress corrosion ( age hardening) . That is why a lot of very old cases split when fired . The brass can also shrink in diameter especially at the neck the most stressed point if loaded . Annealing and thorough cleaning cases is a good idea before long term storage in air tight containers that don't promote corrosion as some plastics do . I have found that food grade plastic bags and containers are usually good.
Certain chemicals harden brass like ammonia and all amines. Never use Brasso in tumble media . Never clean cases with Sweets solvent. Never leave traces of Sweets solvent or any ammonia based solvent in the chamber .


Some good information there, thank you. I bought one of those food vacuum sealers and anything I'm not planning to fire for a few months I vacuum bag it. I annealed 100 Barrett 416 case this afternoon, loaded 40 and vacuum bagged the remaining 60 cause I probably wont be needing them for several months. As an added bonus bagging them makes for easier storage. I saw this process on "American Preppers", happened to be the first and only episode I saw of it.
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Re: Brass

Post by Jack V » 19 Oct 2014, 7:24 am

Thanks mate, you are welcome. You seem to have it under control . I don't watch that preppers show so I never saw that episode but it was good advice.

Months will not cause any major issue . It takes years usually to see any issues. I once did a 10 year trial on reloaded ammo in storage that had been fired numerous times and case neck shrinkage due to age hardening was quite obvious. Unfired annealed brass will fair much better in storage.
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Re: Brass

Post by Grated » 19 Oct 2014, 11:24 am

Jack V wrote:I once did a 10 year trial on reloaded ammo in storage that had been fired numerous times and case neck shrinkage due to age hardening was quite obvious.


f*** me, you're patient :lol:
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