Using fired cases in a different chamber...

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Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by Stix » 08 Feb 2018, 4:38 pm

Hi there fellow reloaders...

Im curious to know peoples thoughts/practices when it comes to reloading cases that have been fired in one chamber, & using them in another...

The question comes because I have taken delivery of a new rifle that is in the same chambering as another rifle i have.
The barrel of the first rifle has been shot out, and i have approx 200, 4 times fired cases.
Naturally, given the life these cases will have left in them, id like to use them (Ill obviously do a FLS back to SAAMI spec and fire form them)...

Someone did tell me that brass cases have a memory and you ideally shouldn't use them in another chamber...how detrimental this is to accuracy i dont know, but if FL sizing every few firings (or as necessary) then the brass would flow so i dont see how using in a different chamber can be a terribly bad thing.


Also, given 4 firings, is it worth annealing them...(this is something ive not done before-ive usually got my old man to do it as he has more time on his hands)

Any thoughts, experience and advice muchly appreciated.
Cheers, Steve
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by sungazer » 08 Feb 2018, 5:02 pm

Its a case of really just testing and see how if they chamber. I have just put my toe in the water and will write a post on how things have gone but in the mean time. Try chamber a round and see if it is tight see how far it will chamber taking note of the length at which it has problems. I would do this even before fls as it may not be necessary. If it is tight (an I am taking it you don't have any types of gauges) FLS it then try again. If it is still tight it is most likely at the base than you have the option of getting a small base die to try that.
Annealing is if you are doing it without a induction annealer and even then with experience a very tricky processes to do well. Too hot any you really change the structure of the metal and ruin it. it is a pretty tight tolerance of heat to get it right. It can help with bumping the shoulder and for neck tension.
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by juststarting » 08 Feb 2018, 5:54 pm

If you're FL sizing them (and trimming to spec), they will be perfectly fine in a different rifle in the same chambering.

If you are neck sizing them, then you should use them in the rifle they are fireformed to.

Annealing, depends on brass quality. Some of my cases are on 5th, 6th and 7th firing (308, 223 and 7.62x54R) - looks fine. Haven't annealed anything yet. I may in the future, but for now they look fine.

Cheers
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by bladeracer » 08 Feb 2018, 5:56 pm

Stix wrote:Hi there fellow reloaders...

Im curious to know peoples thoughts/practices when it comes to reloading cases that have been fired in one chamber, & using them in another...

The question comes because I have taken delivery of a new rifle that is in the same chambering as another rifle i have.
The barrel of the first rifle has been shot out, and i have approx 200, 4 times fired cases.
Naturally, given the life these cases will have left in them, id like to use them (Ill obviously do a FLS back to SAAMI spec and fire form them)...

Someone did tell me that brass cases have a memory and you ideally shouldn't use them in another chamber...how detrimental this is to accuracy i dont know, but if FL sizing every few firings (or as necessary) then the brass would flow so i dont see how using in a different chamber can be a terribly bad thing.


Also, given 4 firings, is it worth annealing them...(this is something ive not done before-ive usually got my old man to do it as he has more time on his hands)

Any thoughts, experience and advice muchly appreciated.
Cheers, Steve


It's probably ideal to FLS all of them just for consistency.
But try them first, if they chamber just fine you should have no problems just neck-sizing them.
I bought a batch of Tikka .223 that chambered just fine in my Ruger so I'm only neck-sizing those. A bigger batch of PPU was about 50/50, so I neck-sized some and FLS'ed the rest.
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by Stix » 08 Feb 2018, 9:46 pm

Thanks guys...
Whilst i havnt tried them in the "new" chamber, i dont need to, because i do have measuring equipment & they will not fit__the old rifle had an enormous chamber (0.003" larger than my Sako of the same chambering)...so its a safe bet the old cases wont fit.

Ill try them soon and report back...

So i take it there is no problems with this "memory" thing someone spoke of...?
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by Supaduke » 08 Feb 2018, 10:00 pm

Never heard of brass cases having 'memory'.........ever.

It's inert metal. FLS and away you go.
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by duncan61 » 09 Feb 2018, 1:19 am

The .243 reloads we have are used in 4 different rifles no problem
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: Using fired cases in a different chamber...

Post by sungazer » 09 Feb 2018, 8:37 am

There is a problem in all steels with memory sometimes its not a problem and an advantage for instance if older cars. A bit of heat and a soft touch and the still would come back to its original shape. Its aslo why they sell small base dies as if the cases have been fired in a sloppy chamber a few times the normal FLS die or the body die part of it the brass will size down but it may spring back some after sizing. Just the opposite of when undersized brass springs back off the chamber wall when being fired.
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