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Sevens · April 14, 2008, 10:13 AM

Not that I would likely bother with it, but I would be interested in how to reclaim loose primer pockets as well. In theory, anyway... I would probably just get new brass.

Also wanted to make sure that it's duly noted in this thread that there can be extreme differences in case failure that should be noted if you are unsure of the pending results.

What I'm saying is... if you end up with neck splits, your ammo won't properly load and the bullet may not stay in place which is not only easy to detect, but most often won't even make it out to the firing line. One lousy side effect of split neck could be enough tension to hold a bullet in appearance, but perhaps NOT when chambering the round. At this point, you can shove a bullet deeper in to the case when chambering which can raise pressures exponentially and put you in a poor spot. Another possible event is that you chamber a round... change your mind and pull the bolt and the brass with split neck extracts, but the actual bullet lodges itself in the rifle's throat. At this point, you'll have dumped 20-60 grains of powder right in to the guts of your rifle AND you'll have a bullet lodged in the throat which will require a quick tap from the muzzle end before you'll be able to shoot again.

Split necks are problematic, but the real danger is with case head separation and that's what needs to be pointed out. When you blow a piece of brass apart, gas leaks in every direction trying to escape. Most modern bolt action rifles have built in gas escape ports that are designed to vent the gas away from your face, but what you are dealing with is akin to a cutting torch and it's happening right down by your face. Add to that the shrapnel that used to be the brass case, and then you are often left with half a case lodged in your chamber with no way to remove it if you are away from your tools.

So it's terrific information on how to look for case failure before it happens, but it's also relevant to see how serious it might be if you've overlooked things and you push your brass too far. Consider this a vote to give rifle pressure a lot more care and inspection than low-pressure .45 ammo. There's higher stakes involved.

April 14, 2008, 10:13 AM	#7
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,755	Not that I would likely bother with it, but I would be interested in how to reclaim loose primer pockets as well. In theory, anyway... I would probably just get new brass. Also wanted to make sure that it's duly noted in this thread that there can be extreme differences in case failure that should be noted if you are unsure of the pending results. What I'm saying is... if you end up with neck splits, your ammo won't properly load and the bullet may not stay in place which is not only easy to detect, but most often won't even make it out to the firing line. One lousy side effect of split neck could be enough tension to hold a bullet in appearance, but perhaps NOT when chambering the round. At this point, you can shove a bullet deeper in to the case when chambering which can raise pressures exponentially and put you in a poor spot. Another possible event is that you chamber a round... change your mind and pull the bolt and the brass with split neck extracts, but the actual bullet lodges itself in the rifle's throat. At this point, you'll have dumped 20-60 grains of powder right in to the guts of your rifle AND you'll have a bullet lodged in the throat which will require a quick tap from the muzzle end before you'll be able to shoot again. Split necks are problematic, but the real danger is with case head separation and that's what needs to be pointed out. When you blow a piece of brass apart, gas leaks in every direction trying to escape. Most modern bolt action rifles have built in gas escape ports that are designed to vent the gas away from your face, but what you are dealing with is akin to a cutting torch and it's happening right down by your face. Add to that the shrapnel that used to be the brass case, and then you are often left with half a case lodged in your chamber with no way to remove it if you are away from your tools. So it's terrific information on how to look for case failure before it happens, but it's also relevant to see how serious it might be if you've overlooked things and you push your brass too far. Consider this a vote to give rifle pressure a lot more care and inspection than low-pressure .45 ammo. There's higher stakes involved. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.