brand new brass ?

rebs · November 22, 2014, 01:49 PM

does brand new 38 special brass need to be sized before loading ?
Normally with fired brass I size, slightly bell the mouth and prime.

Strafer Gott · November 22, 2014, 02:01 PM

I always size new brass. It was needed on some that I have bought. I had incorrectly assumed it wouldn't need it, but I didn't have any neck tension on the bullet. I turned out the de-capper stem and sized the brass to correct the issue. So yes, I did need to size new brass

T. O'Heir · November 22, 2014, 02:45 PM

You have to size all new brass(not all that needs doing though). Isn't an issue with handgun brass as you'll be flaring it a tick in the sizer anyway.

bbqncigars · November 22, 2014, 02:59 PM

I size all new brass. Rifle and semi-auto handgun brass gets trimmed and chamfered so all my brass is uniform. New revolver brass just gets chamfered.

Hidalgo1 · November 22, 2014, 03:14 PM

Although the majority of brass is fine out of the box, some will have bent necks, etc. It's always best to run any new brass through the dies before loading it. As for pistol brass, it's almost mandatory because on some calibers you will need to bell the mouth a bit.

condor bravo · November 22, 2014, 04:32 PM

If you are using a progressive press, sizing new handgun brass will just be a normal part of the overall operation since the very next step is to prime. With new rifle brass it is often advisable to run it over the expander only to iron out the usual neck deformatives.

Snyper · November 22, 2014, 04:43 PM

I size, trim and uniform/deburr the flash holes on all new brass.
It's amazing how much variation there can be in factory brass unless everything you got came of a consecutive run from just one line

Nick_C_S · November 22, 2014, 04:49 PM

In the handgun world, the short answer is: With semi-auto brass, yes; with revolver brass, no. Although, there certainly is no harm in doing so.

I like this post, because not 10 minutes ago, I just primed 80 pcs of new-unfired 38 Special brass. It was unsized - but flaired, chamfered, and deburred. (I do recommend chamfering and deburring all new brass. It's a pain, but it only needs to be done once.)

With revolver brass (assuming it will be fired from a revolver), chamber fit is not critical. New unsized brass is going to drop right into the charge holes without problem. Chamber fit is critical with semi-autos; so resizing would be a prudent step.

Snyper · November 22, 2014, 05:07 PM

Quote:

With revolver brass (assuming it will be fired from a revolver), chamber fit is not critical.

The biggest problems I've seen are dented/bent necks and variations in length, so I do the whole process to make them all identical

It's not "necessary" but I like them all to be the same when I start.

rebs · November 22, 2014, 07:08 PM

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.
It is for a revolver but I was worried about not enough tension on the bullet to hold it in place when the gun recoils ?

Nick_C_S · November 23, 2014, 02:34 AM

Quote:

I was worried about not enough tension on the bullet.

With new brass, I have only run across this with 45 ACP. I've had new 45 ACP brass where - without flaring - you could seat the bullet in by hand. I discovered this during the flaring process - there was almost no resistance; at which point, I paused to investigate. Moving forward, I decided it's best to resize all new semi-auto brass.

But I've had nothing of the sort occur with new 38 Special brass. At least with all the Winchester and Starline 38 Spl brass I've purchased (minimum of 2000 of each), they all required flaring to get a bullet to seat. And in the flaring process, the press feel was exactly the same as if it have been previously sized. Case tension won't be an issue - especially if you roll crimp (which is the most common type of crimp with 38 Special).

darkgael · November 23, 2014, 07:08 AM

I am going to run counter to most of what has been said. Sorta.
Yes, if one is using a progressive press, then new cases are going to be run through the sizing die as a matter of course. I load a lot of .38/.45ACP/9mm cartridges on progressives. Beyond that....I also load a lot of .44 Magnum and 45 Colt cartridges. Until recently, that was all done on single stage presses. New brass.....I did not size any of it and never had a problem. I just went to to priming and then putting a bell in the case, etc.
Rifle brass..... the only new brass that I have ever used is for the .223 Remington and the 45-70 Gov't. I did not/do not size either before loading. In fact, most of the 45-70 brass does not get sized at all. BP loads for a Browning BPCR.
The .223 brass is from a case of factory primed brass..... pretty obviously it is not meant to be sized (yes, I realize that one could remove the decapping pin from the sizing die. Unnecessary work there).
The loaded cartridges are fired in a Colt AR15 and work marvelously well.
Since I load BT bullets exclusively (Sierra 77s MKBTHP), any minor dent in the neck is removed when the bullet is seated. Occasionally, rarely, there has been a case that was so misshapened that it had to be discarded.
Pete

Gdawgs · November 23, 2014, 08:16 AM

I had some new 45 Colt brass one time that I didn't resize. When I got to the flaring stage it felt like it wasn't doing anything, and I thought "Hmmm, that's odd". Then when I got to seating bullets, they pretty much just fell in the case. I could almost push the bullets in all the way by hand. (yes I had the correct sized bullets for the cases). So I went back and resized them and everything was good.

So from now on, I always resize all new brass.

November 22, 2014, 01:49 PM	#1
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	brand new brass ? does brand new 38 special brass need to be sized before loading ? Normally with fired brass I size, slightly bell the mouth and prime.

November 22, 2014, 02:59 PM	#4
bbqncigars Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 525	I size all new brass. Rifle and semi-auto handgun brass gets trimmed and chamfered so all my brass is uniform. New revolver brass just gets chamfered. __________________ "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." A. Brilliant

November 22, 2014, 04:49 PM	#8
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,536	In the handgun world, the short answer is: With semi-auto brass, yes; with revolver brass, no. Although, there certainly is no harm in doing so. I like this post, because not 10 minutes ago, I just primed 80 pcs of new-unfired 38 Special brass. It was unsized - but flaired, chamfered, and deburred. (I do recommend chamfering and deburring all new brass. It's a pain, but it only needs to be done once.) With revolver brass (assuming it will be fired from a revolver), chamber fit is not critical. New unsized brass is going to drop right into the charge holes without problem. Chamber fit is critical with semi-autos; so resizing would be a prudent step. __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

November 23, 2014, 07:08 AM	#12
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	hmmm I am going to run counter to most of what has been said. Sorta. Yes, if one is using a progressive press, then new cases are going to be run through the sizing die as a matter of course. I load a lot of .38/.45ACP/9mm cartridges on progressives. Beyond that....I also load a lot of .44 Magnum and 45 Colt cartridges. Until recently, that was all done on single stage presses. New brass.....I did not size any of it and never had a problem. I just went to to priming and then putting a bell in the case, etc. Rifle brass..... the only new brass that I have ever used is for the .223 Remington and the 45-70 Gov't. I did not/do not size either before loading. In fact, most of the 45-70 brass does not get sized at all. BP loads for a Browning BPCR. The .223 brass is from a case of factory primed brass..... pretty obviously it is not meant to be sized (yes, I realize that one could remove the decapping pin from the sizing die. Unnecessary work there). The loaded cartridges are fired in a Colt AR15 and work marvelously well. Since I load BT bullets exclusively (Sierra 77s MKBTHP), any minor dent in the neck is removed when the bullet is seated. Occasionally, rarely, there has been a case that was so misshapened that it had to be discarded. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

November 22, 2014, 02:01 PM	#2
Strafer Gott Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,315	I always size new brass. It was needed on some that I have bought. I had incorrectly assumed it wouldn't need it, but I didn't have any neck tension on the bullet. I turned out the de-capper stem and sized the brass to correct the issue. So yes, I did need to size new brass

November 22, 2014, 02:45 PM	#3
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	You have to size all new brass(not all that needs doing though). Isn't an issue with handgun brass as you'll be flaring it a tick in the sizer anyway.

November 22, 2014, 03:14 PM	#5
Hidalgo1 Member Join Date: November 22, 2014 Location: East TN Posts: 23	Although the majority of brass is fine out of the box, some will have bent necks, etc. It's always best to run any new brass through the dies before loading it. As for pistol brass, it's almost mandatory because on some calibers you will need to bell the mouth a bit.

November 22, 2014, 04:32 PM	#6
condor bravo Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2014 Location: Nevada/Ariz/CA Posts: 1,753	If you are using a progressive press, sizing new handgun brass will just be a normal part of the overall operation since the very next step is to prime. With new rifle brass it is often advisable to run it over the expander only to iron out the usual neck deformatives.

November 22, 2014, 04:43 PM	#7
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	I size, trim and uniform/deburr the flash holes on all new brass. It's amazing how much variation there can be in factory brass unless everything you got came of a consecutive run from just one line

November 22, 2014, 07:08 PM	#10
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. It is for a revolver but I was worried about not enough tension on the bullet to hold it in place when the gun recoils ?

November 23, 2014, 08:16 AM	#13
Gdawgs Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2009 Location: MN Posts: 657	I had some new 45 Colt brass one time that I didn't resize. When I got to the flaring stage it felt like it wasn't doing anything, and I thought "Hmmm, that's odd". Then when I got to seating bullets, they pretty much just fell in the case. I could almost push the bullets in all the way by hand. (yes I had the correct sized bullets for the cases). So I went back and resized them and everything was good. So from now on, I always resize all new brass.