S&B Brass for reloads.....

Mr. SIG · June 16, 2002, 08:18 PM

I have been loading 45ACP using once fired brass. Much of it is S&B. For some reason primers will not seat in the brass. Have to re-seat them manually several times at the primer station of my Dillon Square Deal B. Occasionally I will have a slightly high primer with other brass, but it is every time with the S&B brass. All my brass is tumbled and polished completely before I load. Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks for your response.

Gewehr98 · June 16, 2002, 09:52 PM

But over the last month or so, I've been lucky in getting about 300 pieces of S&B 8mm Mauser for free as I worked at a local range. Their rifle brass is good stuff, I've used their .303 British brass for a long time in my NoIMkIII* SMLE, neck-sizing only. You may have to get a primer pocket uniformer/reamer for the first reloading of S&B brass.

Stephen A. Camp · June 16, 2002, 09:54 PM

Hello. I do know that in the past, the S&B primer pockets were extremely tight and I just avoided the stuff, particularly in 9mm. However, I picked up some new cases the other day and was able to reload them with no problems. Perhaps the tight pockets thingy is changing?

Best.

sricciardelli · June 16, 2002, 11:00 PM

I just loaded a couple of hundred S&B 9mm brass...had no problem whatsoever.

444 · June 16, 2002, 11:08 PM

The problem of S&B brass having shallow primer pockets is a pretty well known thing. When I first got into milsurp rifles, I bought a lot of factory S&B ammo since they seem to offer good, clean ammo in a lot of those older calibers like .303 Brit, 8mm Mauser etc. I thought it would be fun to use a Lee Loader just for old time sake. I had used Lee Loaders before and never had a problem, but with this S&B brass, I was unable to seat a primer without setting it off. I got to reading stuff on the internet and found out that my problem was the shallow primer pockets in the S&B brass. Luckily, I already owned a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer, so I just reamed the primer pocket with that tool and it was smooth sailing. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, or simply really enjoy handloading (which I do), I would just use some other brass. Of course you might have a real pile of it, making it worthwhile.

CDPshooter · June 17, 2002, 02:11 PM

I've reloaded a ton of .45 ACP and 9mm with no problems at all. Using both Lee progressive 1000 and a Dillon 650.

Johnny Guest · June 17, 2002, 06:05 PM

I shot quite a bit of .303 Brit by S&B several years ago. I noticed same thing about shallow primer pockets. For a while there, I used the RCBS primer pocket swadge to make 'em work. Then I standardized on R-P brass and had no more problems.

Little or no experience with S&B in pistol brass.

Best,
Johnny

Eric Blair · June 19, 2002, 10:10 AM

No problems with either.
A few thousand rounds for each in the last month in a half.

Also - I had some problems with CCI primers in PMP 9mm brass. I switched to S&B and haven't had a problem.

my .02

June 16, 2002, 08:18 PM	#1
Mr. SIG Member Join Date: April 17, 2002 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Posts: 53	S&B Brass for reloads..... I have been loading 45ACP using once fired brass. Much of it is S&B. For some reason primers will not seat in the brass. Have to re-seat them manually several times at the primer station of my Dillon Square Deal B. Occasionally I will have a slightly high primer with other brass, but it is every time with the S&B brass. All my brass is tumbled and polished completely before I load. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks for your response. __________________ Mr. SIG P226 TT P226 P220 KIMBER COMPACT WALTHER P99 WALTHER P22 SPRINGFIELD XD-9 PARA ORD P10-45 SMITH & WESSON 22A-1 HK USP 45

June 16, 2002, 09:52 PM	#2
Gewehr98 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2000 Location: Token Creek, WI Posts: 4,067	Noticed tight primer pockets in S&B .45ACP brass myself. But over the last month or so, I've been lucky in getting about 300 pieces of S&B 8mm Mauser for free as I worked at a local range. Their rifle brass is good stuff, I've used their .303 British brass for a long time in my NoIMkIII* SMLE, neck-sizing only. You may have to get a primer pocket uniformer/reamer for the first reloading of S&B brass. __________________ "Bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round... Neural Misfires

June 16, 2002, 11:00 PM	#4
sricciardelli Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: Montana Posts: 489	I just loaded a couple of hundred S&B 9mm brass...had no problem whatsoever. __________________ http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

June 16, 2002, 11:08 PM	#5
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	The problem of S&B brass having shallow primer pockets is a pretty well known thing. When I first got into milsurp rifles, I bought a lot of factory S&B ammo since they seem to offer good, clean ammo in a lot of those older calibers like .303 Brit, 8mm Mauser etc. I thought it would be fun to use a Lee Loader just for old time sake. I had used Lee Loaders before and never had a problem, but with this S&B brass, I was unable to seat a primer without setting it off. I got to reading stuff on the internet and found out that my problem was the shallow primer pockets in the S&B brass. Luckily, I already owned a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer, so I just reamed the primer pocket with that tool and it was smooth sailing. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, or simply really enjoy handloading (which I do), I would just use some other brass. Of course you might have a real pile of it, making it worthwhile. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.

June 17, 2002, 06:05 PM	#7
Johnny Guest Moderator in Memoriam Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,123	Agreed, as to Rifle Brass- - - - I shot quite a bit of .303 Brit by S&B several years ago. I noticed same thing about shallow primer pockets. For a while there, I used the RCBS primer pocket swadge to make 'em work. Then I standardized on R-P brass and had no more problems. Little or no experience with S&B in pistol brass. Best, Johnny

June 16, 2002, 09:54 PM	#3
Stephen A. Camp Staff In Memoriam Join Date: April 16, 1999 Posts: 2,570	Hello. I do know that in the past, the S&B primer pockets were extremely tight and I just avoided the stuff, particularly in 9mm. However, I picked up some new cases the other day and was able to reload them with no problems. Perhaps the tight pockets thingy is changing? Best.

June 17, 2002, 02:11 PM	#6
CDPshooter Member Join Date: February 23, 2002 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 20	I've reloaded a ton of .45 ACP and 9mm with no problems at all. Using both Lee progressive 1000 and a Dillon 650.

June 19, 2002, 10:10 AM	#8
Eric Blair Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 1999 Posts: 101	9mm and .45 ACP No problems with either. A few thousand rounds for each in the last month in a half. Also - I had some problems with CCI primers in PMP 9mm brass. I switched to S&B and haven't had a problem. my .02