How to handle new brass?

SWThomas · December 11, 2013, 10:17 AM

I've been reloading lately with fire-formed Black Hills and Nosler 308WIN brass. I recently ordered some Lapua 308 brass and would like to know how to handle it when I get it. Should I just load it up with some bullets without resizing it and shoot them to fire-form them? Or should I measure a fire-formed case and duplicate its measurements on the Lapua brass during sizing? I just want to make sure I don't shorten the life of this expensive brass by accident.

Thanks!

Brian Pfleuger · December 11, 2013, 11:11 AM

It isn't likely that you'll be able to "pre-size" the brass to fit your chamber. It comes presized and there's a good chance your dies would barely make contact.

Take measurements when the brass arrives but you're likely to find it with shorter headspace and a narrower body than your fired brass.

Almost all chambers are larger (wider and longer headspace) than brand new brass. In order to make the case longer, you'd have to make it narrower, which is what your dies do, but you can't do that if it's already sized as small as or smaller than your dies, which it probably is.

Lapua brass comes pre-prepped. It does not require sizing unless there has been handling damage to a case mouth or some such thing.

If you want to make it fit your chamber without starting head separations, you can load starting loads with the bullet jammed in the rifling. That will force the head against the breachface and the shoulder will move forward on firing to match your chamber.

mehavey · December 11, 2013, 11:31 AM

Unless you've got some weird chamber dimensions way out of normal,
you're not going to overstress/overstretch normal new brass on 1st firing.

That said, I fully cycle even new Lapua brass: Full-length Resize/Expand.

That provides an initial "uniformity" to all cases (particularly the neck),
regardless of how I might have found them in the factory bag.

. . . . . .

After that we can discuss neck-sizing-only options as might be beneficial -- again depending on what the chamber dimensions really are.

SWThomas · December 11, 2013, 01:40 PM

This will be fired in an AR-10. Just FYI...

243winxb · December 11, 2013, 10:53 PM

Reloading for Semi-Autos and Service Rifles http://www.exteriorballistics.com/re...sgunreload.cfm

December 11, 2013, 10:17 AM	#1
SWThomas Member Join Date: August 17, 2013 Location: Fort Lee, VA Posts: 73	How to handle new brass? I've been reloading lately with fire-formed Black Hills and Nosler 308WIN brass. I recently ordered some Lapua 308 brass and would like to know how to handle it when I get it. Should I just load it up with some bullets without resizing it and shoot them to fire-form them? Or should I measure a fire-formed case and duplicate its measurements on the Lapua brass during sizing? I just want to make sure I don't shorten the life of this expensive brass by accident. Thanks!

December 11, 2013, 11:11 AM	#2
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	It isn't likely that you'll be able to "pre-size" the brass to fit your chamber. It comes presized and there's a good chance your dies would barely make contact. Take measurements when the brass arrives but you're likely to find it with shorter headspace and a narrower body than your fired brass. Almost all chambers are larger (wider and longer headspace) than brand new brass. In order to make the case longer, you'd have to make it narrower, which is what your dies do, but you can't do that if it's already sized as small as or smaller than your dies, which it probably is. Lapua brass comes pre-prepped. It does not require sizing unless there has been handling damage to a case mouth or some such thing. If you want to make it fit your chamber without starting head separations, you can load starting loads with the bullet jammed in the rifling. That will force the head against the breachface and the shoulder will move forward on firing to match your chamber. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

December 11, 2013, 11:31 AM	#3
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Unless you've got some weird chamber dimensions way out of normal, you're not going to overstress/overstretch normal new brass on 1st firing. That said, I fully cycle even new Lapua brass: Full-length Resize/Expand. That provides an initial "uniformity" to all cases (particularly the neck), regardless of how I might have found them in the factory bag. . . . . . . After that we can discuss neck-sizing-only options as might be beneficial -- again depending on what the chamber dimensions really are.

December 11, 2013, 01:40 PM	#4
SWThomas Member Join Date: August 17, 2013 Location: Fort Lee, VA Posts: 73	This will be fired in an AR-10. Just FYI...

December 11, 2013, 10:53 PM	#5
243winxb Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 1,730	Reloading for Semi-Autos and Service Rifles http://www.exteriorballistics.com/re...sgunreload.cfm