March 2, 2005, 11:07 PM | #1 |
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steel caseings
question, are steel 45 ACP acceptable to reload or shall I just stick with brass?
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March 2, 2005, 11:13 PM | #2 |
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I have reloaded a few of the Wolf steel .45 ACPs just to see if it could be done. They are Boxer primed, run through the dies with only a little extra effort, and shoot normally. But I would be concerned about the steel work hardening more than brass and would not put them through many reload-shoot cycles before discarding. I would only use them to get my load for use somewhere I could not recover the empties.
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March 2, 2005, 11:14 PM | #3 |
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Stick with brass. I forget the metallurgical reasons, read about it in one of my loading manuals, but steel cases are not meant to be reloaded.
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March 3, 2005, 09:08 AM | #4 |
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Ditto Jim Watson.
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March 3, 2005, 04:33 PM | #5 |
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It can be done and I've done it. But I agree with the others that its not a good idea.
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March 6, 2005, 09:26 PM | #6 |
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I used to reload the Wolf steel cases, until I got two with small flash holes. The depriming pin was pulled out of the die, and tied up the press since it stuck in the ram. I had to remove the cases with a screw driver, and all my steel cases were dumped.
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March 12, 2005, 09:58 PM | #7 |
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Steel cases
Reloaded .45 ACP steel's for about two years. Good for about 6 shots and then split. Reason I quit was due to very hard extractors in my 1911's, was chipping the extractors (4). Can do and won't cause any of the internet rumor problems. If times were to get tough, would be a vieable source for reloading. Never shot new Wolfe, ever. All cases were range pick ups.
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March 12, 2005, 11:43 PM | #8 |
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"Can do and won't cause any of the internet rumor problems."
Such as?
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March 14, 2005, 08:38 PM | #9 |
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Steel cases
NO! Don't fool with 'em! It's not worth it!
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March 14, 2005, 10:16 PM | #10 |
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Rumors
Such as ruining your dies, lacquar gumming up you chamber, scratching your chamber, can't reload, cases sticking in chamber, etc, etc. They are no more hassle than a brass casing, out side of very slightly harder to resize. A-merc brass are far more of a nuisance and a problem than Wolf steel cases. Having reloaded several thousand Wolf' casings, have a fair idea.
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March 21, 2005, 10:37 AM | #11 |
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I picked up a few hundred stainless .357 mag casings cheeeeeeeeeep once, and reloaded them a few times. I pitched them after ruining a set of LEE carbide dies
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March 21, 2005, 12:25 PM | #12 |
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Well, steel cases will definitely be harder on your dies, simply because the material is harder than brass. Will you ever wear out a set of dies reloading steel cases? Probably not.
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March 21, 2005, 12:26 PM | #13 |
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"I picked up a few hundred stainless .357 mag casings cheeeeeeeeeep once, and reloaded them a few times."
Stainless steel? Are you sure they weren't nickle plated? I've never heard of anyone making casings out of stainless steel.
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March 21, 2005, 02:05 PM | #14 |
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Whoa, are you guys serious? I just bought about 500 silver cases for .357mag. Are these steel? Should I not be reloading them?????
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March 21, 2005, 03:10 PM | #15 |
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TJ,
No, I would suspect that what he thought to be stainless steel was actually nickle plated brass.
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March 21, 2005, 03:36 PM | #16 |
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HiTeReNe
Man, now I've heard it all. Ruined a set of dies yet, with steel cases yet and pitched them yet. Yes sir, heard it all. Mild steel can not, will not harm carbide until you reach hundreds of thousands of uses. Only die being subject to any possible wear is the resizing. Also the coating on steel cases isn't normally even scratched during resizing so where does wear come from? Dies, believe I'd sent them fellers back to Lee. I've probably run a conservative 10K steels thru my Dillon, and another 80K brass on top of that and the dies are all fine, go figure.
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March 21, 2005, 04:33 PM | #17 |
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There is nothing wrong with the Nickel cases but they won't last as long as the brass.Being harder they will split faster BUT they will last for quite a few shootings.Myself I have never used the steel cases see no reason to.
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March 21, 2005, 05:24 PM | #18 |
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No one said they were carbide, Harlie.
Or, if they did, I missed that.
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March 21, 2005, 08:14 PM | #19 |
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Well, actually highteckredneck did say that he ruined a set of carbide dies. Just sayin'.....
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March 21, 2005, 09:24 PM | #20 |
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"Well, actually highteckredneck did say that he ruined a set of carbide dies. Just sayin'....."
Damn getting old sucks...
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March 22, 2005, 09:01 PM | #21 | |
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Quote:
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March 22, 2005, 09:10 PM | #22 |
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Wouldn't have
Made any difference regular dies or carbide. No finish is removed, scratched or otherwise damaged during resizing of steel, so where would wear come from. If you don't believe, run one steel case thru your die and be sure it is a clean unscratched case prior, so you can observe the results. Dirt, grit, debris can do damage to dies, if casings not cleaned before sizing. Wearing out a modern set of dies would take some doing, wouldn't you think. Have cans totally 54# of powder, hanging from a line in a tree out side my reloading building from last three years reloading, at 5gr per .45 ACP, you can figure out the numbers and dies aren't even more then shiny.
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March 22, 2005, 10:57 PM | #23 |
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"No finish is removed, scratched or otherwise damaged during resizing of steel, so where would wear come from."
Excuse me, but in order for that to be so there would have to be no contact at all of ANY kind between the case and the die. Even with lubrication, wear is still a factor. If wear were not a factor, and lubrication were 100% effective, mechanical devices of all stripes would last forever.
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March 23, 2005, 02:04 AM | #24 |
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Just curious, but how many rounds do you guys load in say, a month?
I've loaded thousands of rounds through my some of my dies and they aren't even close to being worn out. I've even loaded some steel cases with them, honestly, I just don't see how you can wear a set out. Believe me, I've tried. |
March 23, 2005, 10:13 PM | #25 |
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Mike Irwin
Yes you are correct, steel against steel. Brass on carbide? Mild steel on carbide? Think about what you just said and then tell us how many dies you have worn out reloading. The lacquar coating isnt damaged during resizing, try it your self, then let us know the results. If you abrade, allow to glawd, use dirty materail wear can and will happen. Heat is the real enemy of wear induced problems, and I can't reload that fast, can you?
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