Identifying Bad/Unsafe Cases

iceman1979 · January 29, 2013, 01:05 AM

Hey guys/gals,

I picked up some buckets of brass the other day with the intentions of selling the brass I don't need and keeping some for my wife and I to shoot.

The very first bucket I picked up was from a local indoor range and that brass looked really good, then I picked up a couple buckets from a guy locally who claimed they were range brass. He said he had 8 buckets and he had just gotten tired of going through them and these three was what had left and hadn't gone through. After going through one bucket and seeing what I saw, I suspect that he had gone through all of the buckets and this was the scrap/garbage he didn't want.

Ok, so lesson's learned here, but the question I have is how to know what is ok and what just needs to be tossed. Some of this brass is obviously scrap (crushed/split cases) but when it comes to case seperation I'm 100% there yet. I've done a bit of searching around on google and looking at pictures of examples but I'm not sure if I'm over reacting on some of these cases or not. I don't want to sell a bunch of cases if most of them are going to be bad.

I've taken some pictures of some of the cases I've thrown away and I want to know if you guys think these (and others like these) should be thrown away as well. There are a lot of cases like these so I'm trying to guage if this is going to be worth going through or if I just need to scrap the lot.

Thanks
John

BigTex308 · January 29, 2013, 02:19 AM

Check for loose primer pockets too.

Ike

chris in va · January 29, 2013, 02:23 AM

That third pic is a bulged case and will need to be resized using the Lee Bulge Buster. The first pic shows what looks like a 45GAP case, so check headstamps.

Te second pic shows what looks like a case head crack...bad juju.

jwrowland77 · January 29, 2013, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris in va

That third pic is a bulged case and will need to be resized using the Lee Bulge Buster. The first pic shows what looks like a 45GAP case, so check headstamps.

Te second pic shows what looks like a case head crack...bad juju.

I thought the same thing about the second and third pics as well.

iceman1979 · January 29, 2013, 08:59 AM

So a thin, more defined line is the tell tell sign of case seperation? Would you include the buldged cases in the lots to sell or toss them out too?

The cases in the pictures are 357, 40 S&W, and 9mm.

**Mike Irwin** · January 29, 2013, 11:53 AM

Why would you throw the case in photo two away?

Wyoredman · January 29, 2013, 12:11 PM

I think you need to bend a paper clip and check the inside of that case in picture #2. I don't think that is the sign of case seperation, but a die mark or something.

A paper clip bent to feel inside that case will let you know if the brass is thinning near the head, you will feel the ridge.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 29, 2013, 12:16 PM

The case in photo 2 looks fine to me. It looks like there is a cannulure on case used as a qc mark in the factory. They have an optical laser that makes surr the case is not overchared.

If in doubt take the buckets to recycler. Brass is bringing good money last time I heard.

iceman1979 · January 29, 2013, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Why would you throw the case in photo two away?

I'm new at this and I don't know what is ok and what is not and I don't want to tick anyone off when they get a 1000 caese from me and have to scrap half of them. I only need 45 ACP and 9mm Luger for myself, all the other brass I'm sorting, polishing and selling.

Quote:

I think you need to bend a paper clip and check the inside of that case in picture #2.

I would do this for my own brass but with the (3) 5 gallon buckets I have I'm not sure I want to do that on all of them. I guess I'm looking for a quick visual inspection that will determine if they are keepers or need to go to the scrap pile.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 29, 2013, 12:36 PM

Take them to a scrap yard they will pay you well for them. Not only that you do not have go through the trouble of sortin, and shipping them.

I save my worn out brass. When a 5 gal bucket fills I will take them to the scrap yard. It will pay more than enough to make it worth it for me.

BigTex308 · January 29, 2013, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Take them to a scrap yard they will pay you well for them. Not only that you do not have go through the trouble of sortin, and shipping them.

I save my worn out brass. When a 5 gal bucket fills I will take them to the scrap yard. It will pay more than enough to make it worth it for me.

That's exactly what I do! About ready to make another trip myself.

Ike

iceman1979 · January 30, 2013, 12:25 AM

Just finished going through the buckets and pulling out the steel and aluminum cases. All ready for the scrap yard now.

Thanks guys for all the responses and the help.

January 29, 2013, 11:53 AM	#6
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	Why would you throw the case in photo two away? __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 29, 2013, 12:11 PM	#7
Wyoredman Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,350	I think you need to bend a paper clip and check the inside of that case in picture #2. I don't think that is the sign of case seperation, but a die mark or something. A paper clip bent to feel inside that case will let you know if the brass is thinning near the head, you will feel the ridge. __________________ Go Pokes! Go Rams!

January 29, 2013, 12:16 PM	#8
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	The case in photo 2 looks fine to me. It looks like there is a cannulure on case used as a qc mark in the factory. They have an optical laser that makes surr the case is not overchared. If in doubt take the buckets to recycler. Brass is bringing good money last time I heard. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 29, 2013, 12:36 PM	#10
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Take them to a scrap yard they will pay you well for them. Not only that you do not have go through the trouble of sortin, and shipping them. I save my worn out brass. When a 5 gal bucket fills I will take them to the scrap yard. It will pay more than enough to make it worth it for me. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

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January 29, 2013, 02:19 AM	#2
BigTex308 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 259	Check for loose primer pockets too. *Ike*

January 29, 2013, 02:23 AM	#3
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	That third pic is a bulged case and will need to be resized using the Lee Bulge Buster. The first pic shows what looks like a 45GAP case, so check headstamps. Te second pic shows what looks like a case head crack...bad juju.

January 29, 2013, 08:59 AM	#5
iceman1979 Junior Member Join Date: January 29, 2013 Posts: 4	So a thin, more defined line is the tell tell sign of case seperation? Would you include the buldged cases in the lots to sell or toss them out too? The cases in the pictures are 357, 40 S&W, and 9mm.

January 30, 2013, 12:25 AM	#12
iceman1979 Junior Member Join Date: January 29, 2013 Posts: 4	Just finished going through the buckets and pulling out the steel and aluminum cases. All ready for the scrap yard now. Thanks guys for all the responses and the help.