Dented cases?

jambrdly · April 10, 2010, 10:51 AM

I just fired my new 223 mini-14 for the first time - seems like a great little gun but it kicks the brass around pretty bad. When I collected the brass for reloading, I noticed that a lot of the cases had slight dents at the shoulder and some had small dents about halfway down on the body. I am new to reloading for semiauto, having always stuck to bolt guns before. My question is: do I have to discard this dented brass or is it safe to reload it? I am hoping the anser is that it will safely fireform when fired again - otherwise I'm going to lose about 1/3 of my brass aevery time I shoot this mini-14.

greco · April 10, 2010, 11:17 AM

No problem. My Garand, AK, FN and HK91 all dent up the cases. They will be just fine.

dlb435 · April 10, 2010, 11:18 AM

It's usually not a problem. I discard badly dented cases. Small dents seem to be OK. Many auto loaders dent the cases when they are ejected. Get a case gauge to test the case after resizing.

brickeyee · April 10, 2010, 01:38 PM

Size them and test in a case gauge, or even the chamber before reloading them.

The next firing will remove the existing dents and probbaly replace them with others.

Small dents will not affect case volume enough to matter.

Brian Pfleuger · April 10, 2010, 01:42 PM

Dents might even still be there after sizing. The dent doesn't effect pressure at all... it's not going to be there for long. When the primer ignites and the powder starts to burn that dent will be flat against the chamber wall in microseconds. The only worry is if the dent is severe enough to effect the integrity of the brass.

mjm · April 10, 2010, 02:34 PM

Others have answered the brass reuse question. These dents can be prevented. Go to the PerfectUnion forum and search for dents. You will find a number of solutions.

Good luck!

Crankylove · April 11, 2010, 03:10 AM

If it is just dented, it shouldn't be a problem, however, if there is any type of crease along with the dent, I would chuck it in the recycle bin. As stated above, the dents will blow out with the next firing, while the creases are almost always (at least for me) going to turn into a crack.

sonick808 · April 11, 2010, 04:51 AM

no biggie

as long as no material is removed, you're fine. Just keep an eye on the spots as the brass gets cycled more

April 10, 2010, 10:51 AM	#1
jambrdly Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2010 Posts: 105	Dented cases? I just fired my new 223 mini-14 for the first time - seems like a great little gun but it kicks the brass around pretty bad. When I collected the brass for reloading, I noticed that a lot of the cases had slight dents at the shoulder and some had small dents about halfway down on the body. I am new to reloading for semiauto, having always stuck to bolt guns before. My question is: do I have to discard this dented brass or is it safe to reload it? I am hoping the anser is that it will safely fireform when fired again - otherwise I'm going to lose about 1/3 of my brass aevery time I shoot this mini-14.

April 10, 2010, 01:42 PM	#5
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,694	Dents might even still be there after sizing. The dent doesn't effect pressure at all... it's not going to be there for long. When the primer ignites and the powder starts to burn that dent will be flat against the chamber wall in microseconds. The only worry is if the dent is severe enough to effect the integrity of the brass. __________________ https://ecommercearms.com I am the owner/operator! Ask me for custom prices! No sales tax outside CO!

April 11, 2010, 03:10 AM	#7
Crankylove Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2008 Location: 4B ID Posts: 1,770	If it is just dented, it shouldn't be a problem, however, if there is any type of crease along with the dent, I would chuck it in the recycle bin. As stated above, the dents will blow out with the next firing, while the creases are almost always (at least for me) going to turn into a crack. __________________ The answer to 1984 is 1776

April 10, 2010, 11:17 AM	#2
greco Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2005 Posts: 125	No problem. My Garand, AK, FN and HK91 all dent up the cases. They will be just fine.

April 10, 2010, 11:18 AM	#3
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	It's usually not a problem. I discard badly dented cases. Small dents seem to be OK. Many auto loaders dent the cases when they are ejected. Get a case gauge to test the case after resizing.

April 10, 2010, 01:38 PM	#4
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	Size them and test in a case gauge, or even the chamber before reloading them. The next firing will remove the existing dents and probbaly replace them with others. Small dents will not affect case volume enough to matter.

April 10, 2010, 02:34 PM	#6
mjm Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Posts: 84	Others have answered the brass reuse question. These dents can be prevented. Go to the PerfectUnion forum and search for dents. You will find a number of solutions. Good luck!

April 11, 2010, 04:51 AM	#8
sonick808 Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 396	no biggie as long as no material is removed, you're fine. Just keep an eye on the spots as the brass gets cycled more