Are there differences in pistol brass?

DeadCalm · November 27, 1999, 02:21 AM

While buying a box of .38 Special cartridges today, the clerk handing them over said that I should buy PMC brand, because they provided the best brass for reloading. I have heard such things said about rifle brass, in terms of case wall thicknesses, number of reloads, and just the fit in a particular rifle's chamber. Do any of these, or other factors, apply to pistol brass?

I don't reload now, having thought I wouldn't shoot enough to justify it. That has changed as I seem to have developed a serious four-box-per-week habit. I shoot primarily .45 ACP, 230 gr. FMJs, and .38/.357s, 125 gr. JHPs. Should I be buying specific inexpensive store-bought loads now, toward that day soon when I start to reload?

Your help is appreciated.

Joe D · November 27, 1999, 09:45 AM

I reload any brass I can find for the .45 as it is a low pressure round. It is hard to wear out .45 brass. I have noticed a certain brand of 9mm that is .001" thicker than the rest. Seems like it was the IVI brand. If you were loading 9mm to the max. with normal brass the IVI case, with its reduced volume, might cause problems. When I shot .357s Federal worked well. In general most brass is OK.

Racew-1 · November 27, 1999, 08:25 PM

I have not found any brass that I did not like. If it is reloadable I would reload it,BUT I would try to use the same brand for a specific load just for safty sake.Some brass will have a different wall thickness which changes the amount of space inside thus different pressure. Safe pressure is a must.
SAFETY FIRST

TheOtherMikey · November 27, 1999, 09:25 PM

All the commercial brass I use reloads just great with the exception of Fiocci. I have a terrible time seating a primer in a Fiocci brass case.....they appear to have some sort of crimp (actually 3) around the primer pocket.

Military brass is also great but then there is the extra step in removing the primer crimp.

Hope this helps, Mikey

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Retired, Broke, and In Need of Brass, Powder, and Shot. Will Work To Shoot!

[This message has been edited by TheOtherMikey (edited November 27, 1999).]

WESHOOT2 · November 28, 1999, 08:47 AM

W-W, R-P, IMI, Starline, Federal, Norma.

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"

WalterGAII · November 28, 1999, 01:29 PM

On several other gun-related boards that I frequent, PMC accounts for more reports of failures than all other brands combined. I'd 86 any PMC brass that I run across.

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Shoot to kill; they'll stop when they're dead!

TEXAS LAWMAN · December 11, 1999, 05:14 PM

My $0.02 ---

I carry factory PMC/Eldorado StarFire ammo in several of my handguns. I have reloaded much PMC brass (plain & nickel-plated) without any problems.

In .45ACP, I've found R-P (Remington) to not accept a taper crimp as well as other brands (assume the R-P is thinner walled and doesn't resize enough to hold the bullet tightly). I sell/trade it whenever possible.

plateshooter · December 12, 1999, 07:37 AM

I've had the same problem as Texas Lawman with the RP brass in 45. The bullets are too loose on many of the reloads, where the crimp is plenty tite with other brands. I have run into this on some S&B brass too, but not nearly as often.

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Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter

flatlander · December 12, 1999, 11:20 AM

If I were buying factory ammo with an eye towards saving the brass for later reloading, I'd buy the white box WW stuff. Avoid nickel plated cases like the plague - they scratch even carbide sizer dies. I load military WCC 45 brass - it's nearly identical to WW except for the crimp, and will last for many, many reloads.

sundog · December 12, 1999, 01:34 PM

flatlander is right about the WCC brass. i've got some that been shot so many times the head stamp is fading (getting hammered smooth). sundog

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safety first

Fusternc · December 12, 1999, 01:52 PM

There are definitely some bad 9mm casings out there. Specifically, after I shot a factory batch of American Ammunition (the stuff that comes in a clear package made in Miami, FL), and later cleaned them to reload, I found that probably 80% of the cases had a hairline crack around near the bottom of the case. Not only that, but probably 50% also had WAY offcenter primer holes. HAd to trash the lot. DON'T buy this stuff if you intend to reload. It shot well enough for me, but is not reusable.

TEXAS LAWMAN · December 12, 1999, 03:24 PM

FLATLANDER, how can 'soft' nickel plated cases scratch tungsten carbide dies? TC is almost as hard as diamond. I've reloaded nickel plated cases for 24 years and have noticed no difference in its performance as compared to plain brass. In fact, I prefer nickel cause I can find it in the grass easier than brass cases. If you tumble-clean the cases before reloading I don't see how scratching your sizing die can be of concern. Maybe I missed something???

Bill Hebert · December 13, 1999, 03:27 PM

I agree with Fusternc - the ammo he mentioned is marketed as AMERC brand here. It's garbage.

BigG · December 13, 1999, 03:54 PM

In 45 ACP paramilitary ammunition, WW makes the best brass. Rem UMC is second. Federal, forget about reloading it. It is tapered differently inside and won't allow bullet seating to the same depth as WW or REM UMC. I pitch Federal in the trash. YMMV

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785

November 27, 1999, 02:21 AM	#1
DeadCalm Member Join Date: August 18, 1999 Posts: 84	While buying a box of .38 Special cartridges today, the clerk handing them over said that I should buy PMC brand, because they provided the best brass for reloading. I have heard such things said about rifle brass, in terms of case wall thicknesses, number of reloads, and just the fit in a particular rifle's chamber. Do any of these, or other factors, apply to pistol brass? I don't reload now, having thought I wouldn't shoot enough to justify it. That has changed as I seem to have developed a serious four-box-per-week habit. I shoot primarily .45 ACP, 230 gr. FMJs, and .38/.357s, 125 gr. JHPs. Should I be buying specific inexpensive store-bought loads now, toward that day soon when I start to reload? Your help is appreciated.

November 27, 1999, 09:45 AM	#2
Joe D Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 1999 Location: Alabama Posts: 455	I reload any brass I can find for the .45 as it is a low pressure round. It is hard to wear out .45 brass. I have noticed a certain brand of 9mm that is .001" thicker than the rest. Seems like it was the IVI brand. If you were loading 9mm to the max. with normal brass the IVI case, with its reduced volume, might cause problems. When I shot .357s Federal worked well. In general most brass is OK.

November 27, 1999, 08:25 PM	#3
Racew-1 Member Join Date: October 1, 1999 Posts: 15	I have not found any brass that I did not like. If it is reloadable I would reload it,BUT I would try to use the same brand for a specific load just for safty sake.Some brass will have a different wall thickness which changes the amount of space inside thus different pressure. Safe pressure is a must. SAFETY FIRST

November 27, 1999, 09:25 PM	#4
TheOtherMikey Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 1999 Location: Surprise, Arizona, USA Posts: 171	All the commercial brass I use reloads just great with the exception of Fiocci. I have a terrible time seating a primer in a Fiocci brass case.....they appear to have some sort of crimp (actually 3) around the primer pocket. Military brass is also great but then there is the extra step in removing the primer crimp. Hope this helps, Mikey ------------------ Retired, Broke, and In Need of Brass, Powder, and Shot. Will Work To Shoot! [This message has been edited by TheOtherMikey (edited November 27, 1999).]

November 28, 1999, 08:47 AM	#5
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	W-W, R-P, IMI, Starline, Federal, Norma. ------------------ "All my ammo is factory ammo"

November 28, 1999, 01:29 PM	#6
WalterGAII Junior member Join Date: November 7, 1999 Posts: 1,516	On several other gun-related boards that I frequent, PMC accounts for more reports of failures than all other brands combined. I'd 86 any PMC brass that I run across. ------------------ Shoot to kill; they'll stop when they're dead!

December 11, 1999, 05:14 PM	#7
TEXAS LAWMAN Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 1999 Posts: 304	My $0.02 --- I carry factory PMC/Eldorado StarFire ammo in several of my handguns. I have reloaded much PMC brass (plain & nickel-plated) without any problems. In .45ACP, I've found R-P (Remington) to not accept a taper crimp as well as other brands (assume the R-P is thinner walled and doesn't resize enough to hold the bullet tightly). I sell/trade it whenever possible.

December 12, 1999, 07:37 AM	#8
plateshooter Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 1999 Location: N.E. Ohio Posts: 522	I've had the same problem as Texas Lawman with the RP brass in 45. The bullets are too loose on many of the reloads, where the crimp is plenty tite with other brands. I have run into this on some S&B brass too, but not nearly as often. ------------------ Good shootin to ya Plateshooter

December 12, 1999, 11:20 AM	#9
flatlander Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 1999 Posts: 120	If I were buying factory ammo with an eye towards saving the brass for later reloading, I'd buy the white box WW stuff. Avoid nickel plated cases like the plague - they scratch even carbide sizer dies. I load military WCC 45 brass - it's nearly identical to WW except for the crimp, and will last for many, many reloads.

December 12, 1999, 01:34 PM	#10
sundog Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Green Country, OK Posts: 782	flatlander is right about the WCC brass. i've got some that been shot so many times the head stamp is fading (getting hammered smooth). sundog ------------------ safety first

December 12, 1999, 01:52 PM	#11
Fusternc Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 1999 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 113	There are definitely some bad 9mm casings out there. Specifically, after I shot a factory batch of American Ammunition (the stuff that comes in a clear package made in Miami, FL), and later cleaned them to reload, I found that probably 80% of the cases had a hairline crack around near the bottom of the case. Not only that, but probably 50% also had WAY offcenter primer holes. HAd to trash the lot. DON'T buy this stuff if you intend to reload. It shot well enough for me, but is not reusable.

December 12, 1999, 03:24 PM	#12
TEXAS LAWMAN Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 1999 Posts: 304	FLATLANDER, how can 'soft' nickel plated cases scratch tungsten carbide dies? TC is almost as hard as diamond. I've reloaded nickel plated cases for 24 years and have noticed no difference in its performance as compared to plain brass. In fact, I prefer nickel cause I can find it in the grass easier than brass cases. If you tumble-clean the cases before reloading I don't see how scratching your sizing die can be of concern. Maybe I missed something???

December 13, 1999, 03:27 PM	#13
Bill Hebert Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 1999 Posts: 180	I agree with Fusternc - the ammo he mentioned is marketed as AMERC brand here. It's garbage.

December 13, 1999, 03:54 PM	#14
BigG Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 4,334	In 45 ACP paramilitary ammunition, WW makes the best brass. Rem UMC is second. Federal, forget about reloading it. It is tapered differently inside and won't allow bullet seating to the same depth as WW or REM UMC. I pitch Federal in the trash. YMMV ------------------ Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp *45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel!* BigG "It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785