Buying used brass

[Tony Z]

I've had excellent luck with used brass from several dealers on Amazon (check the vendor ratings). First time was the only hiccup, when the brass had a military crimp, but my crimp removal step cured that pronto.

To a "T" everyone I've used brass from always tosses in more than a few extra pieces.

[Blue1]

I only reload used brass for pistols/revolvers.

Factory new brass I shoot once gets stored as "one-shot brass". That is the last brass I will load before running out. I only trust my one-shot brass as truly one shot.

On the other hand, I will pick up brass at the range that, after de-priming and tumbling, does not exhibit sign of stress, especially for a low pressure load like .45 ACP, as that is the most common handgun caliber I shoot, by far (huge .45 fan, semis and revolvers).

I am much more picky for my .357 mag loads when I load for hot loads.

Blue

[jeager106]

Good points made here.
I once bought a couple thousand .38 spl. swc practice reloads from N.B.C.
Now defunct ( I hope ). Many of the reloaded brass was loaded with visible cracks! Some of the rounds I shot cracked. I never bought from them again.
Hard to tell how many times brass has been reloaded.
I buy once fired only from trusted sources.
Most ALL my brass that is reloaded is once fired by me.
Over the years I've accumulated thousands of .223/.38/.357/.40/.308/.44M/.45Colt/.41M & so forth.
I once went to sniper training, most students used .308s & shot Fed. 168 Match ammo & none reloaded. I got a 5 gal bucket of once fired .308.
Figure they are good for from 6 to 12 loads, depending upon load & caliber, I'm set.

[cryogenic419]

Some brass you can tell how many times its been fired.

If its .223, .308 or 9mm, and its got a gold colored primer or still has the primer crimp, chances are its just been fired once.

[F. Guffey]

Some brass you can tell how many times its been fired.

Once, after that it is anyone's guess, then there is case head measuring and the cases ability to resist sizing. And it is not true the color of the primer matches the color of the case.

Then there are crimped primers, if the crimp has not been removed it is an almost guarantee the case has been fired once.

F, Guffey

[Marco Califo]

.223, .308 or 9mm, and its got a gold colored primer

This is meaningless at best, false otherwise.
Many primers I buy are gold. SO a gold spent primer indicates nothing other than it has been fired at least once.

If you want true once fired mil-surp LC I recommend, and have purchased brass repeatedly from this place:
Bartlett Reloaders http://www.gibrass.com/
Supplier of Government Surplus Reloading Components
1309 W. 9th St. • Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 685-2432 • (800) 714-6348
FAX: (270) 684-6249
Shop Hours: M-F 7AM - 5PM CST
Website updated daily. Call or Email any questions:
[email protected]

Unlike most other "merchants" which pick up commercial range range brass and sell it as once fired, not really even knowing where it came from, maybe they sort it, Jeff Bartlett sells military range once fired surplus. The military does not reload their brass so it is all true once fired. I recommend paying extra for their processing to remove the crimp.

[F. Guffey]

The military does not reload their brass so it is all true once fired. I recommend paying extra for their processing to remove the crimp.

That could be true today but I have brass that is uniquely marked, For me it is another way to sort cases. Belts of blanks, if all the head stamps match the cases were loaded with new cases, if the belts have different head stamps fired cases were used.

F. Guffey

[Unclenick]

In addition to Jeff Bartlet, another source is Topbrass-inc.com. They also sell once-fired military brass (their grade 3), but have the additional options to buy it cleaned (grade 2), crimp removed only (Grade 1), fully conditioned by roll sizing, crimp removal, and trimming (Grade A), Grade A that has been individually visually inspected (Premium Grade), and Premium Grade Pre-primed with CCI 400 primers (not magnum or mil sensitivity spec).

The price just increases at each grade and service increment. Roll-sizing ensures the brass will fit in all chambers and avoids the need for a small base die for the first sizing of the brass for most guns.