9mm ... Sorting Brass - Page 2

lamarw · June 2, 2010, 09:47 PM

I load them all the same without sorting. I have at times sorted the loaded rounds by brand like Winchester in one box and Federal in another 50 round box. Generally, it is just as aesthetic thing for me.

cwok · June 3, 2010, 12:13 PM

Well I don't load 9MM, but I do sort some brass for .45 acp.

As SEVENS indicated a few posts earlier -- it doesn't have to be "all or nothing".
I separate Winchester, Federal, and Remington into separate bins because I get lots of that brass (If I buy ammo its either Winchester or Federal).

All other brass goes into my main 'generic' bin.

All of my reloading is of the generic stuff -- I'm not shooting enough consistenly tight groups at 25 yards to worry about brass consitency. As soon as I get that good (any decade now) I'll use the sorted brass to see if it makes a difference.

Sorting brass after I clean it beats watching TV.
.

jjohnson · June 3, 2010, 09:17 PM

Well, another answer where "it depends."

Just about anybody who buys bulk used brass should expect to get mixed headstamp. And I think almost all of us just load it without sorting, with the exception of small-primed large pistol brass (Grrrrrrrr

whose idea was THAT)? If you're not finding Berdan primed brass in there to bend your decapping pins, you're just fine. Tolerances aren't so critical with pistol brass as, say, National Match rifle brass.

If you're loading match/varmint/sniper ammo for your target rifle, go ahead and be ultra picky - it'll pay off. But for your 9mm pistol - sorting by headstamp won't buy you anything you can measure unless you're a top tier competitive shooter.

vladan · June 3, 2010, 10:01 PM

I sort all my brass. Different brands have different mouth tension so I use them for different loads, for example I only load lead in R-P brass because it is very thin and I am not able to get consistent tension with jacketed bullets.

riverwalker76 · June 6, 2010, 08:08 PM

*UPDATE*

Well ... I'm glad that I decided to sort my 9mm brass today. I ran into 12 - 9X18 Makarov, 7 - 38 Super , & 6 - .380 auto brass. If I hadn't have sorted them ... I would be finding out the hard way on the press right now.

So ... I guess the rule of thumb is ..... if you don't know the source of the brass it's better to sort. An easy mistake that any sorter could overlook, but I'm glad I found them nonetheless.

colospgsAVID · June 8, 2010, 07:23 PM

From my relatively small data group(just under 1k) I have had no problem mixing brass in 9x19.
All shot through a Sig P229. I have been able to hit a clay pigeon at 15 yards every time with any loading or brass. I feel that to be well enough for any purpose of the 9x19.

Edit: I check every case I pick up on the range. There is a small 2mm difference from .380 Auto and 9x19. This I guess is where my sorting happens.

SL1 · June 9, 2010, 07:24 AM

Whatever cases you are using, EACH needs to be INSPECTED to make sure that it is suitable for another reload. Just ONE aspect on an inspection is determining that the case is the proper one for the cartridge that you are reloading. (Other aspects include looking for cracks and bulges, dinged mouths, etc.)

SORTING comes AFTER inspection, when you put the case down. If you want to sort them by headstamp (or other attributes) to be loaded in separate batches, then you simply put them in different containers or piles according to the headstamps that you have just checked.

Failing to INSPECT headstamps on mixed brass you have not already shot in your own gun before reloading it is REALLY courting trouble, both at the loading bench and at the range.

SL1

doctruptwn · June 9, 2010, 09:26 AM

I just load and go. I suppose if I were reloading for something special where I needed somekind of accuracy or reliability then I might use like headstamps, but most of my reloading is for "practice only" so no big deal.

Now on the other hand I do inspect every case for problems and since I use a lot of range pickup, I look for odd balls, in the case of 9mm, 380, 38 super and 9x18 commonly sneak in. I also have to whatch for NT headstamps on 45 ACP. I just chuck those in the trash. They really screw up a reloading session.

**Mike Irwin** · June 9, 2010, 09:43 AM

Anyone who is tossing S&B brass... I'll take it!

I find that it's as good, or better, than Winchester and Federal brass, and far better than Remington brass.

DocAitch · June 10, 2010, 03:13 AM

One of the gunzine writers (Petty?) did a study of loading mixed handgun brass and found no difference in accuracy between mixed and sorted brass. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_105698450/ (This not the article I remember but is the same conclusion).
I suppose that if I were a Bullseye shooter I would worry about potential differences in accuracy, but I can pretty consistently hit a 3/4" target spot at 25' offhand.
I also find that S&B brass works just fine for me, but I believe that the S&B 9mm Mak is crimped.
I do sort my 9mm brass for length by standing them on the flat surface of my bench just before I put them into the collator I use and do pick up the occasional .380 or 9mm Mak. The difference in height is easily discerned.
DocAitch

June 3, 2010, 12:13 PM	#27
cwok Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2010 Posts: 316	Sorting Well I don't load 9MM, but I do sort some brass for .45 acp. As SEVENS indicated a few posts earlier -- it doesn't have to be "all or nothing". I separate Winchester, Federal, and Remington into separate bins because I get lots of that brass (If I buy ammo its either Winchester or Federal). All other brass goes into my main 'generic' bin. All of my reloading is of the generic stuff -- I'm not shooting enough consistenly tight groups at 25 yards to worry about brass consitency. As soon as I get that good (any decade now) I'll use the sorted brass to see if it makes a difference. Sorting brass after I clean it beats watching TV. .

June 3, 2010, 09:17 PM	#28
jjohnson Member Join Date: December 10, 2007 Posts: 72	Naaaah, not for pistol brass. Well, another answer where "it depends." Just about anybody who buys bulk used brass should expect to get mixed headstamp. And I think almost all of us just load it without sorting, with the exception of small-primed large pistol brass (Grrrrrrrr whose idea was THAT)? If you're not finding Berdan primed brass in there to bend your decapping pins, you're just fine. Tolerances aren't so critical with pistol brass as, say, National Match rifle brass. If you're loading match/varmint/sniper ammo for your target rifle, go ahead and be ultra picky - it'll pay off. But for your 9mm pistol - sorting by headstamp won't buy you anything you can measure unless you're a top tier competitive shooter. Last edited by jjohnson; June 3, 2010 at 09:19 PM. Reason: spellczech

June 6, 2010, 08:08 PM	#30
riverwalker76 Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 993	*UPDATE* Well ... I'm glad that I decided to sort my 9mm brass today. I ran into 12 - 9X18 Makarov, 7 - 38 Super , & 6 - .380 auto brass. If I hadn't have sorted them ... I would be finding out the hard way on the press right now. So ... I guess the rule of thumb is ..... if you don't know the source of the brass it's better to sort. An easy mistake that any sorter could overlook, but I'm glad I found them nonetheless. __________________ *Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto* - “You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass.”

June 9, 2010, 07:24 AM	#32
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	Let's make a distinction between "sorting" and "inspecting" Whatever cases you are using, EACH needs to be INSPECTED to make sure that it is suitable for another reload. Just ONE aspect on an inspection is determining that the case is the proper one for the cartridge that you are reloading. (Other aspects include looking for cracks and bulges, dinged mouths, etc.) SORTING comes AFTER inspection, when you put the case down. If you want to sort them by headstamp (or other attributes) to be loaded in separate batches, then you simply put them in different containers or piles according to the headstamps that you have just checked. Failing to INSPECT headstamps on mixed brass you have not already shot in your own gun before reloading it is REALLY courting trouble, both at the loading bench and at the range. SL1

June 9, 2010, 09:26 AM	#33
doctruptwn Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 197	I just load and go. I suppose if I were reloading for something special where I needed somekind of accuracy or reliability then I might use like headstamps, but most of my reloading is for "practice only" so no big deal. Now on the other hand I do inspect every case for problems and since I use a lot of range pickup, I look for odd balls, in the case of 9mm, 380, 38 super and 9x18 commonly sneak in. I also have to whatch for NT headstamps on 45 ACP. I just chuck those in the trash. They really screw up a reloading session. Last edited by doctruptwn; June 9, 2010 at 09:32 AM.

June 2, 2010, 09:47 PM	#26
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I load them all the same without sorting. I have at times sorted the loaded rounds by brand like Winchester in one box and Federal in another 50 round box. Generally, it is just as aesthetic thing for me.

June 3, 2010, 10:01 PM	#29
vladan Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Central Florida Posts: 813	I sort all my brass. Different brands have different mouth tension so I use them for different loads, for example I only load lead in R-P brass because it is very thin and I am not able to get consistent tension with jacketed bullets.

June 8, 2010, 07:23 PM	#31
colospgsAVID Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2010 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 188	From my relatively small data group(just under 1k) I have had no problem mixing brass in 9x19. All shot through a Sig P229. I have been able to hit a clay pigeon at 15 yards every time with any loading or brass. I feel that to be well enough for any purpose of the 9x19. Edit: I check every case I pick up on the range. There is a small 2mm difference from .380 Auto and 9x19. This I guess is where my sorting happens.

June 9, 2010, 09:43 AM	#34
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Anyone who is tossing S&B brass... I'll take it! I find that it's as good, or better, than Winchester and Federal brass, and far better than Remington brass. __________________ "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.

June 10, 2010, 03:13 AM	#35
DocAitch Member Join Date: March 16, 2010 Location: North of Baltimore Posts: 60	Sorting brass One of the gunzine writers (Petty?) did a study of loading mixed handgun brass and found no difference in accuracy between mixed and sorted brass. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_105698450/ (This not the article I remember but is the same conclusion). I suppose that if I were a Bullseye shooter I would worry about potential differences in accuracy, but I can pretty consistently hit a 3/4" target spot at 25' offhand. I also find that S&B brass works just fine for me, but I believe that the S&B 9mm Mak is crimped. I do sort my 9mm brass for length by standing them on the flat surface of my bench just before I put them into the collator I use and do pick up the occasional .380 or 9mm Mak. The difference in height is easily discerned. DocAitch