steel cases problems

lucabrigatti · May 23, 2006, 05:01 PM

I am going to reload stell military cases (5,45x39) what kind of pressure problems I could meet?

Yuriens · May 23, 2006, 08:15 PM

I would think you would see more sizing problems. My question would be why?

Mike

ShuckersFan · May 23, 2006, 08:20 PM

My guess would be because it's just short of impossible to find 5.45 brass and the russian stuff has been almost nonexistant for the recent past. 5.45 is starting to come back now. I've seen half a dozen places on the net selling it lately.

dodgestdshift · May 24, 2006, 09:13 AM

I only have had personal experience with steal Wolf 45ACP. I reloaded them until 2 cases with small flash holes grabbed my depriming pin and pulled it out of the die, tying up the press. I had to force the case out of the press with a screw driver. After the second incident, I dumped the cases and won't use them again.

270Win · May 24, 2006, 12:07 PM

I've heard a lot of stories at the range of stuck steel cases during sizing/depriming; virtually every single person stopped reloading them almost immediately because of the incredible amount of time consumed with making things kosher again.

Jeanne Riley · May 24, 2006, 12:35 PM

Schroeder Bullets in San Diego, CA (619) 423-8124 is the only person in I know who makes reloadable brass for this cartridge. It's not cheap, $34.00 per 20. There isn't case form dies to make this as it takes a special process. He's a good name to keep for "strange" brass. He make a LOT of brass that is very rare or hard to form. Might want to give him a call and get his catalog.

Smokey Joe · May 24, 2006, 12:37 PM

Lucabrigetti--Reloading steel cases can be summed up in 5 words: More Trouble Than It's Worth.

Spring for a set of honest-to-God BRASS cases from Midway or one of the other suppliers. They'll work great, and you won't have all the added hassles of trying to reload cases that were never designed for that.

If you can afford trips to the range to shoot 'em (the price of gasoline being what it is currently) you can afford to load brass cases to shoot.

Jeanne Riley · May 24, 2006, 01:05 PM

Buffalo Arms, 208-263-6953 has brass too

OneInTheChamber · May 26, 2006, 12:37 PM

Try EBAY for brass, you can get an incredible deal sometimes. If I remember right, I paid $14.95 plus S&H for 1,000 pieces of once fired 9mm brass (mixed headstamps).

alan · May 26, 2006, 01:06 PM

I could be wrong, but I thought that E-Bay was refusing to do transctions involving firearems related items, which would likely include cartridge cases.

918v · May 26, 2006, 01:12 PM

You can make brass from 7.62x39 with RCBS case form dies. Takes several steps, but you'll have excellent brass, much better than the steel crap.

OneInTheChamber · May 26, 2006, 04:03 PM

No, ebay will do them as long as you state it is not loaded ammo. I've bought lots of firearms related stuff off of ebay. They can get touchy though, I remember some posted that they were selling a holster and it was removed because one of the pictures had the weapon in the holster.

**44 AMP** · May 26, 2006, 11:06 PM

one important point: reloading dies are steel. Steel on steel produces wear. Brass on steel produces no wear in the steel.

How many rounds will you get before your sizing die is worn to the point of being unservicable? Even with good lubrication, you are shortening the life of your die.

Back when I was young and dumb (as opposed to old and dumb like now

) I reloaded WWII steel .45 ACP cases. Seemed to work ok (except for a small problem with the primer pockets being a little too small

). Only a couple of boxes of ammo, but my sizing die was never the same. Not rrealizing what had happened, I continued to use the die for some time, until I finally figured out why some of my ammo wasn't chambering smoothly. It doesn't take much.

Of course, you may not have any problems at all, but why risk it?

May 23, 2006, 05:01 PM	#1
lucabrigatti Junior Member Join Date: July 19, 2005 Posts: 8	steel cases problems I am going to reload stell military cases (5,45x39) what kind of pressure problems I could meet?

May 24, 2006, 09:13 AM	#4
dodgestdshift Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2002 Location: Marilla, N.Y. (outside Buffalo N.Y.) Posts: 113	I only have had personal experience with steal Wolf 45ACP. I reloaded them until 2 cases with small flash holes grabbed my depriming pin and pulled it out of the die, tying up the press. I had to force the case out of the press with a screw driver. After the second incident, I dumped the cases and won't use them again. __________________ The shortest distance between two politicians is through your wallet. Don N.

May 24, 2006, 12:37 PM	#7
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,106	Reloading steel Lucabrigetti--Reloading steel cases can be summed up in 5 words: More Trouble Than It's Worth. Spring for a set of honest-to-God BRASS cases from Midway or one of the other suppliers. They'll work great, and you won't have all the added hassles of trying to reload cases that were never designed for that. If you can afford trips to the range to shoot 'em (the price of gasoline being what it is currently) you can afford to load brass cases to shoot. __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe

May 26, 2006, 12:37 PM	#9
OneInTheChamber Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2005 Posts: 789	Try EBAY for brass, you can get an incredible deal sometimes. If I remember right, I paid $14.95 plus S&H for 1,000 pieces of once fired 9mm brass (mixed headstamps). __________________ Insert witty, comical, and/or significant quote here.

May 26, 2006, 04:03 PM	#12
OneInTheChamber Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2005 Posts: 789	No, ebay will do them as long as you state it is not loaded ammo. I've bought lots of firearms related stuff off of ebay. They can get touchy though, I remember some posted that they were selling a holster and it was removed because one of the pictures had the weapon in the holster. __________________ Insert witty, comical, and/or significant quote here.

May 23, 2006, 08:15 PM	#2
Yuriens Member Join Date: February 1, 2006 Posts: 71	I would think you would see more sizing problems. My question would be why? Mike

May 23, 2006, 08:20 PM	#3
ShuckersFan Member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Posts: 30	My guess would be because it's just short of impossible to find 5.45 brass and the russian stuff has been almost nonexistant for the recent past. 5.45 is starting to come back now. I've seen half a dozen places on the net selling it lately.

May 24, 2006, 12:07 PM	#5
270Win Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2005 Location: Damascus, Maryland Posts: 921	I've heard a lot of stories at the range of stuck steel cases during sizing/depriming; virtually every single person stopped reloading them almost immediately because of the incredible amount of time consumed with making things kosher again.

May 24, 2006, 12:35 PM	#6
Jeanne Riley Junior Member Join Date: May 9, 2006 Posts: 12	Schroeder Bullets in San Diego, CA (619) 423-8124 is the only person in I know who makes reloadable brass for this cartridge. It's not cheap, $34.00 per 20. There isn't case form dies to make this as it takes a special process. He's a good name to keep for "strange" brass. He make a LOT of brass that is very rare or hard to form. Might want to give him a call and get his catalog.

May 24, 2006, 01:05 PM	#8
Jeanne Riley Junior Member Join Date: May 9, 2006 Posts: 12	Buffalo Arms, 208-263-6953 has brass too

May 26, 2006, 01:06 PM	#10
alan Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Posts: 3,847	I could be wrong, but I thought that E-Bay was refusing to do transctions involving firearems related items, which would likely include cartridge cases.

May 26, 2006, 01:12 PM	#11
918v Junior member Join Date: September 25, 2005 Posts: 1,372	You can make brass from 7.62x39 with RCBS case form dies. Takes several steps, but you'll have excellent brass, much better than the steel crap.

May 26, 2006, 11:06 PM	#13
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,791	reloading steel cases one important point: reloading dies are steel. Steel on steel produces wear. Brass on steel produces no wear in the steel. How many rounds will you get before your sizing die is worn to the point of being unservicable? Even with good lubrication, you are shortening the life of your die. Back when I was young and dumb (as opposed to old and dumb like now ) I reloaded WWII steel .45 ACP cases. Seemed to work ok (except for a small problem with the primer pockets being a little too small ). Only a couple of boxes of ammo, but my sizing die was never the same. Not rrealizing what had happened, I continued to use the die for some time, until I finally figured out why some of my ammo wasn't chambering smoothly. It doesn't take much. Of course, you may not have any problems at all, but why risk it?

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