.308 brass, reloadable or trash?

alloy · April 13, 2009, 04:22 PM

picked these up at the range(about 50), are these reloadable, or a waste of time, unfamiliar with primers that are installed this way....been saving brass for reloading in the future, so my knowledge is less than zilch.

British Radway?

SP Shop Foreman · April 13, 2009, 04:53 PM

Reloadable. Just run them through a primer pocket swager and load up!

Latigo

alloy · April 13, 2009, 04:58 PM

Thanks Shop Foreman, going into the rathole!

gman3 · April 13, 2009, 08:14 PM

Royal Ord factory. Radway Green UK 93

Wulfmann · April 13, 2009, 08:57 PM

Always put a light inside or hold up so the sun shines to the inside bottom and make sure it is boxer primed. Boxer will have on centered large primer hole while Berdan will have two small off set holes. Putting a Berdan case by mistake in you sizing die will break the primer punch and/or bend the main shaft neither for your benefit
The Brits have used both Boxer and/or Berdan so never assume.

Wulfmann

alloy · April 13, 2009, 09:10 PM

They have two small marks that look like center punch marks about 1/4" apart.

Wulfmann · April 13, 2009, 09:18 PM

They are Berdan and will ruin your decapper/sizer die.

I throw Berdan in a 5 gallon bucket to save as scrap metal.
I have about 8 gallons and one day when brass goes up again I will turn it in.

I did mistakenly let a Berdan 308 case get mixed in and messed up my sizer not only breaking the pin but bending the rod so making it straight is not reasonable.

Don't learn from your mistake when I have already made it and you can save the grief and money by making sure you do not attempt to size a Berdan case with a boxer die.

Wulfmann

Mark whiz · April 13, 2009, 09:19 PM

That means they are Berdan primed.........................you won't be reloading them unless you can get your hands on special dies and Berdan primers. Just recycle that brass and find you some Boxer one-holed brass to reload.

alloy · April 13, 2009, 09:27 PM

Thanks, after the boxer/berdan mention i did some googling, and they will go into the scrap bucket. Oh well, it was worth the time/mistake of picking it up...to learn what to look out for.

Much appreciated.

FrankenMauser · April 13, 2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Thanks, after the boxer/berdan mention i did some googling, and they will go into the scrap bucket. Oh well, it was worth the time/mistake of picking it up...to learn what to look out for.

Hey! It's free reloading money. (Scrap value, for future reloading.)

Tim R · April 14, 2009, 11:07 PM

I used Berdan primed brass for making dummies......Pull out the de-capping pin, size and then put your favorite bullet on top seated to the depth you want. Makes setting up the seating die easy for the next time you load that bullet. I use a sharpie to write the info on the side of the case.

April 13, 2009, 04:53 PM	#2
SP Shop Foreman Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2008 Location: Montana Posts: 169	Reloadable. Just run them through a primer pocket swager and load up! Latigo __________________ Latigo www.swissproductsllc.com

April 13, 2009, 08:14 PM	#4
gman3 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Posts: 408	NATO Brass Royal Ord factory. Radway Green UK 93

April 13, 2009, 08:57 PM	#5
Wulfmann Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Central Florida Posts: 188	Always put a light inside or hold up so the sun shines to the inside bottom and make sure it is boxer primed. Boxer will have on centered large primer hole while Berdan will have two small off set holes. Putting a Berdan case by mistake in you sizing die will break the primer punch and/or bend the main shaft neither for your benefit The Brits have used both Boxer and/or Berdan so never assume. Wulfmann __________________ "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government". Thomas Jefferson, Constitutional debates

April 13, 2009, 09:18 PM	#7
Wulfmann Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Central Florida Posts: 188	They are Berdan and will ruin your decapper/sizer die. I throw Berdan in a 5 gallon bucket to save as scrap metal. I have about 8 gallons and one day when brass goes up again I will turn it in. I did mistakenly let a Berdan 308 case get mixed in and messed up my sizer not only breaking the pin but bending the rod so making it straight is not reasonable. Don't learn from your mistake when I have already made it and you can save the grief and money by making sure you do not attempt to size a Berdan case with a boxer die. Wulfmann __________________ "The right to bear arms should not be infringed upon if only to prevent tyranny in government". Thomas Jefferson, Constitutional debates

April 13, 2009, 09:19 PM	#8
Mark whiz Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Wabash, IN Posts: 227	That means they are Berdan primed.........................you won't be reloading them unless you can get your hands on special dies and Berdan primers. Just recycle that brass and find you some Boxer one-holed brass to reload. __________________ "Every moving thing that liveth, I give unto you as meat" (Gen 9:3) Aim small.........miss small. Trust God..........but keep your powder dry!

April 14, 2009, 11:07 PM	#11
Tim R Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2004 Location: God's side of Washington State Posts: 1,601	I used Berdan primed brass for making dummies......Pull out the de-capping pin, size and then put your favorite bullet on top seated to the depth you want. Makes setting up the seating die easy for the next time you load that bullet. I use a sharpie to write the info on the side of the case. __________________ God Bless our Troops especially our Snipers.