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Old February 15, 2017, 05:12 PM   #1
Nick_C_S
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Bonanza!!

There's a guy I met a few years back out at my range. I've seen him quite a few times and we chat a bit. Nice guy. A few times, he gave me his brass that he shot that day. He always shoots 38 Special and occasionally 38 Long Colt. It's almost always Geco brand - I don't know what that is; as he's the only guy I've seen with Geco ammo. He doesn't load and doesn't plan on it - fair enough.

Anyway, last week, he was out there, and he told me he has a bucket of 38 Special brass (all once-fired) that he's collected over the years and wants to give it to me. I told him I'd be out Wednesday. He said he'd be there. He was. He had the brass. He gave it to me . . .

Bonanza


It's kind of hard to tell from the pic, but it's a 5 gal bucket and it's only about 3-1/2" from the top. Must be at least 80% full - probably closer to 85%. He estimates there's something over 10,000 pcs, and I believe him.

After getting it home, I grabbed about a half dozen hands full and checked the headstamps. About 80% of it is Geco (which is good brass - been using some I've got from him previously for a couple years now - I think it's the same as Winchester); and about 20% is Starline - which I bet is some other boutique brand he buys that uses Starline brass. And I found a single piece of Federal. All this brass looks fantastic and I have no doubt whatsoever that it really is once-fired from his guns (a couple single actions and a Uberti 24" lever action). It's been kept dry and out of the elements - again, looks great. (I wouldn't be surprised if there's some 38 LC hiding in there. He didn't mention it; and I haven't seen any - yet - just a guess.)

Okay, I am never going to use this much brass. This is quite literally more than a lifetime supply of 38 Special brass. I'm first going to separate it by headstamp, to see exactly what I have. That's going to happen before any firm decisions are made.

I'll likely keep the Starline - as I already have 2000 pcs of the same. And I'll likely keep some amount of the Geco too - as I already have a few hundred pcs of it in use.

After that, I don't know. There's a good chance I'll do a "pay it forward" and donate the remainder in some way. I believe in karma - I will not sell it. Also, the next time I see him, I'll put up a standing offer to return some to him in the event he ever takes up loading.


This is gonna be a lot of work .
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Old February 15, 2017, 05:18 PM   #2
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Ahh. Here I thought you had scored a good deal on some vintage Bonanza reloading equipment which I think had a Faribault Minnesota connection. Oh well.

Congratulations on your find anyway.
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Old February 15, 2017, 05:59 PM   #3
Nick_C_S
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He estimates there's something over 10,000 pcs, and I believe him.
I went through some weighing and mathematical extrapolation and I calculate that there's some 4300 pcs of brass here. Not 10K by any stretch, but still quite a bit. Considering that I previously had about 3000 pcs in my rotation, that's quite an increase. Still, way more than I'll ever use.

Oh, almost forgot: I went though some again. And it's about 65/35, Geco/Starline. Quite a bit of Starline.
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Old February 15, 2017, 06:36 PM   #4
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Starline and Winchester both use good quality brass, so I would expect the same life out of both. The main difference I found in .45 Auto was that Starline had half the weight variation. You may want to confirm this, as it was some years back that I did the checking.
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Old February 15, 2017, 08:32 PM   #5
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Good for you Nick and you're a good man to pass along what you wont use!
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Old March 3, 2017, 08:57 AM   #6
Ben_Snow
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Ok...

If we guess the correct # of 38SP brass in the bucket, do we win a prize?
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Old March 3, 2017, 11:03 AM   #7
Nick_C_S
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If we guess the correct # of 38SP brass in the bucket, do we win a prize?
Sure!! . . .

. . . except, I'm not going to count them

I did finish separating them a couple days ago.

About 90% is GECO; about 7% are Starline; About 2% are Federal; and about 1% are mixed - with the mixed being mostly R-P. By weight, I calculate the mixed to be about 110 ct; the Federal to be about 200 ct. I didn't weigh the Starline, but it was about a half a shoebox or so - figure, about 600 ct. I have processed the Starline - sized/decapped, flaired, and ss pin tumbled all nice n shiny. They're done. I'm not going to process the Federal and Mixed -will likely give them away. I have just started on the GECO; and that's gonna be a lot of work.
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Old March 3, 2017, 01:28 PM   #8
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Geco is owned by RUAG Ammotec in Europe. Same guys who make RWS, Hirtenberger and Norma brand stuff. Fairly high end stuff.
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Old March 3, 2017, 01:58 PM   #9
Nick_C_S
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Fairly high end stuff.
I already have a couple hundred pcs of GECO 38 Spl brass, that I have been using for a couple years now. (I got them from the same guy, when he was shooting next to me some time back.)

It does seem to be pretty good brass. Primers start easily, which makes for fast priming.
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Old March 3, 2017, 04:35 PM   #10
eo1bart
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Nice score! Considering that one can reload .38 special a bazillion times, I think you're set for life
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Old March 3, 2017, 05:40 PM   #11
Nick_C_S
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Considering that one can reload .38 special a bazillion times, I think you're set for life
Yep. For 38 Spl, I'm set for life - literally. I even told the guy who gave them to me to give his next bucket to somebody else, because "I'm set for life now."

Considering I taper crimp about 90% of my 38 Spl, no telling how many loadings I can get from each one. Definitely set for life. I'll be giving some away.
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Old March 4, 2017, 08:08 AM   #12
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Had something similar happen to me. Ran into a guy I used to work with at a gun show here he had a booth there. Got talking told him recently got into reloading
he asked me if I wanted any brass. I dont look a gift horse in the mouth. Met him for breakfast a few days later. In the back of his truck he had plastic totes filled with brass, 223 45 9mm 38spl, 308 6mm 7mm 30 30 243 222 30 cal carbine, plus dies, bullets cast and factory. I counted the 223 there was 1785 rnds, must be 9k rnds of 9mm and close to that in 38, and maybe 700 rnds of 45. Haven't gotten to the other stuff yet, and he has more for me. He is cleaning his garage and has another 7 5gal buckets of 223 and other assorted goodies. Only got into this because another guy I worked with gave me ALLhis reloading gear, powder, primers (10K) plus dies you name it it was there.
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Old March 4, 2017, 10:03 AM   #13
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Blessed are the people who don't reload.
I had a similar experience at a club range a few years back.
Found about 1500 pieces of .45 auto brass left behind by someone.
As easy as .45s are on brass it will last me a long time.
In fairness, I left behind all the 9mm brass I no longer reloaded on our next trip to that range.
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Old March 4, 2017, 02:23 PM   #14
Nick_C_S
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Found about 1500 pieces of .45 auto brass left behind by someone.
Speaking of 45 ACP: a couple years back, a guy at the range gave me his 45 ACP brass. It was at least 200 pcs; so I was happy . . . until I noticed that he was handing me SPP brass.

Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to continue smiling with gratitude as I accepted them. I appreciated the sentiment just the same.

I processed them for reloading and they now reside in the coffee can with the other SPP 45 ACP's that I have never used.
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