brass life...

[texasgunhand]

How do you know when brass is nearing its service life? Is it just when the primers get loose and fit sloppy? Just wondering how many times you can reload good once fired brass.

[markm]

Life depends on primer pocket tightness for me. Case separation is almost unheard of for me. Number of firings depends on the brass kind and how hot you load the ammo.

[Onyx Z]

Life depends on primer pocket tightness for me. Case separation is almost unheard of for me. Number of firings depends on the brass kind and how hot you load the ammo.

Same here. I've never had a case separation, just primer pockets losing tightness. I've gone through ~10 loads with 223 Lapua brass. I haven't got that far with LC yet.

[TomMcC]

Usually a loose primer pocket or a split in the neck.

[NWcityguy2]

Since I rarely load to 5.56 pressures, I will have 10 split necks for every primer pocket that wears out. I collect so much 223 brass that I don't even track how many reloadings I get out of it. I've never had a split case head.

[markm]

Since I rarely load to 5.56 pressures, I will have 10 split necks for every primer pocket that wears out.

Wow that seems high. I'd suspect that your die is working your necks pretty hard. Are you running an expander ball in your sizer??

[NWcityguy2]

I've never used an expander ball. I don't anneal the case mouth either though. When it cracks it cracks and I'll go and collect more for free.

[markm]

I've never used an expander ball. I don't anneal the case mouth either though. When it cracks it cracks and I'll go and collect more for free.

What resizing die to you run? I don't anneal .223 brass either. Just 308/300WM.

[NWcityguy2]

Lee full length. I do minimal resizing as none of my ARs have an exceptionally tight or loose chamber.

[markm]

Hmmm.. never tried a Lee FL sizer, but I do like the LEE dies that I am running. We run mostly .223 pressure loads. (most 556 pressure is loaded in new brass for defense) And I've seen like 10 or so neck splits in the last 5 years.