Once Fired Brass

[DialTone301]

Thinking about starting to reload and have been looking at supplies in various places. I am primarily interested in .223 and 9mm.

Is there any problem with buying once fired military brass that has been deprimed, full length sized and trimmed to length, cleaned and polished? Is 1000 for $120 a good deal for this?

How many times can brass typically be reloaded (assuming medium pressure loads)?

Thanks in advance.

[Dedpoet]

I've fired a couple thousand handloads with brass exactly as you described and haven't had any problems. 12 cents per piece is expensive compared to when I bought mine, but seems to be market value right now. Some will say paying any amount for fired brass is too much but it depends on what your time is worth. With processed brass you don't have to do any prep work. With range pick-ups you'll spend a lot of time on prep.

[KellyTTE]

I would add in that brass is running about 6.5c each here, but if I was money long and time short, saving the time I spend sizing/trimming/etc, that extra 5.5c each might be more worthwhile.

With moderate pressure loads, to paraphrase Sinister:

"You don't realize the value of reloading til you have to stop and think, do I have six or seven reloads on this brass?".

That's when it all starts to come together.

[m4fun]

I too think that is costly for brass, but hell if you can find primers in this market, well I know some folks who would pay anything for them.

The only thing to watch for in surplus military brass would be stretched from firing in a M249. The fact that someone prepped them by sizing, trimming and depriming will take take some of your effort away, and I would presume good-to-go. What you need to find out is if the primer cup has been de-crimped. Otherwise you might have to call Mr Dillon about a $70 tool.

[KellyTTE]

Just to let you know the Super Swage is 100.00 from Dillon and 95.00 from eguns.com.

Again, its an equation of which you have more of. Time or money. I use a 18.00 carbide Bosch metal counter sink. All I do it 'touch' the primer pocket to the countersink and the crimp is instantly gone without hogging out the primer pocket.

[m4fun]

$100!?!?!? Wow.

OK - so just get a Dillon 1050 dont worry about a thing.

[markm]

Man! I may have to sell off some of my once fired, primed brass.

[KyAKGuy]

I got most of my LC brass when I bought my BH stuff when it was $199 per K for
the 55gr. SP. I still have about 4K of processed LC and WCC to decap, prime,
and load. I'm glad i stocked up on primers when i did also. I have enough to load all the brass i currently have.

The big trick right now is finding small rifle primers...Good luck!

KyAKGuy

[Uni-Vibe]

Load WCC, LC, Winchester, R-P and other quality brass five times, then decap and recycle.

FC brass, load once and recycle.

$120 for 1000? If that's the market, then the price has doubled in the last couple months.
I'd hold out. Already AR lowers are falling in price, and mags, even Pmags, are now at pre-Election prices with plenty of availability. I think the same will happen with ammo and primers in the next few months. Panic seems to be subsiding with no serious attempts at gun control on the horizon.

[pah151]

Guys, Scharch manufacturing (www.scharch.com) has a good product. The are currently selling already sized, trimmed, and primed LC headstamped brass for about $153.68/1000. I reload a lot about 5K rounds in the last month, but my time is limited. It's been made a lot easier and faster since I found out about scharch. They are currently running about 1 month back order.

[markm]

Guys, Scharch manufacturing (www.scharch.com) has a good product. The are currently selling already sized, trimmed, and primed LC headstamped brass for about $153.68/1000.

Loading from primed brass is the way to go. I do all the work myself, but when the actual loading is to be done, it's best to work from primed brass.... Even on the Dillon.

I'm going to have to sort off the prettiest LC once fired I have and sell it. I've got more primed brass than I really could afford to reload.

[KellyTTE]

Loading from primed brass is the way to go. I do all the work myself, but when the actual loading is to be done, it's best to work from primed brass.... Even on the Dillon.

Amen to this. My 550 gave me constant fits from doing everything in 'one pass'. Most of it was from debris from the decapping stage everywhere. The new primers would get scratched or pitted from the debris and the primer system itself would run roughly at best.

On Sinister's advice, I went to a system where I was neck sizing, decapping and full length sizing on one tool head. Then I take that brass out to the shop to finish the prep work (trim, de-crimp and polish) and while the brass is in the polisher, I go back inside, thoroughly clean the 550 off. Once I get my brass out of the polisher, its a simple (and easier) process to prime, powder and seat. Plus the system runs a ton smoother.