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Check and clean your brass


Rye Miles #13621

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I had a split case yesterday in my rifle. It cost me 6 rounds that's 30 seconds plus I was flustered and shot my pistol wrong so that cost me a "P"!:angry:

 

I loaded some brass that I didn't clean and couldn't see the split in the case.  That hardly ever happens when the brass is clean but we should look over the brass when we're reloading and at the LT.

 

I should know this by now! I kicked myself in the behind for this and now my knee is sore!:o

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Loading with a Lee Turret for years, I would mostly load in 50 or 100 round batches.  The clean brass first went into loading trays so I could inspect it from various angles.  Now that I'm using a Dillon a lot, I still load the empty brass into the trays for inspection first.  Slows me down some, but I think it's worth it.

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I have loaded millions of rounds.

When separating the brass from the media, listen for a bell like clink.

Split cases will ring and you can look for it by shaking hands full of brass.

This will help you find the split case.

If you use a case feeder, your will hear this clink as the brass goes around in the case feeder.

 

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I enjoyed shooting with John Bear.  He shot 38 Special in both pistols and rifle.  He'd get to the loading table and dump out 20 rounds.  He'd inspect every round. If a case wasn't split, he'd load it in his rifle.  His rifle loaded, he'd load the rest in his pistols.  You'd see him at the unloading table throwing away split cases.  Not the way I manage cases but that's the way he did it.

 

1473864501_JohnBearApril2019.jpg.7e636952ee25229eb71f8e8da480cd5f.jpg

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I'm pretty particular about my brass. I inspect it under a lighted magnifying glass before it ever even goes into the tumbler. Any crack or beginning of a split goes into the garbage can. They also get inspected after loading before going into the plastic case and then again at the loading table before going into the rifle. Got burnt once at a big match....won't happen again if I can avoid it.

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Pity.......You opened the door, and Thunder Creek Kid walked right on through!

He beat ya by 14 seconds!
Now yule hear about it till you whoop his behind at Sandusky or OVV.

Oh...the shame!!!!

--Laughing Dawg

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27 minutes ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:
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26 minutes ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Pity.......You opened the door, and Thunder Creek Kid walked right on through!

He beat ya by 14 seconds!
Now yule hear about it till you whoop his behind at Sandusky or OVV.

Oh...the shame!!!!

--Laughing Dawg

Yep! I will not hear the end of that! He already texted me! :P

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Check every finished round with a case gauge before taking them to a match.  The gauge will catch bad crimps, and improper resizing as well as split cases. You can check 100 rounds in 4 to 5 minutes.  The peace of mind is worth it. We have other things to think about at the match.

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I load with single stage machine very slow  I find any split cases I missed when i  flare the cases . I fill 10 trays of 50 and check powder with flashlight to make sure I have no squilbs 

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I find case checkers being pretty good at finding split cases.

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I use a Lee 4 hole turret press and because it works on one round at a time I can easily feel a split case at the flaring die. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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Stretch a piece of your wife's old pantyhose over your thumb and then twist an open case against it, and you will catch every single split, every time.  It'll even catch the tiny ones that you can't catch with a visual inspection.

 

I do this after I take my cases out of the tumbler, and have not had a problem at a match with a split case in years.

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I wish everyone cleaned their cases, no matter the reason. We have a guy that uses the 45CS cases and they are so dirty and short that they blend in with the ground. As brass picker, I have a hard time seeing them. I like brass that gleams in the sun from 30 yards away.

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2 minutes ago, Cholla said:

I wish everyone cleaned their cases, no matter the reason. We have a guy that uses the 45CS cases and they are so dirty and short that they blend in with the ground. As brass picker, I have a hard time seeing them. I like brass that gleams in the sun from 30 yards away.

I can't see it no matter if it gleams or not, it just gets lost in the gravel. I just can not see it. I lose at least half my brass at a private range. That is why I stick around after a match and help with the teardown. That I can do.

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On 5/2/2021 at 1:41 PM, Cliff Hanger #3720LR said:

I have loaded millions of rounds.

When separating the brass from the media, listen for a bell like clink.

Split cases will ring and you can look for it by shaking hands full of brass.

This will help you find the split case.

If you use a case feeder, your will hear this clink as the brass goes around in the case feeder.

 

 

THIS^^^^

 

Will find splits no matter where the are on the case. I recently found a 44-40 that was about to separate at the shoulder. Crack was over 80% around the case.

 

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You can check for split cases every time you handle them.  But once you size and bell them one more time, some split.  I keep a watch on my powder check station as I place bullet. I catch some when loading cases that have been shot a lot.

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36 minutes ago, Cholla said:

I wish everyone cleaned their cases, no matter the reason. We have a guy that uses the 45CS cases and they are so dirty and short that they blend in with the ground. As brass picker, I have a hard time seeing them. I like brass that gleams in the sun from 30 yards away.

Agree.  But some folks loads are so light that even their shiny brass comes out of the rifle so dirty that it's still hard to spot.

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i check mine going into the tumbler - dont always get all my own back at a match , i check it again when it comes out , then i inspect between each reloading stage as i use a single stage turret , i might miss one but i highly doubt it , 

i am getting older with far less  vission as i once had - i can get a magnifier for inspection if i encounter an issue , but so far ive caught and recycled them , 

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Yesterday was setting up for our club shoot and decided I would shoot my backup 73 as I had not shot it in a while, loaded it up in a practice bay 2 shots in had a jam, the cartridge would only go in the chamber just past the bullet, looked on the deck and there lay a cartridge head that had separated from the case that was still in the chamber, I always check every round after loading at the bench and before loading into the guns, sometimes ship happens!  SCJ

 

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13 hours ago, Dutch Wheeler said:

Stretch a piece of your wife's old pantyhose over your thumb and then twist an open case against it, and you will catch every single split, every time.  It'll even catch the tiny ones that you can't catch with a visual inspection.

 

I do this after I take my cases out of the tumbler, and have not had a problem at a match with a split case in years.

Woman still wear pantyhose??:lol:

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Well I got to tell you all what my wife does. She is QA/QC inspector and she keeps me in line Waaa. Haa.

The brass comes out of the tumbler nice ,clean & sparkles, she then inspects every case, places a bunch in her hands shakes them & hears if there is one with a even slight crack she finds it. Amazing what she does. I tell her at times it will be ok and she gives me that look &  don't hesitate cause she just throws it in the trash can.

Got to hand it to her she is very good &  so far so good no problems. Nothing but Star Line Brass 

By the way she also uses a small funnel to listen if the round has powder in it. She is amazing pilgrims.  She uses the gauge for every round if it fits in and checks the primers also. She is like I say  QA/QC  all the way.

 

I guess that why I call her Sly Puppy.

 

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I check for splits after tumbling and put the cases in a baggie for loading later.

After reloading cases, I put them in my revolver and spin the cylinder before they go in the blue plastic box.

This final check catches split cases and high primers.

I know, I'm a little anal about reloading.

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17 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Check every finished round with a case gauge before taking them to a match.  The gauge will catch bad crimps, and improper resizing as well as split cases. You can check 100 rounds in 4 to 5 minutes.  The peace of mind is worth it. We have other things to think about at the match.

Won't catch all split cases...

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I check at the loading table.  Brass (not nickel) that aren't split go into my rifle.  The others go into the pistol.  Toss split cases at the unloading table.  A few always seem to get through after cleaning, so I catch them when I load up the guns before a stage.

 

Big matches get new brass that I've "once fired". 

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When talking to my customers, I suggested looking for split cases at the unloading table.

You have 10 hand gun and 10 rifle cases to inspect.

You can pinch the cases as you pick them up off the table.

By pinching the crack will open up or the case will feel oval and not round.

 

At the unloading table you are inspecting 20 cases and not hundreds or thousands at home.

 

Same goes for separating calibers at the unloading table if you shoot different calibers at the same time. (I shot 45s in revolvers and 357s in my rifle)

You have 20 cases to check and not buckets at home.

 

When I shot, split cases never made home from the match.

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On 5/2/2021 at 5:45 PM, Dutch Wheeler said:

Stretch a piece of your wife's old pantyhose over your thumb and then twist an open case against it, and you will catch every single split, every time.  It'll even catch the tiny ones that you can't catch with a visual inspection.

 

I do this after I take my cases out of the tumbler, and have not had a problem at a match with a split case in years.

this method may also permit you to catch a rolling pin or other implement of your wife's displeasure.

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On 5/2/2021 at 2:02 PM, Rye Miles #13621 said:

...I loaded some brass that I didn't clean and couldn't see the split in the case.  ...

 

I operate on the theory that by cleaning my brass before reloading, the resizing die will last longer.  A dirty resizing die can scratch brass causing the brass to prematurely split when fired.  

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I've been checking all 38 rounds for the rifle with an EWG 50 hole chamber checker for 6 or 7 years, maybe longer. This method hasn't missed a single split case that I know of. I chamber check the pistol rounds at the loading table. These methods have served me well as my wife & I shoot 50+ matches each year. Also, Frankford Arms wet tumble without the pins.

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I bought some range brass (nickel plated) at a recent gun show.  Went to change over the press to load 38's instead of .357's last night and first round I loaded during set up split out the case when I seated the bullet.  I think to be safe I'm going to go through and anneal and trim all 600 of these things before I try to load any more.  

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I take a layered approach.  When I pick up my brass at the ULT it gets a good shake.  If it makes that tinny sound, the split brass is located and discarded.  After cleaning, brass gets a visual inspection before going into the hopper.  While reloading, at station 4, I will generally notice split brass because the bullet will seat too deep when I press it into the case mouth.  When at the LT, all brass, and primers, get another look. 

 

So far after just over 10 years of CAS only one split has made it through to a match.

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2 hours ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I take a layered approach.  When I pick up my brass at the ULT it gets a good shake.  If it makes that tinny sound, the split brass is located and discarded.  After cleaning, brass gets a visual inspection before going into the hopper.  While reloading, at station 4, I will generally notice split brass because the bullet will seat too deep when I press it into the case mouth.  When at the LT, all brass, and primers, get another look. 

 

So far after just over 10 years of CAS only one split has made it through to a match.

Don’t want to jinx you (or me), but that is pretty much my system as well, and I have had exactly one collapsed case in 13 years. Brass is cheap enough that even the slightest of cracks goes into the recycle bin, not worth risking the use of marginal supplies. 
Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

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On 5/2/2021 at 4:37 PM, Dirty Dog Doug said:

I load with single stage machine very slow  I find any split cases I missed when i  flare the cases . I fill 10 trays of 50 and check powder with flashlight to make sure I have no squilbs 

i do the same - ive caught all my split cases as ive gone , 

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