Cleaning Brass. Finally...

[Brazos John]

I have a bit of time, since I retired, and have decided to clean the brass that I have accumulated in the past 25+ years of cowboy shooting.

I have shot and saved both new and reloaded ammo, but without segregating the brass after being shot. After depriming, dry tumbling, and pocket clearing, I have some .38 spcl brass with no lines on the sides, and some brass with one or more dotted(?) lines (like a dotted belt) running around the shell. 

 

1.  Were these lines caused by a reloading step? Resizing, or what?

2.  Would these lines appear on ALL brass that has been reloaded?

3.  Would 2 or 3 lines indicate 2 or 3 times reloaded?

4.  Would No lines indicate that the shell has only been shot one time, and not reloaded?

 

Thanks for any serious responses I get.

I Searched for Cleaning Brass, and I got 2,000+ offerings, but they included Brass Frames, Cleaning Barrels, and all kinds of other topics, so I started a new one. 

 

And another thing.

For Extra Credit: I have several bottles of Trail Boss. Would it be more valuable to sell as is, or if I loaded cowboy rounds with it, and sold the rounds?

I figure the former, but was curious about what others might think.

Not selling it now, though...

[Leroy Luck]

If the lines go around the case towards where the base of the bullet would be it could be from crimping at some point before. Which won’t hurt anything. 

As far as the trail boss… either use it or sell it in its unused form (in the bottle). Unless you are an FFL you can’t legally sell re-loaded ammunition. 

Edited December 28, 2024 by Leroy Luck

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

If you don't have all the permits, licenses and insurance needed to sell reloaded ammo, avoid selling handloaded ammo.  Just sell the Trail Boss face-to-face if you don't want it.

 

Those dashed lines around a case weaken that brass and can cause a separation when fired.  Some refuse to reload such brass.  I will not shoot it in a rifle.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

Post some pics of the dotted lines you are describing so we can better understand what you are telling us.

[Captain Bill Burt]

I believe the lines you're mentioning are cannelures which are used for a variety of reasons, none of which matter in CAS (I'm fairly certain).  I've also heard that they can split and leave a piece of brass in your rifle.  I've been a CAS since 2011, and have never paid any attention to whether the brass I reload has cannelures or not, plenty do, plenty don't.  I've never had a piece separate and remain in the rifle.  Just the view from my saddle.  I'm sure some have experienced that, but I suspect plenty have experienced it when no cannelure was present as well.

Edited December 28, 2024 by Captain Bill Burt

[Griff]

1.  Were these lines caused by a reloading step? Resizing, or what?  No.  Those are more'n likely "cannelures" used to keep bullets from collapsing into the case or for identification.

2.  Would these lines appear on ALL brass that has been reloaded? No, the are generally smoothed out during the sizing process.

3.  Would 2 or 3 lines indicate 2 or 3 times reloaded?  No.

4.  Would No lines indicate that the shell has only been shot one time, and not reloaded? No.

 

 

For Extra Credit: I have several bottles of Trail Boss. Would it be more valuable to sell as is, or if I loaded cowboy rounds with it, and sold the rounds?

I figure the former, but was curious about what others might think.  As mentioned above to sell reloaded ammo, you must be a licensed Ammo Manufacturer.  Sell it as is, use it for your own use, once used, its value has gone up in smoke.

Edited December 28, 2024 by Griff

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Cannelures have been applied by the factory during the loading process.  They do NOT cannelure brass that is sold unloaded, and many times the factory only applies cannelures to specific loads they make.  Sometimes factories claim the cannelure helps hold the bullet in place.  Other times, especially where they applied more than one, they say they applied the cannelures as an identification between different loads they make. 

 

I have had a few .38 special cases split around the cannelure ring, breaking off the front end of the case in the chamber.  Lots of these were nickeled brass cases, which have the property of cracking faster than brass cases.

 

So, in .38 spl, I would not use them in rifle loads.   Could cost you several rounds not fired.    Pistol - meh, I'll use them for local matches or practice. 

 

In .45 Colt, the cannelures (Winchester cases, often made particularly deep and sharp) have never been seen by me to cause a crack.  Case walls in .45 Colt are lots stronger.

 

good luck, GJ

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2024 by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

[watab kid]

On 12/28/2024 at 3:51 PM, Captain Bill Burt said:

I believe the lines you're mentioning are cannelures which are used for a variety of reasons, none of which matter in CAS (I'm fairly certain).  I've also heard that they can split and leave a piece of brass in your rifle.  I've been a CAS since 2011, and have never paid any attention to whether the brass I reload has cannelures or not, plenty do, plenty don't.  I've never had a piece separate and remain in the rifle.  Just the view from my saddle.  I'm sure some have experienced that, but I suspect plenty have experienced it when no cannelure was present as well.

this has been my experience as well , been reloading these since 05 and ive yet to have a seperation , i do sort and throw what looks bad so that has something to do with my experience , but , i know many of mine have been reloaded a dozen times now