Wizard

Have any of you ever purchased "once fired brass".....It seems to be readily available online, and is somewhat less expensive than new brass......I have made it a habit to only order new Starline brass, but, the .45acp is on backorder, and has gone up to $157/k.....

BTW: if you have ordered, who did you get it from.....

deputy125

i have not had a problem picking up and using range brass................so no problems there in me using 2nd-hand brass as i get to inspect it........

on a side note....i am seeing less and less "moon face" 40 s&w brass.............perhaps the unsupported chamber issues in some guns are being addressed.......and unfortunately less and less 38 spl brass every year.............the auto-loaders are ruling the roost.

don't even personally own a 40....but waste not/want not................and an excuse to eventually pick up another gun................eventually.


if buying used brass sight unseen, i would look for that stuff as advertised as "once fired" indicating it was factory ammo to begin with and not jacked with. it is my understanding some indoor ranges will not let folks pick up their brass and it is another way for them to make some cash with floor sweepings. i have been on such a range before. if the brass lands anywhere past a line or box, its in no man's land to for safety reasons and to prevent squabbles between shooters over ownership issues.

i refuse to even consider some 2nd had brass for some applications......such as my daughter's ruger in 250 savage. I take every precaution with that old gun whether real or imaginary................too sentimental, irreplaceable....................

JOHNNY WACKO

I sell it all the time in my G/B store.

Machinist

I bought a lot of once fired GI brass in the 1980s. I had to swage the crimp from the primer pockets before using it the first time but only once. This was even on .38 Special cases, in case it got used in one of those .38 Special submachineguns. It was good brass at a very good price but it was from a local dealer so I am afraid I have no source now. We bought 5,000 .38 cases for $.02 each and I think the .45 ACP cases were around $.05 each. I wish I had gotten much of the .45 cases at the time, though I am set for .38s. The GI cases have a slightly heavier web and therefore slightly less internal capacity but the quality has been fine. I can't speak to commercial sources offered now but I would probably buy it for practice ammo if the price was good.

Deputy's mention of bulged .40 S&W cases is notable but I don't reload those anyway.

Bountyhunter

I bought 2000 once fired 45acp pieces at The Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine. I reload all the factory stuff I've ever shot. I bought 1000 pieces of 223 once fired and it is all fine.

Wizard, ask around on the boards. There is always someone selling or trading brass.

I have also bought a lot of new Starline and love it.

deputy125

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ok mac..........i'm stumped......

Machinist

Sorry, Sir. I was being sarcastic. GI specs call for primers to be crimped to keep them from backing out of the pockets during the vibration of full auto firing in automatic weapons. This makes sense in .45, 9mm, and rifle cartridges but I have never heard a good reason for doing it to .38 specials as there are no full autos that I know of in that caliber, but specs are specs and that is why the government ends up paying so much more for common items for every day use like Oreo cookies. The spec sheets for Oreos for government procurement are huge.

Wizard

Thanks for the responses, guys.....BH, yea, I much prefer new Starline, but, as long as we have troops deployed and fighting in every-other country on the face of the earth, backorders are going to continue.....looks like their backorder is for about 4 - 6 weeks.....might as well just go ahead and place an order.....

btw: the 6000 new brass (.45acp) that I had, is now loaded, except for about 50.....

gunman42782

I buy it when i can find it.

deputy125

thanks mac..........it did go clean over my head.....

i knew that smith had an auto loader in 38 spl.........my brain just went into vapor lock at the mention of a sub gun......

i had no idea the govt also crimped the primers on the 38........good thing to know.

Bountyhunter

Nice! What 45 do you have, Wizard? It's a Sig, right?

Wizard

Actually, no....I have the XD-45, the Norc 1911, and the Para Warthog.....I wish I had a Sig P220.....maybe someday......

Bountyhunter

Jen has the XD Tactical and loves it. A high cap 45 can't be beat.

Is the 220 the gun John Travolta used in From Paris With Love? I like that movie and that gun.

sheepdog

...John Travolta with a gun...well THERE's a young nightmare...

XLCH

There is an article in the June Handloader, (Case Preparation) that touches on once fired brass, my be worth the time to hit the magazine rack for a quick read.

Wizard

Don't know...never seen the movie......thanks for the tip, XLCH.....

deputy125

its a purty fair "run and gun" movie........there is one scene where travolta is sniffing the fresh smell of gun powder off a revolver like a wine conasauer.....wife says she has seen me do the same thing before........

Bountyhunter

It was a good movie. I own it.

jimbo1096

Wiz, I might have some extra 45acp brass laying around. Some picked up, some been reloaded before. I've never had a problem with any of it as long as you seperate the military cases and remove the crimp before reloading the first time, After that they all go into one pot.

Snuffy

[quote="Wizard"]Thanks for the responses, guys.....BH, yea, I much prefer new Starline, but, as long as we have troops deployed and fighting in every-other country on the face of the earth, backorders are going to continue.....
I disagree, we didn't have problem until we got what is in office now.