Reusing old brass in a new barrel

[AllenOne1]

Are you using the brass from your last barrel in the new barrel you just put on your bolt gun?

I have heard from a couple of people that a new barrel should have new brass. While this may be the perfect world answer I wonder how reasonable this is. I have brass with 8-9 firing on it that seems to be in good condition overall and it seems a shame to retire it when I spin the new barrel on.

On my first barrel change I was going from a factory chamber to an aftermarket barrel and chamber, the brass from the factory barrel was too tight in the aftermarket chamber after resizing and gave me all of the normal issues. I later resized that brass with a better die and it would have worked but I had already purchased new brass and didn't look back. I learned a lot about matching your die to your chamber during that mess.

Now I'm changing barrels again going from an aftermarket to another aftermarket barrel, not the same reamer and would like to continue to run the same brass.

 

[hafejd30]

New barrel
New brass

That’s my choice anyways. Literally we’re talking a couple hundred $$ in brass to not get through load testing and start having split necks or loose primers just to start all over anyways

Once or twice fired maybe. But not 8-9 times fired

 

[918v]

Why don’t you size a case and measure it and see if it fits? I shoot other people’s brass almost exclusively and don’t run into these problems. I shoot factory chambers and custom chambers, tight chambers and loose chambers.

 

[AllenOne1]

Why don’t you size a case and measure it and see if it fits? I shoot other people’s brass almost exclusively and don’t run into these problems. I shoot factory chambers and custom chambers, tight chambers and loose chambers.

I test fit resized brass in the new barrel and it appears to fit just fine. Drops right in. Barrel is not on the gun yet. A lot of the issues I had before turned out to be a loose die, it worked ok with the factory chamber but not well at all with the new chamber.

 

[hafejd30]

What caliber and brand is the brass? If it’s something costly or hard to obtain I see the reasoning

If we’re talking 50 rounds of Hornady 308 brass then absolutely not

 

[nn8734]

Now I'm changing barrels again going from an aftermarket to another aftermarket barrel, not the same reamer and would like to continue to run the same brass.

Why? 8-9 firings on this brass? Buy new; good brass isn’t that expensive.

I’d f/l resize (once you confirmed the appropriate amt of shoulder bump, etc) and rerun if you only had a couple firings on the brass but not 8 or 9.

Seems like putting dirty clothes back on after a shower

 

[alamo5000]

New barrel
New brass

That’s my choice anyways. Literally we’re talking a couple hundred $$ in brass to not get through load testing and start having split necks or loose primers just to start all over anyways

Once or twice fired maybe. But not 8-9 times fired

I would tend to agree with you. Using new brass isn't because old brass won't work, but rather in the grand scheme of things it can be a bit more work.

Let's assume a person started with 8x fired brass in a new barrel. It would take at least one firing to fire form again to the new barrel (assuming that's a thing). Not to mention that new barrel = new load development. Again it might be close to the old barrel, but it won't be exactly the right thing.

By the time you go through the whole procedure you ultimately would need to start all over again relatively sooner than otherwise because the brass will eventually wear out and lose primer pockets.

Just from a matter of practicality it's smarter to just start with new brass and use the entire life of that brass.

In other words trying to cheap out (depending on what a person is doing) will in the end be more expensive if you look at the big picture.

Edit: this is assuming someone is doing precise loading for something like bench rest or whatever. In those disciplines it makes no sense.

In something like hunting ammo or whatever that doesn't have as much of a heavy firing schedule then it won't matter as much.

 

[Andrew863]

No issues at all with using the old brass as long as it's in good shape and the pockets are tight. Worst case u could always run it in a small base die for the first fire if it is tight. But it's your choice on going new or keep the same.

 

[AllenOne1]

What caliber and brand is the brass? If it’s something costly or hard to obtain I see the reasoning

If we’re talking 50 rounds of Hornady 308 brass then absolutely not

It's just Starline 6.5 Creed so nothing exotic. I have about 200 cases with 8-9 firings and another 200 with 11-12.

 

[hafejd30]

I would tend to agree with you. Using new brass isn't because old brass won't work, but rather in the grand scheme of things it can be a bit more work.

Let's assume a person started with 8x fired brass in a new barrel. It would take at least one firing to fire form again to the new barrel (assuming that's a thing). Not to mention that new barrel = new load development. Again it might be close to the old barrel, but it won't be exactly the right thing.

By the time you go through the whole procedure you ultimately would need to start all over again relatively sooner than otherwise because the brass will eventually wear out and lose primer pockets.

Just from a matter of practicality it's smarter to just start with new brass and use the entire life of that brass.

In other words trying to cheap out (depending on what a person is doing) will in the end be more expensive if you look at the big picture.

Edit: this is assuming someone is doing precise loading for something like bench rest or whatever. In those disciplines it makes no sense.

In something like hunting ammo or whatever that doesn't have as much of a heavy firing schedule then it won't matter as much.

This is the long version of what I was getting at. But yes

 

[hafejd30]

It's just Starline 6.5 Creed so nothing exotic. I have about 200 cases with 8-9 firings and another 200 with 11-12.

Retire it

Personally I’d just buy another 200 Lapua LR or SR cases and start over. It’s $200-$240 and will run the life of the barrel most likely. Vs having to jack around a couple hundred rounds in with retesting and what not

 

[AllenOne1]

I would tend to agree with you. Using new brass isn't because old brass won't work, but rather in the grand scheme of things it can be a bit more work.

Let's assume a person started with 8x fired brass in a new barrel. It would take at least one firing to fire form again to the new barrel (assuming that's a thing). Not to mention that new barrel = new load development. Again it might be close to the old barrel, but it won't be exactly the right thing.

By the time you go through the whole procedure you ultimately would need to start all over again relatively sooner than otherwise because the brass will eventually wear out and lose primer pockets.

Just from a matter of practicality it's smarter to just start with new brass and use the entire life of that brass.

In other words trying to cheap out (depending on what a person is doing) will in the end be more expensive if you look at the big picture.

Edit: this is assuming someone is doing precise loading for something like bench rest or whatever. In those disciplines it makes no sense.

In something like hunting ammo or whatever that doesn't have as much of a heavy firing schedule then it won't matter as much.

I think you summed up my fears pretty well. Thank you,

 

[hafejd30]

If you have a hunting gun in same caliber. I do in 308 and 300 WM. Which allows me to size and run in that if I so choose. Since that’s only getting a few rounds a year. Send em one last time and let the brass fly

 

[alamo5000]

I think you summed up my fears pretty well. Thank you,

There should not be fears involved. Old brass will shoot just fine. But if you are involved in something that requires you to keep track of round count on a barrel and how many firings on each piece of brass, then just save yourself the hassle.

If having accurate ammo to the smallest degree possible then also save yourself the hassle.

If ammo can be "good enough" then it won't matter as much.

 

[AllenOne1]

There should not be fears involved. Old brass will shoot just fine. But if you are involved in something that requires you to keep track of round count on a barrel and how many firings on each piece of brass, then just save yourself the hassle.

If having accurate ammo to the smallest degree possible then also save yourself the hassle.

If ammo can be "good enough" then it won't matter as much.

Yeah I shoot a local 600 yd benchrest match competitively so I do need accurate ammo and I do track case life in groups.

 

[918v]

I think you summed up my fears pretty well. Thank you,

Fireforming is overrated.

 

[AllenOne1]

Fireforming is overrated.

Right up there with barrel break-in.

 

[morningsun]

I don't buy new brass for a new rifle. I use quality dies and a quality case gauge. My rifle doesn't know if it's shooting new brass or not and I'm not going to tell it.

 

[DellaDog]

I don’t subscribe to the new barrel, new brass theory. I’m on my third 6.5 CM barrel with the same Peterson brass I purchased for the original barrel. Pushing 20 reloads now on the brass and haven't lost a single piece yet to loose primers or split necks.

Pretty much 41.2 to 41.5 grains of 4350 has worked in all three.

 

[CK1.0]

If the brass is in good condition, keep using it. If you've been stomping on it pressure-wise and not annealing it... maybe use new stuff.

I have 300pcs of brass that went 2300rds in barrel #1 and there's 1000+ more rounds on the same lot now from barrel #2 (so ~11x fired). Shoots great, primer pockets are still pretty tight, no doubts at all about getting to the end of barrel #2's life. I doubt I'll be pushing my luck on a barrel #3, but never know... if the pockets are still tight... lol.

That said, I anneal every firing/load cycle using an AMP, I don't beat on them (6CM ~2900fps), and it's Lapua...

 

[redbullitt]

If you take care of the brass and its not clapped out id most probably just use it, but saying that im not shooting bench rest stuff.

Maybe youll be lucky and the older cases wont need much more than a little bump to fit. That would definitely encourage me to use them, but again cheap and not benchresting lol.

 

[CK1.0]

I meant to mention it earlier, but for me my barrel #2’s chamber is only 0.001” different (tighter) than barrel #1’s chamber… close enough to not have much concern about anything wonky happening.

If the difference was more like, say 0.005”, I’d probably go with new stuff. While mailable, brass isn’t Playdoh, don’t wanna get blown up lol.

 

[spife7980]

I’ve reused brass in new barrels and had no issue, usually both barrels are cut by the same outfit so I’d assume they used the same reamer but I’ve had success between different shops as well.
I’ve also had brass that didn’t work but that was always along with a difference in shops.
Now days I try to use brass again but I certainly don’t expect it to fit. It’s nice when it does and if it doesn’t I already have new brass stacked on the shelf as well.

Just measure and test first to see where it’s at and how it feels. I worked a piece progressively shorter on headspace to see how the shoulder location influenced the bolt feel on chambering to fit the old brass to the new barrel. Once that piece got shorter and shorter and the shoulder wasnt jamming fully I could feel that the body diameters werent impacting me and the bolt fall ease was proportional to how much I was sizing the shoulder.
If you run out of die travel bumping the shoulder back and bolt fall is still tough to close when chambering a round then you likely have a base or body diameter conflict and your sizing die either simply isnt small enough for the new chamber overall or the old chamber was so large the brass is springing back towards that larger size and your die is fine but its just easier to get new brass.
Follow with another piece or few for confidence in your reslts and go to town.

 

[Krob95]

I went 15+ firings on my lapua brass in my BRA. It got retired because I only had 100 pieces left after losing a bunch shooting field matches. Swapped over to Alpha brass and plan on using it until I either A. Lose it all or B. Sell the rifle as a package deal. Same goes for my Alpha 22GT brass.

 

[DellaDog]

I’ve reused brass in new barrels and had no issue, usually both barrels are cut by the same outfit

Agreed. Better still, purchase your reamer.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I use brass until it is worn out.

 

[MakeSawdust]

I hate buying brass. I figure out a way to size it to fit the new chamber if at all possible.

I run mild loads for the most part and get 20+ firings on most brass. I'm also not shooting benchrest, so once something is shooting 3/8 moa or under on a match gun or 1/2 moa or under on a hunting gun I quit doing load development.

 

[OkieMike]

I've pondered this question myself quite a bit...

My conclusion (and I may be way off the mark) is to have a reamer made from your current brass and die if you want to move brass from one barrel to the next. But for that money you could just buy new brass... If you can find any.

So presently, it might make sense to find a way to move serviceable brass to the next barrel.

Your circumstances and chosen caliber will have a big impact on how to move forward.

Mike

 

[Doom]

@Spife7990 is right on the money but I will add a little caveat. If you have 8-12 firings on this brass, depending on the number of sizings and trimmings, you need to watch out for case head seperation when you resize to the new chamber. You may have to set the shoulder back an excessive amount to to get the base sized. Using the paper clip trick to check the brass or sectioning a couple of pieces after sizing may be in order.

​

 

[dnchrist]

I would tend to agree with you. Using new brass isn't because old brass won't work, but rather in the grand scheme of things it can be a bit more work.

Let's assume a person started with 8x fired brass in a new barrel. It would take at least one firing to fire form again to the new barrel (assuming that's a thing). Not to mention that new barrel = new load development. Again it might be close to the old barrel, but it won't be exactly the right thing.

By the time you go through the whole procedure you ultimately would need to start all over again relatively sooner than otherwise because the brass will eventually wear out and lose primer pockets.

Just from a matter of practicality it's smarter to just start with new brass and use the entire life of that brass.

In other words trying to cheap out (depending on what a person is doing) will in the end be more expensive if you look at the big picture.

Edit: this is assuming someone is doing precise loading for something like bench rest or whatever. In those disciplines it makes no sense.

In something like hunting ammo or whatever that doesn't have as much of a heavy firing schedule then it won't matter as much.

I vote for new brass. I prefer to test and tweak by introducing one variable at a time. New brass is a given bench mark.

 

[bax]

I use brass until it is worn out.

^^^this^^^

"worn out" means:

a. primer pocket won't hold a primer and I don't want to crimp the primer pocket
b. neck split - annealing mostly prevents this
c. incipient or actual case head separation - shoot it a lot, shoot it hot, bump the shoulder too much and this will happen.

In the meantime, brass is not the message it is the envelope.

 

[Threadcutter308]

I use nothing but Lapua brass. I would have zero concerns about using it (used brass) in new barrels.

However, I get 20 reloads out of it, then I voluntarily retire it. At the amortized per round cost, I’d use new just because it’s so cheap (inexpensive).

 

[hafejd30]

I use nothing but Lapua brass. I would have zero concerns about using it (used brass) in new barrels.

However, I get 20 reloads out of it, then I voluntarily retire it. At the amortized per round cost, I’d use new just because it’s so cheap (inexpensive).

 

[M4orturnate]

It's just Starline 6.5 Creed so nothing exotic. I have about 200 cases with 8-9 firings and another 200 with 11-12.

In that case try it. Worst case is youll have bolt click. The main reason i went with the smith i did was he promised my brass can be used with every new barrel. That saves a lot when i buy 1k pieces of top tier brass. If you get a sticky bolt throw it out and buy new. I wouldnt use a small base or ring die with that many firings. Could be a recipe for case seperation.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I think you summed up my fears pretty well. Thank you,

Just get more starline brass. Starline is good brass, that's the only thing I shoot that isn't lapua (6.5cm)and starline had tested to be more consistent case capacity than lapua by a small amount in 6.5cm. Not saying it's "better " but it's certainly good brass and has done well for me and obviously pretty well for you too. With starline being available and not as expensive, seems silly to me to use the old brass. Just load the old brass one more time for when you don't want to have to police it and go new for the new barrel is what I'd do.