What to do with 6x/7x brass

[ArcticLight]

Back when I was shooting a lot more than I do these days I loaded 1200 rds at a time....

I have about 600 or 700 rds of 6x or 7x BHA brass.
I do not trust it as I've had one case separation out of the 1000, I stil have 350 rds loaded (Has all shot extremely well).

But I dont' want to reload the old stuff -

What to do with it? Just toss it? Find a smelter and get it melted?

I have not even bothered to deprime it...

 

[Jeffvn]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

When I have brass that dies or otherwise goes beyond its useful life, I take it to the local recycling facility - I do not recall what they pay currrently, but if you decap and tumble it they pay more....

JeffVN

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

just run 'em till the necks split......

when i process my brass...i look at each and every neck....and other signs of impending doom....and act accordingly .

 

[Top Cat]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

If you don't set the shoulder back during the sizing operation, the brass life is determined by how tight the primer pockets are and the necks.

If you load hot that will limit brass life, but if the loads are under max, the primer pockets will usually stay tight and I anneal the necks around 6x to prevent splitting.

It's a good idea to periodically check the cases internally for the beginning of a separation ring near the base and set the bad ones aside...those are the cases that are at risk for separation on subsequent firings...if there is no ring the cases that are left are ok.

TC

 

[memilanuk]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

Scott,

Here's what ya do: give 'em to me

Honestly, *one* case head issue out of 1000pcs isn't enough to write off the whole batch (at least in my book. Could be a single manufacturing oops-shit - I believe BHA is Winchester-made, and if its anything like the other Winchester I've seen... tends to be very, very thin and undersized, especially around the case head area (.463-0.464, compared to Lapua @ 0.468-0.470). One shooter I know had to have a change of underoos and some creative gunsmithing to add bottom-metal to his rifle after some thin Winchester brass let loose & blew the bottom of his blind mag well out - on the second or third firing, IIRC.

The other possibility is if you've been over-sizing it (bumping the shoulder too much or maybe using a small base die when it wasn't needed), you may have stretched the brass to the point where there is a legitimate problem.

As I said... option a: give it to a good home. option b: clean it up and take it to the recycler. option c: load it once more, fire it, leave it as 'range brass' for someone who wants to take the time to recycle it - or take the risk of reloading rifle brass of unknown pedigree. Your choice.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

Hey guys - I full length resize each and every time - the issue I had was the base area - had one separate there after firing.

Annealing won't happen, not sure how and even if I had a torch to do it, that's a lotta brass.

The necks are soft though, do not think I will encounter any splitting issues..

Hmmmm Maybe I will tumble and deprime and retumble them and inspect them......

They don't look bad, but I can see teh ring on every one of them where the full length resize occured....that's my concern....

 

[Queequeg]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

It's the ring inside that you have to look for. What you are seeing on the outside is the structure of the case head telegraphing itself. The insipient case head seperation should occur a little higher than that wear line. Hell I see that on the first or second loading!

Do the paper clip thing to feel for a ring down in the case. It's the only way to tell unless you have a bore scope!

If the necks are still pliable, primers still fit snug, and you don't feel a ring inside, they should still be good.

 

[Top Cat]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

Cases stretch during the first firing to fill the chamber. The area that stretches is that area just above the solid web.

That's ok on the first firing, but if you keep setting the shoulder all the way back to original factory length on subsequent firings...as FL sizing dies are designed to be able to do, the cases keep stretching and get thinner and thinner in that area.

The ring forms on the inside and looks like a tiny half moon depression around the inner wall of the case...it's easier to feel than to see, but it can be seen in a 308 case using a small flashlight to peer inside.

If the cases will be fired in the same rifle, even using the FL sizer, if you are careful to just lightly bump the shoulder and not set the shoulder back more than .001-.002, the separation ring won't be a problem.

TC

 

[JLM]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

I've got some Hornady that's going on its 6th firing. I stuff primers in a few last night a noticed that they were quite EASY to seat.

So, how loose is TOO lose? Otherwise the cases look fine, no signs of head sep, and no split necks.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

Scott,

That ring you see on the outside is where that undersized Winchester aka 'BHA' brass swelled out to fit your chamber (still running a SAAMI spec factory tube, IIRC?) and then got sized back down to 'normal'. Leaves a bright ring every time, Winchester more so than most.

JLM,

If you can take a round and gently tap the rim on your loading bench and the primer doesn't fall out... probably still serviceable

Once upon a time, I had some unique brass that got badly abused (long story) and I didn't want to scrap 'em and start over just yet... so I started transporting them in the cartridge box primer up, just in case... so the primer wouldn't fall out during transport (couple hours vibrating in the truck)

Still shot just fine, but thats probably pushing it a little far.

 

[Red_SC]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

How much do you bump your shoulders back when you size it?

 

[Two Shoes]

Re: What to do with 6x/7x brass

Just a heads up, Black hills has used BOTH Hornady, and Winchester.
And the Hornady is match brss, and better stuff than Win.