What type of brass can you save for reloading?

[upinflames2400]

I'm going to the range thus Sunday and planning on shooting about 300 rounds through my new ar. I have 2 value packs of federal fmj and 2 boxes of Remington metal case. Are they ok to save to eventually reload? And what brands are the best to save

[brando]

Brass cases, yes - not steel case.

[stphnman20]

Originally Posted by brando

Brass cases, yes - not steel case.

This

[upinflames2400]

So it doesn't matter the manufacturer as long as it's brass?

[PistolPete75]

What you want is boxer primed brass. For target grade ammo, mixed head stamps are okay.

[Mike A]

And it needs to have Boxer, not Berdan primers. If you can see just one flash hole in the primer when looking inside the fired case, it's almost certainly a Boxer-primed case. If you see two or more, it is almost certainly a Berdan-primed case. Berdan primers can be reloaded but are hard to find in the US and need to be removed with a special tool most of us don't have. They are still reloaded in some European countries.

If you have Berdan-primed, brass-cased empties, throw them into a 3# coffee can and take them to the junk yard every once in a while. Then buy Boxer ammo with the change you get!

[pdq_wizzard]

Originally Posted by brando

Brass cases, yes - not steel case.

in a big pinch you can reload steel cases at lest once. (talking SHTF I would do anything I had to....) but for standard day to day reloading it has to be BRASS!!!!

[upinflames2400]

Awesome thanks for the help

[cjskalka]

Originally Posted by pdq_wizzard

in a big pinch you can reload steel cases at lest once. (talking SHTF I would do anything I had to....) but for standard day to day reloading it has to be BRASS!!!!

And assuming you have the capability to deal with berdan primers? How much boxer primed steel cases have you seen? Dont know about this one.

[ZakAttackMan]

Originally Posted by upinflames2400

I'm going to the range thus Sunday and planning on shooting about 300 rounds through my new ar. I have 2 value packs of federal fmj and 2 boxes of Remington metal case. Are they ok to save to eventually reload? And what brands are the best to save

None of it you should give it to me before it even hits the range ground, and any other cases that you can find.

If its brass and not steel I pick it up than sort out the berdan crap before I tumble. but I have yet to see a berdan .223 or .556 case yet.

[upinflames2400]

Also I can count on the case being boxer primed if the round was made in America?

[Mike A]

As far as I know, Berdan-primed cases haven't been made in the US since the 1890s.

[pdq_wizzard]

Originally Posted by cjskalka

And assuming you have the capability to deal with berdan primers? How much boxer primed steel cases have you seen? Dont know about this one.

the last WOLF 223 I bought had box primers.

[bcrich]

I got 4 reloads out of the boxer primed wolf cases (steel) before I tossed them due to split necks on 2 out of 30. Just tossed them all out, it was just a test anyway.

[five.five-six]

Originally Posted by pdq_wizzard

in a big pinch you can reload steel cases at lest once. (talking SHTF I would do anything I had to....) but for standard day to day reloading it has to be BRASS!!!!

wouldn't steel be hella hard on your trimmer and sizer?

[bcrich]

you can really feel the difference when trimming but I only had to trim them once they didnt stretch beyond 1.760