Brass and other shell casing that you avoid

[Dirtlaw]

What manufacturers have left you with a bad experience? Please be as specific as you can regarding the problem you had. Thanks. There is likely stuff we should consider avoiding -- so let's help each other with a warning.

[JoyfulJoker]

9mm CBC and Aguila. Heavy brass doesn’t flare or seat easily . Works with with FMJ but not coated lead.

[bohoki]

i dont like S&B 9mm brass every other primer wont seat all the way

also .223 fed brass doesn't seem to hold a primer after a second loading

for 45acp its just look out for small primer cases

heaven is a field of 9mm win brass and once fired remington .223 cases

[ironhorse1]

I have had primers fall out of Amerc brass in .45.acp

Tula 9mm is thicker than other brass just fwiw.

No problems with GFL, S & B, CBC or Aquila 9mm.

I've had brand new Remington .45 acp that was so thin it would not hold a bullet. Tried several times and had to toss the thin cases.

irh

[MongooseV8]

Federal seems to get loose primer pockets after only a couple uses in both rifle and pistol.

[hermosabeach]

Does S&B have a primer pocket crimp on top of the red primer sealant?

[Corbin Dallas]

AMERC goes in my recycle bucket.

[JackEllis]

I use only Lake City 5.56 cases because they're common. No problems. I have mostly Remington .243 cases. No problems. I have mostly Remington .30-06 cases. No problems.

I sell a lot of range brass. The only "complaints" I've had are for plated Speer .223 cases, which are crimped and someone who mentioned a certain 6.5 case by a specific manufacturer (sorry, can't remember details because my brain is full).

I've also seen and read posts in a variety of forums about the Federal .223 primer pockets but no personal experience.

I've had some .243 cases split at the neck, but they were used when I got them so it's entirely possible they had been reloaded too many times.

[divingin]

Does S&B have a primer pocket crimp on top of the red primer sealant?

I know their 45 is (or was, last I tried - few years ago) not crimped, just really really tight. I ended up culling the S&B stuff and priming it using a hand primer rather than on the progressive press.

[the86d]

What manufacturers have left you with a bad experience? Please be as specific as you can regarding the problem you had. Thanks. There is likely stuff we should consider avoiding -- so let's help each other with a warning.

Geco, circa '80's brass was Berdan primed, I got a bunch from a friend that got from his neighbor, and I didn't know... until I horked a decapping pin.
I then learned quick about Berdan primed brass...

Everything I bought retail, or bulk, never had this issue...
I don't think I ever bought aluminum, or steel cased for 9mm,
but the Ruski steel-cased .223 I got in the past was WAY under-powered (Tula or Wolf, as I recall..).

[lakersfan]

My 9mm bullets tend to spin and push into Blazer Brass casings so I avoid them.

[TomReloaded]

I've had no problem with any pistol brass so far. Managed to avoid stepped 9mm too. Federal SP 45 is pretty damn annoying, and I picked up tons of it last range trip, but it works just fine.

Federal 223 does get loose pockets, and its also out of spec (too short) from first firing. Its safe, but thats pretty wonky. When LC was everywhere and dirt cheap, I'd just buy bulk LC and not pickup random range brass.

[NapalmCheese]

I'm sort of avoiding IVI 5.56 NATO brass. Decapping is a pain until you iron out the crimp. The LC 5.56 brass I've processed hasn't been as problematic.

[the86d]

What manufacturers have left you with a bad experience? Please be as specific as you can regarding the problem you had. Thanks. There is likely stuff we should consider avoiding -- so let's help each other with a warning.

I'm sort of avoiding IVI 5.56 NATO brass. Decapping is a pain until you iron out the crimp. The LC 5.56 brass I've processed hasn't been as problematic.

I have squished many-a-primer on crimped (X)M855...
I now stop if it doesn't just seat easily, and then swap out for another piece of brass, then swage the problematic brass after I run out of issue-free brass....

[NorthBay Shooter]

I will no longer load brand new Starline brass. It seems there are some small brass imperfections inside the case that cause brass to get on your powder funnel die. This then causes that die to stick. You have to then emery board the powder funnel to remove the built up brass. Total pain in the butt and made reloading not fun. I guess this is a known issue but somehow I never came across it before.