45 "NT" brass opinions.

[Noah]

Hello CGers.

I just bought a loading press kit and am going to learn to load.
I have been shopping for components and have found most of what I am looking for except large pistol primers for my 45 rounds.
While shopping I came across once fired Federal NT brass that uses SP primers.
I searched around and found that most people throw this stuff out as it is a pain to have two primers size for one caliber. Anyways, I was wondering if sorting is the only drawback, or if there are other concerns with using the NT brass.

I was concidering grabbing a few hundred cases of this stuff and just using it for now until LP primers are easier to get. I have saved near a thousand pieces of WWB brass from previous trips to the range but none of my local shops ever get and LP primers and when they do they only sell 1 or 2 hundred a day per customer. So what do you think. Will this stuff work for taget shooting my 45.

Thanks,
Noah

[nn3453]

Nothing wrong with it. Doesn't hurt to have more options, but yes, you need to separate your spent cases and it can get confusing. There was a time when I couldn't find large pistol primers and all I had was SP primers. Would have come handy then.

[Inkman]

LPPs are easier to get than SPPs. NTs are a pain in the *** unless you want to spend the time sorting them out. I toss em. Too many large primer cases at the range to be bothered with the NTs.

Al

[gunboat]

Aside from keeping them separate, they worked fine when shot the first time, should work fine when reloaded. my ha-penny

[Noah]

LPPs are easier to get than SPPs. NTs are a pain in the *** unless you want to spend the time sorting them out. I toss em. Too many large primer cases at the range to be bothered with the NTs.

Al

That doesn't seem to be the case in my area. I have been popping in and out of the local shops for weeks and have not seen even a single box of LPP. However there has been plenty of SPP in stock. Sounds like the stores in my area need to talk to the ones in your area and get their stock figured out.

I have been able to find LPP online however was planning on starting with smaller quatities of things until I learn what I am doing.
Buying online doesn't seem practical unless you buy several thousand primers due to the hazmat & shipping fees.
Maybe I will give it some more time and see if I can come across some LPPs locally.

Noah

[Noah]

So it does sound like sorting is the only concern as far as functionality of the casings go. I was wondering if they didn't last as long or something like that. I did read that "NT" was for "non-toxic" and was thinking the brass must actually be different in chemistry or something, possibly giving it a shorter life or maybe a longer one?

Noah

[Inkman]

I only order 5 or 10 thousand at a time online. If you know of places in NorCal with small primers on the shelf at non-rape prices, there are alot of folks here who will love you long time

I have seen primers FS at 2 places local and refuse to give em my business simply because of their prices.

Only loading .45ACP does have its advantages.

[Inkman]

Here's another thread on them.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=218197

[f4tweet]

I pick them up and separate them from the LP cases. I now have a coffee can full of them. I will load them up and use them. Why waste them? They are a .45 case.

[xrMike]

The NT ammo is supposedly named because it's "non-toxic". It doesn't use lead styphnate in its primers. It uses another explosive called DDNP (forget what that stands for). Use of NT ammo is mandated by some govt. agencies for training purposes indoors, where exposure to lead is greater than shooting outdoors.

The problem with NT brass is that, while it will fit a SPP, the explosive they use is not as powerful as lead styphnate, so they have to compensate by giving it a bigger flash hole. So if you try to use SPPs containing lead styphnate in NT brass, you're going to get hotter loads than what your loading manual indicates.

In short: I wouldn't mess with NT brass, especially if you're just starting out with reloading. It's not a good way to start learning the basics because it introduces variables that are NOT normal. This makes it potentially unsafe, unless you know what you're doing.

Check out the "primers in stock" thread and just buy some LPPs online.

[Noah]

Here's another thread on them.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=218197

Thanks inkman,
Yea I had already found that thread in a search but it seemed that everyones main complaint with the NT stuff was the sorting issue.

[Noah]

xrMike,
Thanks a ton for the advice. I definitely think I will avoid the NT stuff and I guess I may just have to pony up and buy several thousand LPPs online and have them for future. It only seems worth the hazmat/shipping if you buy several thousand. I definitely want to stay with very stock loads, since I am just starting out.

Noah

PS. Ride RED

[xrMike]

Noah, Widener's has Wolf LPP in stock still:

http://wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|284|737

$29/K, plus the usual fees.

Yeah, hazmat + shipping sux. If you're in the bay area, i'd be willing to go in with you on an order, say for 1K of LPP. (I've got some already, but could always use a few more. This would help you out some with hazmat + shipping.)

Better dead than not-red!

[sargenv]

The 45 NT cases are good if you want to only use small primers in eveything and also do not want to have to convert your primer assembly on your progressive press every time you set up a different caliber.

[f4tweet]

On the RCBS Pro 2000, that takes about one minute.