Dinged Brass - Newbie Q

[Nadir_E]

While I haven't yet entered the world of reloading (planning to through the upcoming area classes being planned), I am curious about how much damage to brass crosses the line and puts a shell out of commission for reloading.

In this case (sorry! ) I offer the following photo of damaged .223 rounds that were part of a "factory reload" purchase from an on-line retailer. The one on the right is the least dinged, but the other two are noticeably so. Would you be concerned about potential failures to extract if you fired these rounds?



Many thanks for your advice/opinions.

-N

[EBR Works]

Those dents will disappear when you shoot them and extraction won't be an issue. You should inspect each case before reloading them.

[doc1buc]

+1, the only concern would be the brass piece on the left if the dent has a puncture in it.

[ZakAttackMan]

If that is the majority of "BRASS QUALITY" that you purchased from your dealer reloads I would never purchase rounds from that dealer again.

I myself would not sell reloaded brass that looks like that (after firing) because I have to much that looks better but that is just MHO

[stphnman20]

Oh thats nothing.. It'll go away once you fire it..

[nn3453]

Yikes! Those aren't dents from reloads, I don't think. Those look like dents that would happen in failures to cycle the ammo through some sort of autoloading mechanism... maybe factory seconds from a high-speed reloading setup?

Could be excessive case lube.

[Offroader]

Excessive case lube? Can you clearify how much case lube should be used. This is a valid question. I am just starting to load 223 and am curious how to indicate how much case lube should be used. Not enough and the case will jam and now too much and the case will have a dent?

[ar15barrels]

Not enough and the case will jam and now too much and the case will have a dent?

This is correct.
Those dents were not from lube though.
Those dents above were from people walking on the brass before it was collected, or from the gun that fired it previously.

Lube dents from excess lube will be in the shoulder, above the transistion to the main part of the case body.

[nn3453]

Lube dents from excess lube will be in the shoulder, above the transistion to the main part of the case body.

That make sense. I found this out the hard way many moons ago. Hornady's one shot is especially notorious for this. It is easy to get carried away and spray too much.

[freakshow10mm]

Who loaded it? I would think QC would cull those.

[ZakAttackMan]

Who loaded it? I would think QC would cull those.

+1 That's what I was thinking.
That brass should have went straight to the scrap pile not the press.

[ZakAttackMan]

That make sense. I found this out the hard way many moons ago. Hornady's one shot is especially notorious for this. It is easy to get carried away and spray too much.

I'm a big fan of hornadys "Unique Case Lube" you have to apply it by hand but sure beats using a lube pad.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=758495

[thomashoward]

The ejectors from previous firings do the dings like that.They will come out when fired. An HK with a fluted chamber put flutes in the brass and smashes the case mouth closed