Reloading help--> is this head separation? 460 S&W

[Squid2000]

Hey everyone i finally got everything to reload my 460 SW. I casted my own bolts, and processed my once fired Hornady 460 brass. As i was reloading I noticed this line on a majority of the brass. The only thing I've done to it was resize and decap using hornady dies. I set the resizing die so it barely clears the shell plate on the bottom. I don't know if this was there before. I recall most of the brass sitting on an angle were i would have to guide the brass into the reloading die-not sure that makes a diff. Anyways just wondering if this is head separation or something i did with the resizing. There is not line or marks inside the brass. The lines on the outside of the case only appear on one side about 1/4 of a case in circumference. These are the best pictures I could get. Any advise is welcome. Thank for looking.

[maxx03]

The ring is caused by the sizing die, perfectly normal. when the brass starts to thin you would also see the ring on the inside.

[NoNOS67]

The ring is caused by the sizing die, perfectly normal. when the brass starts to thin you would also see the ring on the inside.

Yup! Great job with the photos! Made it a lot easier to answer your question.

[Squid2000]

Wow thanks a lot guys. That makes sense. The separation has to begin from the inside out so a separation would most likely be noted on the inside. Hanks a million

[Fjold]

Straight walled cases don't usually suffer from head separation.

Head separation is caused by excess headspace when the shoulder is pushed back during resizing. Then the cartridge stretches during firing to fill the chamber.

Rimmed, straight walled cases headspace on the rim.

[M1NM]

The sizing die should bottom out on the shell holder. Screw the die down till it touches then go about 1/4 turn more. Head seperation on a revolver is rare. The shell is fully supported in the chamber and only moves to the rear a few thousandths.

[NoNOS67]

The sizing die should bottom out on the shell holder. Screw the die down till it touches then go about 1/4 turn more.

That depends on who you ask. Some manufactures recommend against having carbide sizing dies adjusted down that far.

[JagerDog]

Just where the sizing die stops.

Case head seperation will look like a bright ring. Non-destructively you can test with a pointed paperclip with a 90* bend. As you drag across the suspect area (internal) it will hang up. Or...you can cut 'em in half.

[pacrat]

Just where the sizing die stops.

Case head seperation will look like a bright ring. Non-destructively you can test with a pointed paperclip with a 90* bend. As you drag across the suspect area (internal) it will hang up. Or...you can cut 'em in half.

With the BigA straight walled 460 Mag case just shine a flashlight in it. The paperclip bobby pin trick does work well.

[JTROKS]

With the BigA straight walled 460 Mag case just shine a flashlight in it. The paperclip bobby pin trick does work well.

LOL

OP: with the high pressure, flame throwing, forcing cone eroding, top strap cutting, tendinitis giving, flinch inducing, loud booming, awe giving, profanity producing 460 revolver you'll see case splits before case head separation.

['ol shooter]

I bough a bunch of range brass in 9mm, and after sizing got the same effect on the cases. It's not the dies, because it doesn't happen with new brass. It gauges and shoots fine.

[JTROKS]

I bough a bunch of range brass in 9mm, and after sizing got the same effect on the cases. It's not the dies, because it doesn't happen with new brass. It gauges and shoots fine.

That's some serious bulged brass you got there. Brand new 9mm brass are still within specs reason why they don't have the sizing die mark around them. As for your used brass were those mil type brass or possible fired through a machine gun. Glocked brass has a bulge on one side of the case due to the unsupported area bulging. Your brass looks like they expanded all around typical to open breach fire machine gun.

[Whiterabbit]

LOL

OP: with the high pressure, flame throwing, forcing cone eroding, top strap cutting, tendinitis giving, flinch inducing, loud booming, awe giving, profanity producing 460 revolver you'll see case splits before case head separation.

Bingo. Vertical line, about 1/2" long, from 30% to 70% up and down the case, give or take, small crack. Unmistakable when it happens. Shoots fine of course, just extracts *slightly* gummy. see crack in case, throw away, move on in life.

['ol shooter]

That's some serious bulged brass you got there. Brand new 9mm brass are still within specs reason why they don't have the sizing die mark around them. As for your used brass were those mil type brass or possible fired through a machine gun. Glocked brass has a bulge on one side of the case due to the unsupported area bulging. Your brass looks like they expanded all around typical to open breach fire machine gun.

Sub machine gun was my guess too. Some cases had striated marks on them too, characteristic of I think a P7 pistol? Like I said, they still shoot fine, and have been reloaded at least twice by me with no ill effects. I keep a close eye on them though.

[opos]

On rifle cases with a shoulder you can take a small wire dental pick (the kind the dentist uses...they are available on e bay) and "probe" the inside of the case in the area from the junction of where the head meets the side wall....up for about 1/2 inch or so...if there is a potential head separation...there will often times be a cratered area inside the case that is a result of brass flow when the cartridge is fired and worked in reloading. The cratering will be a "ring" around the inside of the cartridge and will often be a bit "above" (toward the throat of the shell) from where the visible resizing die ring is seen on the outside...so don't just feel to that level...need to go a bit higher up in the brass...just run the tip of the pick up along the inside of the shell and if you feel a definite dip or crater you might want to consider what you want to do...if I find that the brass is going to get "pinched" and discarded ..some folks will mark the case..do the load they are working on and then dump it after that loading..I don't...if it's cratered and noticable with the pick...it's history.