I have a bunch of older factory ammo, probably 25-30 years old from the boxes. After I use it is it OK to strat reloading or does unfired brass become prone to cracking with age?


Thanks, Rob

Brass does harden with age. How long before it becomes an issue I don't know. I have some brass that I know is 40+ years old. I've reloaded it now and then over the years and have not had a problem with any of it so far.

Annealing might help.
- mike

Several years ago I was given ~60 loaded WCC '45 .30-06 rounds (for my '06). I pulled the FMJ's, dumped the powder and reloaded with 24gr. IMR 4198 and 175gr. cast bullets. By the second firing, I got a few (~3/50) neck splits. By annealing all of the unsplit brass, the problem never recurred.

quote:

Originally posted by Recoil Rob:
I have a bunch of older factory ammo, probably 25-30 years old from the boxes. After I use it is it OK to strat reloading or does unfired brass become prone to cracking with age?


Thanks, Rob

If the brass has spots of discoloration/reddish on the outside, i would not reload it. I feel brass does harden over time and will crack,not always in the neck area. If its really old ammo, you may have miss fires or hang fires. I would not reload brass/ammo that behaved this way, as there may be corrosion inside the brass you can't see.

What temp. does it need to be annealed to?


Thanks, Rob

Age does matter...I used to think it didn't...but found out otherwise. I think, though 25-30 years old is OK, if
no outward signs around the bullet/neck. I have had old Newton brass...some 60-70 years old...and had necks
split, and cases rupture. Some held together, some didn't. I don't use the old stuff anymore. Brass looked good & I cleaned it up...but apparently just too old. I even had a box of .30 Newton original ammo...pulled the bullets, deprimed the primers as they were mercuric type, dumped the powder. Used the unfired brass...they still split at the necks. So, got to be an age problem, I'd say.
However, I think the 25-30 year old brass should be OK.
I would do as a poster suggested is to anneal the necks after first firing.
(Hornady makes a nice annealing kit...used a temperature paste that lets you know when to dump the case in water
to stop the annealing) I use it to take the guess work out of annealing temps.
Best Regards,
Tom

Annealing brass works better ~650 deg. F. A propane torch is usable, but you have to be careful not to overdo things. I.e., in subdued light, you want the necks & shoulders to barely turn a dull red. If you can find an alcohol lamp (the kind with a replaceable wick) and use denatured alcohol, you won't overheat the brass.

The best way I have found is to use a Bernz-O-Matic propane torch, a glass pie plate and water. Place the decapped brass base down in the water (as much as you can get in the pie plate without it spilling over) and play the torch around the neck until it slightly glows, then tip it over in the water. Subdued lighting would give you a better idea of when it was glowing.

Brass work/age hardens and is softened when heated and quenched, just the opposite of ferrous alloys,

Any old brass thathas had the old mercury primers fired in them should never be reused as the mercury imbeds in the brass and causes weakness.

This is not an advisement:::::

I have wildcat cartridges I've cut down, formed, turned, annealled and loaded that date back as far as 1941.I know I'ved use some of these cases as 30-06s for years before I wildcated them. As wildcats I've used them since about 1982. Again ; this is not an indorsement to use old brass. It's just information that is being passed on. Oh! you really don't have to quench brass when you anneal but it doesn't hurt to do so either. roger

I had several old lots of remington brand 270Win LOADED FACTORY ammo develop cracks in the case HEAD when fired.

At first the ammo showed a couple of mouth splits
then a case showed a shoulder split, the next three rounds nothing

Then round seven split down the side in two places.

My brother then insisted on firing round #8 which split down the side, through the extractor groove and into the primer pocket.

fortunatly the only casualty was the riveted-in extractor
on the Rem700 being used, it could have been much worse than a busted extractor and a puff of smoke around the firing pin extension.

After that the factory bullets were all pulled and the remaining unfired brass crushed in my loading press
then scrapped.

AD

I have had brand new ammo that had neck cracks and splits!

I have WWII .30-06 brass I am still using, and have had new brass to fail. It's all in the metallurgy

LLS