A while back in these forums, it was reported that Norma's 9.3x74R brass didn't have the best case life. It was agreed there wasn't enough brass in the flare from the web to the sides. However, one user reported his last batch was nearly 10% heavier than earlier runs.

Is this heavier version now standard? If so, is case life better as a result?

asdf, I bought some Norma 9.3 about 6 mths. ago. I use it for a wildcat .338x74K in a Ruger #1. I only get (5) loads before signs of head sep. I sectioned a case & they are thinner than cases from RWS. I have since bought RWS & am running a test batch to see how many firings I can get.

I bought a Chapuis double in early May. I have fired it approximately 300 times as of 6-20.

I ordered forty cases for reloading. I can not speak to the longevity of the older brass from Norma in 9.3x74R. Some of the new pieces have been through 10 loadings and firings as of now.

I have not had one seperate. I have full length resizing dies that are set to only size part of the neck. I do not resize to the shoulder. Most firings have been with a combination of loads but I have settled on 55.0gr of VV N135 behind a Speer 270gr. I am using CCI 200 primers.

I bought the cases before I knew people were having trouble with the Norma brass. I bought 40 pieces of RWS, but I have not fired any of them yet.


I do not know if these are standard, but I hope so.

Douglas R. Mays

Norma brass has always been the best IMO...If one is having case life problems it is because one is loading it too hot and keep in mind that double rifles are very hard on brass, especially loaded hot...All double rifle brass is very thin and delicate even the 470 and 500 N.E. and when a bolt action fan gets his first double he has a come uppence time to deal with whilst he makes his bones

drm,

RWS brass can be difficult to find at times. I bought several hundred cases from Old Western Scrounger about a year ago, but he said he was dropping RWS. Did you buy yours recently and if so where did you find it?

Thanks,
Brian

I almost asked the same question. I checked Huntington's site and see they again list this case from RWS -- they didn't a few months back.

How about that. I just went to Huntington's and sure enough, they list quite a variety of RWS brass. I know it hasn't been there in the past. Hopefully, they'll be able to keep a reasonable supply in stock - something OWS never did. I've ordered a fair amount of stuff from Huntington's in the past and their prices while never what I'd call cheap are certainly a hell of a lot better than what that old SOB at OWS charged me for the RWS brass a year ago.

As you have discovered, Huntington's is selling it. I had also heard RWS was hard to come by; I decided to look around anyway, and there it was.

If you try some longevity experiments with the RWS brass, please post the results. I have considered doing so. I feel it would only be fair to use the same load for all firings. I have been trying various loads in my Norma brass. I probably will order a hundred or so as I have had the above posted luck with it.

Good shooting