Reloading Military Surplus 308

[Steamin]

I've got a bunch of .308 military surplus brass leftover from my M1A days, can I reload it safely for my Handi or should I stick to brand name brass.
The brass is a hodge podge of different stuff, used to be an older guy here and everytime he went to a gun show or swap meet he'd buy a box or two of militarty stuff to give me while I was in the service (he always said it was the least he could do for someone he knew that was in the service).

Thanks
Steamin

[greg916]

You can use it, but you will need to remove the primer crimp and remember the brass is thicker, so what is a safe reload in commercial brass probably
will not be in military brass. You will have to reduce your powder charge.

[bilmac]

In general military brass is made to higher standards than commercial brass. I have some 06 stuff dated in the 40s still going strong. Show me anything else with a lifespan that long these days.

[Fred M]

Yes the GI brass is good stuff the load needs to be adjusted dowward. The removal of the GI primer is a pain and requires
a special punch and a reamer. You need to sort the different brands because they all vary in Ho2 volume.

I did some onetime, but gave up on it because, good all the same brass is cheap enough.

[Bigeasy]

Steamin-

It will work fine.  All the major reloading company's make a tool for removing the primer crimp, which is used in military brass.  Because military brass does tend to be a little thicker (less powder capacity) the commercial brass, I would be careful with max loads.  It will take a little less powder to reach max pressures.   Full length re-size, and if you want the best accuracy (consistency) segregate the brass by head stamp.

[Rustyinfla]

   I deprime all my stuff with a Lee punch anyway so it's not that much of a problem. Then take a pocket knife and run around the inside of the primer pocket to remove the crimped in part of the pocket. You'll get a feel for that after a while.

[LaOtto222]

I use a Lee punch with a hammer like Rustyinfla described; one out of a Lee load all kit. I then run a deburring tool around the primer pocket to knock off the crimp. I then separate all brass by head stamp also looking for brass problems like split case mouths or dents to big to ignore. I then run them through a vibratory cleaner or tumbler. I then full Length size, clean the primer pockets and deburr the primer holes from the inside. After that I trim to length and deburr the case mouths. I am ready to start reloading. Some of the steps are really not needed, it is just me being me. The primer pocket cleaning, deburring the inside of the flash hole is being a little fussy. Cleaning before full length sizing is a must however to keep from damaging your die. If you want top performance you wil  need to work up a load for every head stamp. If you do not care about top performance just use beginning loads for the powder you are using, but expect slightly different POI for each case. Even Military cases can vary between head stamps. Some people like the economy of using military brass and some just find it to be a hassle. Good Luck and Good Shooting

[Totenkopf]

 Instead of headstamp I segregate by weight. I use them in semi auto rifles since they tend to chew up brass quicker than a bolt action. I also reamed all of the semi autos to the same chamber so I can neck size only. The ammo is every bit as accurate as commercial brass, just uses a lesser charge. Also I get more reloads without having to trim length as often. I also slightly ream the flash hole as well. For what ever reason it tends to be slightly narrower than commercial brass from time to time. I just look for uniformity.