HK 91 308 brass with flutted markings, not just cosmetic

[schuetzen]

I see posts by people on the internet that describe the flutted stripes on used 308 brass from HK91 as "cosmetic".  I have examples where the flutting is not just cosmetic.  After tumbling you can still see (and feel) the grooves caused by the flutted chamber of the HK91.

I want to start reloading 308 and have a bucket of 308 brass that I have saved through the years, much of which shows this flutting.

I have tried to take some photographs of an example, but unfortunately my camera does not produce good quality images close up.  I found this one image below, on-line that shows some flutting, but I have examples that are much more visible and can definitely be felt with my fingernail.

It appears from this photo, that people do reload these brass shells.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d71/SeaOx/HK91%20308/IMG_3795.jpg

I will see if I can get some kind of measurement on the height and depth of these flutting marks, but I would estimate from just eye-balling that they can be several thousandths of and inch deep.

Has anyone experienced this and what is the success with reloading this brass?

Is it satisfactory, just to know that they fit into resizing dies when reloading?

[southernutah]

I've seen a few but just tossed them in my junk brss box. If I had a lot I would probably full length size and see if they chamber. I would think they would fire form back close to origional form.

[Blackhawk44]

I have never heard of a problem with reloaded HK fired brass, especially when reused in standard "smooth" chambers.  I would watch for signs of brass stress if refired in an HK chamber.  My feeling is that even in an HK chamber, good quality brass would stand 2-4 reloads.  Admittedly at lower pressures, I have never bothered to monitor the number of reloads per case out of my fluted 9mm HK P7, but have yet to note a problem.  I just pick them up and reload them.

[Bigeasy]

I have reloaded commercial brass fired out of my HK #91-2 and CETME, and re-used it several times in the rifles with out issue.  I did note there seems to be a little more brass stretch with this action then in a bolt.  I never bothered to count max number of loadings before brass failure, but I would think web thinning from stretch would kill your brass before work hardening from the chamber flutes would.

Larry