Once fired brass - buyer beware !

[1armoured]

 

Quality European .22Hornet brass, i.e. RWS, Lapua, Norma and Sako, is impossible or difficult to come by, and expensive if you can.
 
Besides other US and E.European stuff, I use Lapua in my .308, and Lapua Match and Sako in my .222, for good consistent results..
 
I ‘bit the bullet’ and sent for 100x RWS once fired, (ex Germany) from a local RWS agent, (basically half price of new RWS) but was a bit disappointed when they arrived.
Obviously range pickings, tarnished and some dinged, and different batches, but brass not corroded past surface as such, so not unsafe,
But no signs of any potential case head or neck separations, or pressure rings. So not all bad.
(My own once fired are all pristine, maybe I was hoping for too much.)
 I have heard that in Europe, few reload, and brass is just left on the range where staff sell it back to the manufacturer. I would have expected better quality. Never mind, a learning experience and a bit extra work for me.
 
I cleaned them up, opened the squashed necks, then full length sized, and checked length.
They are all close to Min spec, so that is good.
They are heavier than any other brass that I have used, so looking good, although less powder capacity.
(I have RP brass for those 13gr Lil’gun 3,000fps loads !)
Primer pockets are nice and flat and no expansion.
Flash holes look to be drilled, and not punched, so nice and flat pockets, with no internal burring, like the Lapua and Sako brass.
 
Basically two sizes of rim, roughly half each .062” and .063”.
(SAAMI spec is .065”)
My Anschutz 1730 flat breech face and tight headspace on rim is NO GO at .063”,
But my Savage Model 40 with cone breech face is more accommodating, so I have split the 100 into two batches of 50x for each specific rifle.
 
Here’s a pic of some of the worst examples, and the RWS headstamp,
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And the final cleaned up and resized lot, Federal small pistol primed.
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So in the end, not all bad, but maybe a bit more due diligence, so one knows what one is in for !
Now to put some lead down range !!!
(My favourite is 40gr Nosler Ballistics)
 
Cheers,
SS

[tacklebury]

I've had similar.  People really shouldn't post it as once fired when it's range pick-up only.  They may have been reloaded multiple times and it's not a valid claim to state once fired.  If they were being ethical, they should state it's rough range brass and charge accordingly.  Just my opinion, but it's basically a lie to state otherwise. 

[Catfish]

But it was only once fired. They just didn`t say that it laid in the driveway all summer befor they picked it up and brought it in.