Author Topic: Problem with new brass.  (Read 459 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Dusty Miller

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2271
  • Gender: Male
Problem with new brass.
« on: January 24, 2005, 06:13:29 PM »
Today I received a shipment containing 100 pieces of new Winchester 45 Colt brass.  I checked the case length and it was fine, so I then primed all the brass and started to bell the mouths.  WELL!  The mouths would just not bell, only partially on one side of the case and none at all on the other.  This perplexed the dickens out of me until I got out the calipers and measured the inside diameter of the cases and found that they ranged from .452-455.  That brass was NOT SIZED!!  This is the first time this has happened to me with straight wall handgun brass.  Is this common?
When seconds mean life or death, the police are only minutes away!

Offline Iowegan

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 646
Problem with new brass.
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2005, 07:07:37 PM »
Dusty, Yes, it is always recommended to size your new brass before loading. This is especially true for 45 Colt. The older guns chambered for 45 Colt used .454" bullets where the newer guns use .452 lead and .451 in jacketed. The brass can be used for either diameter but must be sized first.
GLB

Offline Lone Star

  • Reformed Gunwriter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2359
  • Gender: Male
Problem with new brass.
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2005, 03:41:24 AM »
Calm down, the brass is the correct size for factory bullets - it's factory brass afterall.  The soft factory bullets are .455"-.456" in diameter so the unfired brass is made to hold that size bullet.  Since modern .45LCs use .451"-.452" bullets, you have to size the cases down before reloading the smaller diameter bullets.

Offline Lone Star

  • Reformed Gunwriter
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2359
  • Gender: Male
Problem with new brass.
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2005, 03:42:57 AM »
Calm down, the brass is the correct size for factory bullets - it's factory brass afterall.  The soft factory bullets are .455"-.456" in diameter so the unfired brass is made to hold that size bullet.  Since modern .45LCs use .451"-.452" bullets, you have to size the cases down before reloading the smaller diameter bullets.  As above, it is always a good idea to size new cases to round out the case mouths and insure conformity.

Offline ricciardelli

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1004
  • Gender: Male
    • http://stevespages.com/page8.htm
Problem with new brass.
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2005, 05:55:30 AM »
Always full-length size new brass, regardless of the make, style or caliber.

Offline Duffy

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 660
Problem with new brass.
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2005, 04:23:51 PM »
Yep! Happend to me the first time on my 45 colt 28 years ago! At least you didn't have them all primed and charged with powder. :eek: The 45LC and 454 seem to be the main ones oversized but it pays to size them all.