Aluminum cases

[lynneil]

I'm shooting at an outdoor range in real soft fine sand. Much of my brass gets buried when ejected. At another range , I found a lot of newly fired aluminum cases. I got to thinking, why not load these up and not worry about collecting them, just leave them. I have reloaded 50 cases and fired them with no problems. So, just for plinking, why not keep loading up the alum cases until they fail just as I do with my brass cases. Has any body tried this? I plant to keep a count of how many times I can reload the alum cases. At least one time for sure is possible.

[Kmrere42]

Hi,


I have reloaded wolf steel cases as an experiment and they worked.  I thought that the aluminum cases were berdan primed and of an off size and thus not re-loadable.




Paul

[lynneil]

The cases are stamped with some lettering that I have never seen before. I picked approx 100 cases after a steel match. The primer size is for small pistol. I reloaded 20 at a time for trial. Thus far I have fired all one time with no failures. I may try 10 at a time for a second reload.

[Mikey]

Lynneil:  I think I might try this.  I purchased some inexpensive CCI 9mm ball in Aluminum cases - throw aways, right - but I looked at some of the fired cases laying around and yeah, small pistol primers, and even if they last only one or two loadings, that is one or two more loadings you get out of your brass cases.  I wonder if the make 38 Super..

When you reloaded, what bullet/size/ wt did you use and do you feel the Aluminum case responded to resizing and any crimping any more easily than a brass case?  Do you feel they held the bullet as firmly as the brass case would??  ?Did you use a case lubricant or Tungston Carbide coated dies??  Thanks.

[lynneil]

The cases were CCI. Using Lee carbide dies, they were very easy to resize, much easier than brass. I loaded them with 220 grain flat nose lead bullets and they crimped just fine. The small pistol primers worked perfectly. Accuracy was as good as the same load with brass cases. Every one of the 100 or so that I reloaded shot well and showed no signs of failure. However, during the second reloading, cases started to split while inserting and crimping the bullet. I tossed them all into the trash. These cases showed a very brittle split that you could litterally snap off into little pieces. My results show that these aluminum cases were good for one reload, period. Would I try this expeiment again? Only if brass cases and/or large pistol primers became unavailable, and then, only for ONE reload.

[Casull]

Another thing to think about is that any corrosion on those cases is aluminum oxide.  That is the same thing as the abrasive found on many sandpapers.  I don't think I would want to run that through my dies.

[Savage]

Another thing to think about is that any corrosion on those cases is aluminum oxide.  That is the same thing as the abrasive found on many sandpapers.  I don't think I would want to run that through my dies.

Good point!

Savage

[Keith L]

So, aside from the abrasive issue, when that case fails what will that do to you and your gun?  I don't see it as worth the risk.

[Kmrere42]

Hi,



While there is aluminum oxide on the cases as with all aluminum, it is a smooth micro-coating that will not wear the chamber any more than any other case material.  That's not the issue,  Its the work hardening of the case that causes it to fail after the first or second reloading. 


Lack of neck tension will cause the bullet to be pushed back into the case during the feeding portion of the cycle and an increase of chamber pressure is much more of a concern.



Paul

[glockbox]

I have not tried the aluminum cases in 45acp but I do reload 38 special aluminum cases using 115gr 9mm bullets. The thicker case walls hold the bullets snug until I put a heave roll crimp on them. I shoot them once and throw them away. Makes reloading just a little cheaper.