45acp case

How many times, normally  is it possible reload the same 45 ACP case?

Expect ten, anything after 20x is gravy.

The common joke, - until it splits + 1 time. 

45 ACP is low pressure round, so, unless sizing / belling isn't excessive, brass can be reloaded several dozen times.  The thing to watch for is neck tension and crimp hold, as different brass alloys react differently to repeated stress.

AP

Starline are really only good for one firing. After that, you should dispose of them.

I have a connection; you can send all of your once-fired Starline brass to me for disposal if you don't want to do the legwork of finding someone local.

John B.- Could you please elaborate on the reasons why SL brass is one and done? Thank you very much for your time. ~DW

Lol

Dan Webb wrote:John B.- Could you please elaborate on the reasons why SL brass is one and done? Thank you very much for your time. ~DW

It’s a joke! Hook line and sinker! Lol

My folks ALWAYS told me…”Stay away from that Bickar kid, he just ain’t right.”

You guys ruin all of my fun.

A few years ago the AMU had an Internet or Facebook article on the subject with pictures. They (tongue-in-cheek) said if you can't read the headstamp anymore you should not reload that case.

john bickar wrote:You guys ruin all of my fun.

Somehow, I think you have plenty more stashed away somewhere.

Sa-tevp wrote:A few years ago the AMU had an Internet or Facebook article on the subject with pictures. They (tongue-in-cheek) said if you can't read the headstamp anymore you should not reload that case.

That is about right, on another form where was a guy with a ruptured case and there was no head stamp. I think someone makes a base no go gauge the idea being if the base cannot pass through the gauge the case is a no go. 

I have +20 loadings on my star line brass and I may get one cracked case out of every 1000 cases fired at this point and most of the cracks are little tiny ones.

16:35:33



Almost 20 years apart! Yes I can see the head stamp. These were loaded at one was 4.4 grains of Bulleye and one was 4.5 of N310. 

I normally loaded these until they crack and used them for 50 and 25 loads. Now I use them for 25 only with 3.6 grains of N310. I use Starline for my 50 yards now

Are those out of battery firing? Or did it blow into the feed ramp?

zanemoseley wrote:Are those out of battery firing? Or did it blow into the feed ramp?

100% completely in battery. The ruptures created the exact same blowout cut. It is exactly where the ramp is located. 90% of the blowout went down the magazine well and being left handed it blew apart the right side grip!

So how sure are you they weren't double charged? Were you using a powder check die at the time?

I used a trickle for my 50 yards for 30 years! 
I did double one one time. I had my chrono 
775,770,1200 like wtf? Lol


I’m positive it was from metal Fatigue from the sizing and decapping die. The ruptures are at the bend in the case

The 45 Auto case has a tendency to collapse the extractor groove the more times it’s fired.  Hence the shortening of the case over time.  This metal goes into the extractor groove eventually blowing out.

WesG wrote:

john bickar wrote:You guys ruin all of my fun.

Somehow, I think you have plenty more stashed away somewhere.

It's behind my last keg of 452AA.

Fifty-four times.  
http://www.floridareloading.com/index.php/2017/02/04/how-many-times-can-i-reload-45-acp-brass/

James Hensler wrote:16:35:33



Almost 20 years apart! Yes I can see the head stamp. These were loaded at one was 4.4 grains of Bulleye and one was 4.5 of N310. 

I normally loaded these until they crack and used them for 50 and 25 loads. Now I use them for 25 only with 3.6 grains of N310. I use Starline for my 50 yards now

Looks like a classic double charge rupture and not case fatigue.

Sounds like "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop"

10sandxs wrote:Sounds like "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop"

I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that myself. Thanks.

john bickar wrote:

WesG wrote:

john bickar wrote:You guys ruin all of my fun.

Somehow, I think you have plenty more stashed away somewhere.

It's behind my last keg of 452AA.

A rusty can of 5066?

I'm kind of intrigued by the extractor groove collapse Wobbley mentioned. Tempted to collect some cases, measure them on the comparator, and then load and fire them a bunch and see what happens.

Main trouble being, Bickar is my source for premium brass, and there aren't enough that miss the McDonalds bag he sets on the ground for me to get a statistically significant sample.

I keep loading 'em until they crack. Its easy to sort out the cracked ones, they make a different sound when you shake a handful of brass, then you know you have one in there to find. I think all straight wall cases get shorter with repeated firing.
phil