Brass/bullet shaving safe to fire

[Sigfla]

I just loaded up a test ladder for my .204. I noticed afterwards while testing concentricity that I had some rounds with shavings at the case mouth/bullet base. I was able to clean most off using a wire brush and I bought a K&M chamfer tool for the future.

My question is will firing these do any damage to the rifling/chamber? Some still have a tiny bit of brass on them that I couldn’t break off with the wire brush. I’ll end up having to reload the ladder bc now my bullets are shaved up which is no biggie but should I save the powder and just pull them or use them as foulers?

 

[Allen Corneau]

Unless it's an extreme case, they should be fine to shoot.

I have had the same issue once after wet tumbling with pins and not chamfering the inside of the neck. They shot fine with no issues for the barrel or in their performance (shooting Silhouette, so not benchrest level tolerances).

Lesson learned, I'm sure.

 

[RegionRat]

My take would be based on the barrel and purpose.

I have seen stuff like this shot through machine mounted test bbls where the bbl didn't care, and I have seen it make a mess of the target performance and to copper foul the bbl too soon.

If the gun shoots tight, then I would not run them unless you just wanted to see what happens.

If the gun isn't a tight shooter, then it probably won't hurt much but you may end up with copper fouling sooner than normal.

Keep an eye on the throat and down near the muzzle.

 

[Sigfla]

My take would be based on the barrel and purpose.

I have seen stuff like this shot through machine mounted test bbls where the bbl didn't care, and I have seen it make a mess of the target performance and to copper foul the bbl too soon.

If the gun shoots tight, then I would not run them unless you just wanted to see what happens.

If the gun isn't a tight shooter, then it probably won't hurt much but you may end up with copper fouling sooner than normal.

Keep an eye on the throat and down near the muzzle.

It’s only about 20 rounds total with maybe 4-5 max with the shaved ring still visible. They looked bad before I took the wire brush to them and peeled the ring off. I figured I would just burn them through my CZ rather than my 2 custom .204’s. Hopefully I prep my cases better with the K&M tool. All these bullets were flat base as well and I never really intended to use any of them. I wanted to run 39 Sierras and loaded these to experiment.

 

[troupe]

00000 steel wool works great , then wipe the steel wool dust.

 

[chop house]

Keep an eye on the throat and down near the muzzle

OT, but you bring up a interesting point. Why does cu fouling appear in those two areas first? Curious minds....

 

[FeMan]

OT, but you bring up a interesting point. Why does cu fouling appear in those two areas first? Curious minds....

Copper at or near the throat is from direct deposition (i.e. scrubbed off the bullet). I have been told that the copper at the muzzle is the result of particles being melted in the heat of combustion and then solidifying and being deposited once the temp and pressure drop near the muzzle. I cant say for sure that is the cause but it does make sense.

 

[M-61]

00000 steel wool works great , then wipe the steel wool dust.

I never knew of 5 (00000) steel wool.
Where do you purchase it? And is it marked with FIVE 0 ?

 

[RegionRat]

I'm thinking that 5/0 was a typo and he meant 4/0?

 

[47WillysGuy]

Bullet shavings do not give total accuracy confidence. Case necks should not be recreating the bullet diameter.

There are mandrels and lubricants to experiment with.

 

[chop house]

I cant say for sure that is the cause but it does make sense.

I was kinda guessing something along this line. Otoh, velocity has increased so friction (heat) could effect the jacket alloy? If it is a vapor deposition thingy the pattern should look different than at the chamber, right?

 

[ebb]

Maybe look at chamfer of case mouth or a slightly larger bushing if you are using a bushing die. When I see these issues with a flat based bullet it's cause I missed a case while chamfering.

 

[troupe]

I never knew of 5 (00000) steel wool.
Where do you purchase it? And is it marked with FIVE 0 ?

yes it is 00000. I have not purchased it in many years and that is all I use it for, as long as Kroil and the 00000 works good on surface rust.

 

[FeMan]

I was kinda guessing something along this line. Otoh, velocity has increased so friction (heat) could effect the jacket alloy? If it is a vapor deposition thingy the pattern should look different than at the chamber, right?

I think the copper you find at the muzzle is most likely shaved by the case during reloading. If the theory is correct, I think it would need to be shavings behind the actual projectile.