Lake City Military brass

[M T Pockets]

I have a small surplus of Lake City 1953 military 30/06 brass. I have looked inside for any primer corrosion and seen none. I have taken the primer crimp off and primed with no problem. Is there anyone with experience loading this vintage ammo or know something I should be concerned with?

 

[Walt Krafft]

Anneal the necks or they will probably split.

 

[WV Hitman]

Thicker cases cause higher pressures. Be careful. I had bolt on my .308 HS Precision handgun almost impossible to lift with my regular .308 loads. Had to load them several grains lower. Didn't want to take chances. Gave them away.

 

[Syncrowave]

Shot a lot of 1962 LC 30-06 brass in my 270 back in the early '80s, never a problem. I would echo Walt on annealing the necks of 70-yr-old stuff since brass hardens over time. Then work up from a cool or mid-range load.

 

[kenhwind]

I have loaded LC 62 Match brass without any issues; I never annealed any case necks either.
How many times I loaded these not sure, they generally get shot in our Garand so it is hard to say.

 

[searcher]

If you see what looks like "copper-colored" areas on the cases, you might want to pick those out - as it would likely be advanced corrosion. It is pretty distinct, not easy to miss. If you have an annealer, good idea to do that. I once came across a case of Korean War vintage .45 ACP ball ammo and it had some problems with that corrosion. Initially, I didn't think of it as corrosion, but I had never seen advanced stage of brass corrosion like that. I'd weigh your cases and see how the weight is compared to the cases you are using, to give you an idea as to whether there may be a big difference in case capacity. Doing a water fill test would be even better. Otherwise, a good rule of thumb on mil brass may be to reduce load a few grains to see where you are at. If it is in good shape - it should do you well.

 

[243winxb]

know something I should be concerned with?

Brass that is grey in color, not shiny, may have come in contact with ammonia. Just vapor in the area, can attack brass. Does not have to be placed in a liquid.
Think cat pan in storage area.

Washing brass in a vinegar solution can damage brass, also.

Both make brass brittle. No amount of annealing can correct this brass.

Ethanol(in gas) liquid or vapor, has a bad effect on cartridge brass.

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