Permanently Numbering Brass

[Dusty Stevens]

I hope you N E V E R find a way to do it.

I mark/set aside/sort/allocate cases all sorts of ways and have lots of cases with file-notched rims and have hundreds of cases in absolutely RIGID rotation re number and types of firings.... It's an ongoing thing and I rarely shoot undocumented cases.

So I feel yer pain.

But if you ever figger a way to mark cases permanently, I see "serial numbered cases" in our future ...... please don't call this "political" I'm jus' sayin'

You dont think they should have the little qr code on it you scan with yer fone and upload to a database in the cloud about how many times they been fired and any other pertinant info? Let the record show im the first to have this idea on 10-4-2018

 

[Twoboxer]

Does any one have a good method of marking or numbering brass to allow a person to keep a history of each pc to aid in culling, sorting etc.

Depends on how you clean your brass, but IME a permanent magic marker will be readable after dry tumbling. I don't do wet tumbling, and I don't use additives with my very small grain corncob media.

Worst case, the numbers may need to be refreshed to survive the next cleaning.

Simple and does no harm to the brass.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Does any one have a good method of marking or numbering brass to allow a person to keep a history of each pc to aid in culling, sorting etc.

I use the permanent marker system.
I mark ALL brass as follows, no matter what rifle it’s from, as all my rifles have their own brass, no mixing and matching takes place between rifles.
NEW: BLACK stripe across case head. (ANNEALED IF FORMED BRASS)
ONCE FIRED: RED (ANNEALED IF COMP RIFLE) “
TWICE FIRED: BLUE “
THRICE FIRED: GREEN (ANNEALED IF COMP/HUNTING RIFLE) “
FOURTH FIRED: PINK “
FIFTH FIRED: PURPLE “ (ANNEALED IF COMP RIFLE)
Then on the SIXTH firing I start ‘doubling’ the lines and tripling on the TWELFTH firing, by then some have been culled, if they look good, I will still use them but not take note of any more firings unless it’s my comp barrels.

The permanent marker lasts for some time on my brass if not handled a lot, as I tumble in separate batches as required.

Cheers.

 

[Willie]

I try to use the permanent marker method, but sizing, wiping off lube, and dry tumbling, manage to erase the marks. I think the file mark is more permanent, but so far I'm happy with moving cases into specifically noted 50 Rd boxes.

As to those fliers, I mark with velocity ( 15-20 +/- fps from average, or out of group) and give them one more chance to verify if they belong.

 

[Pwc]

Only mark after ea trim....small triangle file cut a small 'V' in the rim. Discard at the 6th trim. Always check for thinning before ea trim.

Rethinking now....just keep track of ea trim and see how long it lasts before feeling the thinning.

Don't have a bore scope, but couldn't one be used to check for separation? Or too much trouble?

 

[MagnumManiac]

Only mark after ea trim....small triangle file cut a small 'V' in the rim. Discard at the 6th trim. Always check for thinning before ea trim.

Rethinking now....just keep track of ea trim and see how long it lasts before feeling the thinning.

Don't have a bore scope, but couldn't one be used to check for separation? Or too much trouble?

My cases rarely stretch, so not much trimming or brass movement is noted.
I sectioned 5 random 300WM cases (ww-super) from one batch (100) uses in my 26” F-Class barrel, they have been sized 30 times. Not one has signs of stretching. I only move the brass at any point .0015”, this makes a big difference to case growth. Sloppy chambers will lessen brass life. Simple fact unfortunately.

Using a bent paper clip does a fine job of detecting imminent case head separation.

Cheers.

 

[dkhunt14]

[QUOTE="MagnumManiac, post: 37324357, member:

Using a bent paper clip does a fine job of detecting imminent case head separation.

Cheers.[/QUOTE]

I straightened a paper clip, sharpened one end and bent a 90 degree on that end small enough to fit in case mouths. Then on the other end I bent another 90 pointing the same way as the other end. That way I know which way my point is. It is easy to feel if the case is seperating. Matt

 

[4xforfun]

There are more reasons to mark your brass than just to tell you how many firings is on them. Hell, your records should tell you that. Like I said, I WEIGH all of my cases and number them from lightest to heaviest. Now, if the top couple and the bottom couple are way out , I use them for fowlers.

I like Matts idea of finding the 5 (or 10) that group best and ALWAYS use them for record. Of course, I live 450 miles from the nearest 1K range, and it would be lots of work to find 8 different groups of brass for each gun to get through the weekend.

Different ways to skin a cat!!

Tod

 

[Ringostar]

Marking a very small group of cases for BR is understandable. However I cycle through 500 cases for F class. There is no way that I would try to individually mark each case.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Marking a very small group of cases for BR is understandable. However I cycle through 500 cases for F class. There is no way that I would try to individually mark each case.

I buy batches of 300 for each barrel for F-Class, however I may only get 200 working cases from that batch.
500 cases is a LOT of tracking IMHO.
How do you keep track?

Cheers.

 

[Ringostar]

I buy batches of 300 for each barrel for F-Class, however I may only get 200 working cases from that batch.
500 cases is a LOT of tracking IMHO.
How do you keep track?

Cheers.

I sort them into 5 boxes and keep them in those groups. Only 3-5 tenths weight variation per box. I don’t try to check water weight difference.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I sort them into 5 boxes and keep them in those groups. Only 3-5 tenths weight variation per box. I don’t try to check water weight difference.

I don’t weigh cases, I measure capacity in 1/10th’s of CC with methylated spirits or methanol.
I found no correlation between case weight/water weight and capacity. Some cases weigh similar but the internal capacity could be .01CC difference.

Cheers.

 

[Ringostar]

I don’t weigh cases, I measure capacity in 1/10th’s of CC with methylated spirits or methanol.
I found no correlation between case weight/water weight and capacity. Some cases weigh similar but the internal capacity could be .01CC difference.

Cheers.

That is fine. Maybe I’m just lazy, but didn’t want to try that through 500 cases. I also shoot on very windy ranges. Things change so quickly that it’s hard to put a value on close tolerance weighing.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I don’t weigh cases, I measure capacity in 1/10th’s of CC with methylated spirits or methanol.
I found no correlation between case weight/water weight and capacity. Some cases weigh similar but the internal capacity could be .01CC difference.

Cheers.

so if the case is fireformed well, cleaned inside of all carbon, necks uniformed if the weight is different then it HAS to be on the inside (capacity difference) or the extractor groove is different. its the same on the outside so it has to be on the inside right?

 

[rhovee]

I usually just go off of how many ejector marks I have.

 

[Wildcat455]

Lmao @ the ejector mark method of case tracking!

 

[Longtrain]

I keep my brass segregated in various sized cheap "tupperware" bins. I have a very specific sequence of events in processing my brass, the same way every time.

A small note in the bin will indicate the number of firings "5X", and what next is required in the process to get the brass ready for loading. Such as "Anneal" or "Trim", etc. When that batch is competed a note will say "RTL" Ready to Load.

I have enough brass on hand to have the same batches processed for any individual upcoming match or practice. Fired brass is kept together with unfired rounds until that batch is completed.

On the outside of the boxed ammo, I use painters tape, which stays on very well, the number of loadings will noted along with component information.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

for you cats that prefer to segregate brass in separate containers or whatever do you get home from the range and your box of 100 has 56 shot out of it do you separate that 44 from that lot of 100 you started with then have a box of 44 and a box of 56 just because those 44 have not been shot yet, then take those and break them up again until your lot of 100 is now 14 lots of less than 10?

 

[MagnumManiac]

so if the case is fireformed well, cleaned inside of all carbon, necks uniformed if the weight is different then it HAS to be on the inside (capacity difference) or the extractor groove is different. its the same on the outside so it has to be on the inside right?

Yes, after sectioning several SAME brand different batch # cases, the difference was in web thickness/case wall thickness that changed the internal capacity.
I have older Win cases from the late 80’s, early 90’s that have totally different internal shapes than newly manufactured Win brass.
I have several batches of Win and Rem brass that are within 2gr in weight of each other, BUT the Rem brass holds just shy of .2 CC’s less than the Win brass. Sectioning them shows that the web on the Win brass is almost double the thickness of the Rem brass, but the walls of the Rem brass are twice as thick as the Win brass.......this is where the capacity difference lies.
You are correct that some brass weighs more/less due to the extractor groove alone, but this is not always correct.
My example of the Win/Rem brass was illustrated on target before I sectioned or measured capacity, with the same load the dispersion on target was 8” at 300mtr. I figured due to the similar weight it would be much closer than that.....not so obviously.

Even famed consistent brass from Lapua has differed in capacity for me, due to the cost of it, I haven’t sectioned one to see the difference. Just can’t bring myself to cut one up. My last purchase of 6.5x47 was $228 for 100 cases!

Cheers.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yes, after sectioning several SAME brand different batch # cases, the difference was in web thickness/case wall thickness that changed the internal capacity.
I have older Win cases from the late 80’s, early 90’s that have totally different internal shapes than newly manufactured Win brass.
I have several batches of Win and Rem brass that are within 2gr in weight of each other, BUT the Rem brass holds just shy of .2 CC’s less than the Win brass. Sectioning them shows that the web on the Win brass is almost double the thickness of the Rem brass, but the walls of the Rem brass are twice as thick as the Win brass.......this is where the capacity difference lies.
You are correct that some brass weighs more/less due to the extractor groove alone, but this is not always correct.
My example of the Win/Rem brass was illustrated on target before I sectioned or measured capacity, with the same load the dispersion on target was 8” at 300mtr. I figured due to the similar weight it would be much closer than that.....not so obviously.

Even famed consistent brass from Lapua has differed in capacity for me, due to the cost of it, I haven’t sectioned one to see the difference. Just can’t bring myself to cut one up. My last purchase of 6.5x47 was $228 for 100 cases!

Cheers.

Like i said if it has the same capacity and has been formed to your chamber and neck turned the difference has to be the extractor groove. Im not talking about an old winchester case and new lapua im talking out of the same box/lot. If the outside is the same (they will be if formed/sized right) and they weigh different the only places it can vary is the inside or extractor groove