When do you throw brass away?

[savageshooter86]

At what point for competition Fclass rifles do you throw brass away with regard to primer pockets getting big? My brass is getting loose but still holds primer and can't push primer in by finger. But using 21st century priming tool I can tell big difference in newer brass and ones with 10x fired.

If they don't fall out keep shooting? Or certain point that it will affect accuracy?

 

[asauer]

I throw it out before it will leak and etch my bolt face. I have an old Mauser that the bolt face looks like the moon landscape- doesn't affect anything, but it sure looks like hell, and make my brass hard to read in regard to primers.
I try to keep my other guns from getting in such condition.

It's a judgment call- I tend to not push it. If it feels like one out of ten has loose pockets, I'll simply set the "junk" ones aside. Any more than one in ten, and I toss them all and start over with a new batch. I do not try to measure pockets or anything fancy, I just go by the feel of my Lee hand prime.

 

[Road_Clam]

I throw it out before it will leak and etch my bolt face. I have an old Mauser that the bolt face looks like the moon landscape- doesn't affect anything, but it sure looks like hell, and make my brass hard to read in regard to primers.
I try to keep my other guns from getting in such condition.

It's a judgment call- I tend to not push it. If it feels like one out of ten has loose pockets, I'll simply set the "junk" ones aside. Any more than one in ten, and I toss them all and start over with a new batch. I do not try to measure pockets or anything fancy, I just go by the feel of my Lee hand prime.

+1, great advice here. I've only been handloading for a few years and early on I did not know exactly how to "feel" the primer pockets for looseness. Now years later after loading a few thousand rounds I have a good feel for each size primer what feels "right" and what feels "questionably loose". It cost me a blasted bolt face as well on my R700 .308 but oh well it was a learning curve. It's not worth pushing another reload of a used brass casing which cost pennies when you can potentially ruin a $100+ bolt..

FYI, FC brass is the WORST as far as premature loose primer pockets. Try to stay away from FC brass if possible.

 

[TimP]

Take you preferred primer put it on the bench anvil side down and see if you can push it into the primer pocket of your brass. If you can its obviously trash. Throw them out and start over with a new lot of brass.

 

[chuckbuster243]

When my comp brass gets this way I quit competing with it and switch it to hunting brass. Then I get great hunting brass and when I loose it in the bushes I don't cry. Matt

 

[dragman]

When it becomes questionable in any way,
Primer pockets feel loose
Bad stamping from ejector hole
doesn't want to size right first time through die (checking them every time on intent indicator if it doesn't size right but everything else is ok it becomes a fouler.

 

[bigedp51]

Buy a set of pin gauges to check your primer pockets and measure your primers and set a diameter limit.

Below a pin gauge being used to check .223/5.56 primer pockets.

Below I'm using a Lee depriming tool to test questionable seated primers, if I can push and move the seated primer with just finger pressure the case goes in the scrap brass bucket.

 

[ryanjay11]

http://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/small-and-large-primer-pocket-gauges

 

[Chappy]

http://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/small-and-large-primer-pocket-gauges

+1.