Check your Brass

[Whelen Man]

Here's what happens when brass necks have been overstressed by reloading. This is why brass needs to be checked not only before reloading, but after and during the process. This is 35 Whelen brass that was necked up to .375 and then neck sized back down to .358 to set a false shoulder for headspacing. The brass was just a little too old and this is what happens. This didn't happen when firing it as you can see there is no powder residue outside the cracks. It happened after the stress of reloading. Check your brass often.

 

[megalomaniac]

Good point. I usually pitch my magnum cases after 5 reloads just to be safe, but I probably do push the limit on reloads with others.

did you anneal the brass before working it that much? Might save you a few pennies in having to replace brass overworked by necking up and down.

Just curious, what's the advantage of doing that rather than just bumping back the shoulder a touch on the original 35 whelen brass and letting it headspace on the original shoulder?

 

[Whelen Man]

Just curious, what's the advantage of doing that rather than just bumping back the shoulder a touch on the original 35 whelen brass and letting it headspace on the original shoulder?

I'm wanting to take the shoulder longer, not shorter. Commonly 35 Whelen brass seems to be shorter and gives excessive headspace. I've got barrels by both Ruger and Remington that exhibit excessive headspace in this cartridge. Maybe it's a holdover from it's years as a wildcat since 1922 but the manufacturers seem to not have their act right with this caliber. By setting a false .375 shoulder a little foreward on the case the case will blow out when fired to the exact chamber in the rifle and subsequent firings will not stretch the brass so much. It's not a problem unless you take a notion to do it with some old brass like I did. It was brass that had been sitting around a long time. I don't ever bother with annealing. If the brass is that far in doubt I just replace it. Like you I replace brass after about 5 firings but with all calibers magnum or not. I'm a little cautious with this head of mine. I've gotten a little attached to it.

 

[Polecat]

Looks just like some 7-TCU brass I had a few ago.

 

[vonb]

I had brand new Remington .308 brass do that. Kind of made me skeptical of Remmy brass.

 

[Tiny]

Good Info.Everybody can use a reminder ever now and again.

 

[Model70Man]

I had brand new Remington .308 brass do that. Kind of made me skeptical of Remmy brass.

Ditto that. I had the same thing happen with 270 brass. I refuse to buy Remington brass and do not recommend it to anyone after that incedent.