Case forming and Headstamps

looch

looch

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Ok, perhaps a dumb question.

You have a bunch of 30-06 brass and want to turn it into 35 Whelen. Is there something one should do about the now incorrect 30-06 headstamp?

Edit: I'll add that I'm a surprised as to how little information exists regarding this particular issue since most reloading articles/information sources are prefixed with gobs of lawyer-speak.
 
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If you are reloading any "formed" brass for yourself, then perhaps use a permanent marker to "colour" the primer area, Thus it will draw your attention to it being a different caliber. I have formed 25-35 and 32-40 from 3030 brass and each has a different color marker. I would not reload for someone else nor lend the gun and ammo to anyone as legal implications if something should happen can all fall on you. If one should choose to do so....the caliber on the casing can be "reimprinted " with a punch set as long as the face of the casing is filed flat again.
 
There is no way a loaded .35 Whelen round could ever be chambered in a 30-06. This is a very safe example of case reforming.
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Yep

You should think about what you are creating for the unsuspecting - something hazardous or benign. If benign no worries.

In the above example no one could possibly chamber the round in a 30-06 - so no worries. Also if the bullet is well under the headstamped diameter - like a 7-08 reformed to 260Rem - then that is OK too as no significant danger exists if chambered and fired in a 7-08 chamber.

A few of my rifles have never been fired with the properly headstamped brass as it is (or was) unavailable to me.

...as long as the face of the casing is filed flat again.
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This seems a bit sketchy for these reasons - weakened head area, primer pocket becomes shallow, and headspace will become unsafe.
 
'Boo said:
There is no way a loaded .35 Whelen round could ever be chambered in a 30-06. This is a very safe example of case reforming.
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Okay - allow me a little leeway, please? My question was not about the specific example I gave. Rather, is it common practice to physically mark these cartridges or are people just extra-vigilant?

Besides, could you not fit a 30-06 into a 35 Whelen? If you did nothing to mark your now-reformed 35 Whelen cases, then you could potentially pick up a cartridge stamped 30-06 and believe it to be a 35 Whelen.
 
Apart from horrible accuracy, firing a .30-06 round in a .35 Whelen would be a non-event.
I suppose that the original headstamp could be disfigured. A little ring stamp could easily be made which would line out the original markings.
Is it a common practice to mark the cartridges? Apart from the use of magic marker, and labelling on the containers, I would think not.
 
The head of the casing would only receive the necessary file attention to remove the "excess" brass ridges created by the dies used to "reimprint" the cal. This would not really affect the brass to any more extent than already has been done to it by resizing.
 
OK, one dangerous possibility would be forming 338 Federal cases from 30-06 brass. Such a round could be chambered in a 30-06 and probably would fire, especially in a CRF rifle. This type of conversion would require some sort of due diligence.

The safest bet however is to not form any cases into something that may prove to be hazardous rather than rely on marking to differentiate them.
 
looch said:
Ok, perhaps a dumb question.

You have a bunch of 30-06 brass and want to turn it into 35 Whelen. Is there something one should do about the now incorrect 30-06 headstamp?

Edit: I'll add that I'm a surprised as to how little information exists regarding this particular issue since most reloading articles/information sources are prefixed with gobs of lawyer-speak.
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The headstamp can't be corrected. The main thing obviously is to not make a mistake and use these now mislabelled cartridges in such a manner that you hurt yourself. How you do that is your business. Keep them separated from other brass and cartridges. Some people use indelible marks on the case as a visual reminder.
"There are old pilots, there are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots." The same adage applies to reloading. Reloaders need to be slightly anal. Reloaders who form new cartridges from different headstamps need to be extremely anal.
 
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The head of the casing would only receive the necessary file attention to remove the "excess" brass ridges created by the dies used to "reimprint" the cal. This would not really affect the brass to any more extent than already has been done to it by resizing.
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I don't see that - have just ?????????????????? in my mind. I just looked at several cases and the calibre designation is imprinted over nearly the whole case head - and is quite deep. Eradicating that with a file seems impossible to me without difficulties. I guess you would have to show me. Have you actually done this or are you theoretically proposing this?
This would not really affect the brass to any more extent than already has been done to it by resizing.
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Reforming doesn't remove any brass unless to simply trim the neck shorter if required. It also doesn't weaken the case's head area.
Apart from horrible accuracy, firing a .30-06 round in a .35 Whelen would be a non-event.
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Exactly the point - most don't bother or worry about non events. So in answer to the original question most - myself included - just keep our reformed reloads in boxes labelled correctly.
 
No one said anything about eradicating the previous casing marks....simply that the caliber can be "x" ed over and stamping causes "ridges" around the new marks and these ridges can be removed by filing gently down to the factory surface. Just an alternative as well as previous mentioned marker usage. Much more work but if a person wanted to do it...it is a way to "mark" the casings as a warning. I always check the casing bottoms to assure correct casings are going into the gun I am using. I personally use 30-30 casings and resize them to 25-35 and 32-40. each with a different color of marking on the casing bottom.

I have not used the stamp method but have seen many casings that were "remarked " in this manner.
 
30-06 in 35 whelan is called fire forming.
You form them you should know what you are shooting.
Xing and restamping is a waste of time and effort.
This topic is a non issue, like beating a dead horse.
 
I have taken my dremel with a small burr and remove (its very slight) the one diget -- say I changed an 8x57 to 9.3 x 57 --- I remove the "8" -- and that gives me warning that this casing is not an 8 mm any longer and to be heads up, it may be a 7x57, or 6.5x57 or whatever.

You may of course remove most of the stamp, but I have not found that neccessary yet.
 
No one said anything about eradicating the previous casing marks....simply that the caliber can be "x" ed over and stamping causes "ridges" around the new marks and these ridges can be removed by filing gently down to the factory surface.
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I think I'm getting this now. So then there is no new legible calibre stamp - just a series of "X" stamps effectively making illegible the original headstamp calibre.

And the filing simply levels back any upwardly displaced brass.

Do I have that right? Sorry to be so slow but it interests me to know.
 
Those that are trying to educate me on the 30-06/35 Whelen scenario have both succeeded and completely missed the point of my topic. But thanks, I guess.

To sum up, it would seem that there is no common method of marking the cases and most don't bother anyway.

Thank you for your responses.
 
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