How do you inspect your pistol brass?

CanFire

CanFire

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Reloading for pistol involves handling a lot of cases. Do you lovingly inspect every individual piece of brass? Do you use calipers on each one to check case length? Please walk me through how you check your cases.

So far I've only reloaded my own once-fired factory ammo so inspection has been pretty cursory - just as I handle the brass. I use the factory plastic cases and as I collect my brass from the range floor I give it all a quick once over as I plop them into place. After tumbling, I again eyeball them as I return them to the factory packaging. After that, I just drop them into the casefeeder and load 'em. I've run out of once-fired brass and I've starting to mix my brass with (remanufactured) BDX brass so I figured I better start paying closer attention, but I don't want to spend all day doing it.
 
that should be good enough- what you're watching for is cracks or splits- or start with virgin or once fired and count your number of times- i keep mine in those transparent ammo boxes and only go through about a hundred at a time, so it's pretty easy to spot something wrong- kind of pointless until AFTER you've cleaned them, as a streak looks like a crack
 
I just check it for cracks as it goes into the dillon. I keep reusing it until it does crack or the primer seats really easily at which point I paint the case head with a green marker which signifies the last time it will be reloaded.

I've never used the calipers on pistol cases.
 
I have reloaded for some time but I am not an expert. So in my opinion I only look for split cases and anything else very obvious. I usually check them when I am putting the reloaded rounds into boxes.
As far as measuring cases I have found it is not worth the time. I do take the time to clean them first though.
 
I do a good visual inspection after they come out of the tumbler. I watch out for split cases.I rarely find any since I don't "hot-load" any ammo. Just target loads usually below or around 900'/sec. The only ammo I reload CLOSE to full factory specs is in 357MAG (for my guests who thrill at shooting a 357 MAG for some reason!!)
 
I pop out old primers then tumble. Then a quick inspect for cracks. I have to admit I do take the calipers to several times fired brass. I may be a little paranoid though.
 
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