How does everyone store and organize their brass?

I don't always follow my "plan", but ziplock freezer bags, sometimes inside of larger freezer bag if I am trying to sort/segregate the same caliber/cartridge - brand new or previously fired. I also put a card inside each bag - had outside markings smeared off once too often, so bought a pack of 3"x5" index cards and write on them - into ziplock bag with the brass. Then bought a pile of stackable 6 1/2" x 10" x 4 1/2" "bins" for the Ziplock bags. System fell apart there - I have 16 bins nicely on shelves I made for that purpose, with ends of bins labeled, then at least that many getting moved from place to place in the shop as they get in the way.
 
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Thanks Diopter! Looks pretty slick. The price, not so much. Definitely a lot less messy than the hydraulic method.

When they upgraded our phone system at work I grabbed all the boxes the new phones came in. Each box is a caliber, inside brass is sorted in marked baggies according to gun, times fired, and what stage of prep they are at. Also in the box are the dies and anything else specific to the caliber. Since the boxes are all the same they stack perfectly.
 
trebor2880 said:
I use Folger's plastic coffee cans.

It's amazing how much coffee me and the ol' lady have drunk over the years.
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Red ones for fired brass and green ones for the prepped brass that is ready to load. Tap a label/piece of paper on the container telling you what it is and what has been done to it or what has to be done to it.
 
Once brass has been cleaned, I resize, decap & bell the mouths on then. Then they are sorted by head stamp and put in zip lock bags, then placed in M2A1 ammo boxes by caliber. I load 12+ different calibers.
 
Nice to see no one is reusing fast food packaging.
Imagine a wall off Macdonalds's burger boxes or pizza boxes. :)
 
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Ziplock bags in drawers, rubber maid tub, and under my reloading desk. Cards in the ziplock bags detail the brass conditioning. I do not bother to keep track of the firings, and in 20 years of re-loading I toss the brass as the necks split or as I find loose primer pockets. Now I am annealing the necks (over a candle).
 
Does the number of firings matter to your brass? As long as it isn't showing signs of pressure, cracking, or bulging near the case head?

I've always been under the impression that one case would only be good for so many firings, lessening life by loading hot. I usually bump shoulders back as opposed to full length sizing to minimize overworking the brass, but i figured that would only buy me an extra couple firings before discarding.

Is annealing the key to extending case life indefinitely?
 
Annealing is a must with mid to hot loads after multiple firings, and of course re-forming brass from original caliber case to another.
 
In the past few years I have had to clear out an old reloader's workshop and benches. For heaven's sake do not use repurposed tubs, plastic bread bags, and other found around the house containers! I can't tell you how many shards of shattered old Imperial margarine tubs I have had to deal with. The strangest container I found was a teapot 1/2 full of gun powder.

If you can, use modern somewhat supple well designed containers. Look for a recycling triangle. Flat will stack better, but unless you pick them up with two hands, they will develop cracks from the stress. Taller shapes seem to age better. Too heavy and they really suffer.

The most long-lived containers are not cardboard ammunition boxes, ie 20 rounds of 38-55 or 308 back in their slots. The paper open top boxes last a long time.

I find large plastic pails with wire bail handles containing identical brass are easy to move, stack and lift. USGI steel ammo cans seem to collect humidity and get surface rust. Worse when they are sitting in contact with concrete!

Large heavy gauge plastic bags inside standard size cardboard boxes would be just about ideal. The bag seals out the atmosphere, provides a lifting handle, and the box supports the weight when stacked.
 
My working supply of 9MMm 40m 45acp in Folgers containers. I bought some Tray stands from Cdn Tire where my working supply of brass and finished cartridges for 39spl, .347mag and 44 mag along with .303, 30-30 all reside. Lubed and unlubed bullets go in 9mm foam cases from Win White Box or in folgers cans. Spread all over my gun room and garage. I need a bigger reloading room. My wife threatens to throw it in the trash, five minutes after she buries me.
What can I say...she has a sewing room that looks like a bomb hit it. It is my only saving grace.

Take Care

Bob
plastic shoe boxes work as well.
 
Further thoughts, I have graduated from round pails with lids to square pails with lids. There is less lost space around them when stacking, and the shape seems to better support the weight of the ones above. Ice cream, cookie dough, bulk food store goods, and dog food pails do it for me.
 
jethunter said:
This. Uses less space than round containers, stacks, see-through.
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And a strip of masking tape to identify..........

"300WM RTL" , "7/08 NOT SIZED" , ".308 NECK SIZED ONLY" ,etc................All typically separate per each rifle.

Then I have a larger bin on my counter top that gets dirt decapped cases and once I accumulate enough, into the tumbler.
 
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