I found some long lost brass...

icedog

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...(7mm Rem Mag) which I obviously started saving long before I took up reloading. What I found were mostly Federals, Winchesters, and Remingtons. There were also a few Imperials, Frontiers, and "Super-x"s (Winchester?)...less than 20 of each, one Norma, and one headstamped "Browning". I'm tempted to toss all this last mentioned bunch and just use the current major 3 brands. Being cheap as I am though, I find it painful to throw away perfectly good brass...what would you do?
 
Brass

What were the storage conditions ? How do they look visually ?

First thing I would do is give them a thorough clean and inspect them visually for signs of splits, corrotion etc. If they look good, start out with minimum loads of you favorite receipe and take it from there.

If they're "scrap" or you feel insecure or uncertain as to your personal level of confidence with those cases, sell them for scrap and sleep easier..
 
I'd do what I always do when I come across brass, particularly brass I pick up at the range. Check the brass to make sure there are no cracks or expanded primer pockets, then load it and use it for hunting or plinking ammo until it fails.
 
i just turfed a bunch of 308 winchester as i couldn't remember how many times i reloaded it and had a head separate- about a hundred loaded rounds- just the casings- i don't want to have another head separate- and there were NO INCIPIENt SIGNS like cracks or bulges- no idea until it happened- now i KNOW that my brass is all virgin or once fired
 
t-star said:
i just turfed a bunch of 308 winchester as i couldn't remember how many times i reloaded it and had a head separate- about a hundred loaded rounds- just the casings- i don't want to have another head separate- and there were NO INCIPIENt SIGNS like cracks or bulges- no idea until it happened- now i KNOW that my brass is all virgin or once fired

That is an interesting experience. Normally the primer pockets enlarge before the case fails, and when the case does fail it is normally in the form of a crack just ahead of the web of the case rather than a complete head seperation. I think you could consider the event, with no warning signs, an anomaly.
 
considering it split a really nice FOLDING m14 stock( yes it's one of THOSE folding stocks- a beretta now valued at about a grand) and blew the mag apart , i'm not taking any MORE chances- this was a REAL m14 too, ONE OF MY ISREALIS-subsequent cking by a smith found the rifle to be ok, but i needed a new tube( mag casing) and of course new stock
 
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