Igman Brass

[Montalban]

I'm going to be reloading 7.62x54R and a friend gave me Igman brass. If I don't exceed any max loads, what kind of quality can I expect? In general, do they tend to last a few reloads or do they have a short life span?

 

[mikepos]

bump

I have the same brass for 8mm, 6.5x55 and 30-06, bought a bunch of ammo before i decided to get into reloading, but couldn't stand to throw out brass. Any experience with this stuff?

 

[CanAm]

Igman is decent brass. But you may find the primer flash holes a touch small.

 

[desporterizer]

I have six loadings on some of my 7.62x54r igman & only one case split a neck so far.

 

[762nato]

Yep you will find they flash hole is small, and that makes it hard on decapping pins.

 

[SKScanuck]

I find the brass lasts much longer than remington, wincester etc as it is a bit stronger.

I use it for 303, 7.5 French, 7.5 Swiss and 7.62x54r.

 

[Andy]

Good brass - the 6.5x55 has too small flash holes that need to be enlarged after the first firing.

Keep loads moderate, neck size until chambering gets tough, then anneal and F/L size, and then repeat the cycle with neck sizing. You should expect 20 reloads out of it minimum - will likely be split necks or loose primer pockets that finally do it in.

 

[mikepos]

Thanks guys. This site is a wealth of information.

 

[Montalban]

good stuff

 

[gpracer]

Yep you will find they flash hole is small, and that makes it hard on decapping pins.

+1

3 broken pins 6.5 x 55, .303, and 30.06.. Thank goodness for rcbs and lee replacing parts for free... Not worth the effort, it all goes in the recycling bin at my house....

I don't care how long it lasts, one box of lapua brass will out last thousands of the igman stuff..

 

[762shooter]

If you full length resize the 7.62 X 54 brass it will stretch a lot and won't last long. Neck sizing or partial neck sizing will make it last a lot longer.

 

[hart]

I made my own manual decapper out of nail about 1/4" in diameter. Squared the pointy end and drill an undersized hole for a smaller decapping pin. Could use a drill bit shank of the correct size for a decapping pin. Drive in the decapping pin into the end of the nail. May have to grind a slight taper on the pin to get it started in the hole in the end of the nail. Use this to deprime and then drill flash holes to correct diameter.

 

[Swiend]

I have a Lyman flash hole reamer, it works well with the small flash holes. I simply ream the hole with the spent primer still in place, then simply decap as usual.

 

[steve1973]

I reload Igman quite a bit and it tends to be thick necked brass I find. It lasts a long time for me (though I am neck sizing predominately).

With 8mm Mauser, the flash holes were on the small side. No problems with seating primers in my .303 brass though.

 

[Montalban]

I reload Igman quite a bit and it tends to be thick necked brass I find. It lasts a long time for me (though I am neck sizing predominately).

With 8mm Mauser, the flash holes were on the small side. No problems with seating primers in my .303 brass though.

Last week I reloaded my first 20rds of Igman brass and I also found the brass to be pretty thick.

 

[762shooter]

Yep you will find they flash hole is small, and that makes it hard on decapping pins.

Yup, so take out your handy flash hole deburring tool and use it to open up the hole before you de-cap. You can do this with the original primer still in place.

 

[Hi-Standard]

Igman is decent brass. But you may find the primer flash holes a touch small.

Found this out last night trying to decap 6.5X55 Bloody flash hole was so small that a piece of the pin acually broke and lodged in the flash hole from my Lyman Die. I had twenty rounds to decap. Half were larger sized flash holes and the other half were small. So much for quality control I made a makeshift pin out of a drill bit at work today and I purposely made it slightly smaller in diameter to fit the rest of the brass. Well it worked like a charm I will ream them all out to the size of the larger holes and I guess I'll be all right. Anybody know where to get a Lyman decapping pins? I'd like to get a few spares.

 

[Hotwheels81]

on my 5th turn around with a bunch of it and no issues other then some loose primer pockets after the first go round... i had a couple cases i could seat the primer with my thumb.... havent broke a decap pin yet tho...

 

[shmelmafinga]

I should have read this thread before I tried it. Decapping my very first case I broke the pin off my .223 die.

 

[rideauwrangler]

I've reloaded lots of Igman brass and haven't had any problems.