Pistol brass failure rate?

[Somerset Bar]

I load 500 to 1000 rounds of 9mm per session. Mostly range pick up brass.

I find 2 or 3 split cases per session.

negligable.

I shoot ipsc, idpa and pretty much anything else I can, I go through about 1000 a month, sometimes more, and this is the first couple of split cases I've ever had. Thing is, I have so many cases I figured I just finally hit "that number". Perhaps the same with your brass? I usually don't get the 100-200 that I shoot at a competition back, but practice rounds I usually come home with more than I left with lol. In fact it's the competing that has upped my game in the reloading, making double sure brass is good, primers are seated properly, checking powder charge a lot more often. I really was thinking it was my taper crimp that was weakening the brass, but good to hear it's just a normal part of teh brass life cycle

 

[4n2t0]

After 30+ reloads I stopped counting/caring. I too load them until they split. I'll even shoot them one last time if I notice the split after reloading the case, lol.

P.S. My hundo case gauge detects all the splits for me.

 

[bigedp51]

Both Lyman and Redding have the Lyman type "M" expanders that do not over work the case mouth. This will make the cases last much longer and reduce case mouth cracking.

With jacketed and cast bullets I normally only bump the case mouth onto section "B" of the expander. This will make the case mouth .001 to .002 larger than bullet diameter and the bullet can be started into the case with just your fingers.

Below Redding now makes Titanium Nitride expanders like the type "M" expanders.

 

[Somerset Bar]

I have a hornady expander, but have it set to just barely kiss the rim, just enough to get the bullets in. I use campro bullets, which I find aren't too bad on consistency of the bullet width, so as you say it just has to be enough to set the bullet in for the seating die. It's the nitride set, but I don't think the expander plug is nitride, probably just steel. I may look into that redding expander.