Thread: Prepping new brass ?

So GrandpaMac and Oldbloke, I've acquired a couple of hundred brand new, primed, Winchester Super cases in 22 Hornet. The Hornady reloading book states: Maximum Case Length 1.403, Case Trim Length 1.393. A random selection on the new brass measure; 1.399, 1.401, 1.402, 1.404, so I'm guessing I should be trimming (and de-burring) the whole lot back to 1.393 for consistency. I'm trimming all the fired brass back to 1.393, and batching by brand and age as best I can. Some are mixed up purchases. Firstly, I'm surprised that newly manufactured brass have that much variation in length? Secondly, how much is accuracy affected (within one batch at 100 metres) by having variable case lengths?

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

So GrandpaMac and Oldbloke, I've acquired a couple of hundred brand new, primed, Winchester Super cases in 22 Hornet. The Hornady reloading book states: Maximum Case Length 1.403, Case Trim Length 1.393. A random selection on the new brass measure; 1.399, 1.401, 1.402, 1.404, so I'm guessing I should be trimming (and de-burring) the whole lot back to 1.393 for consistency. I'm trimming all the fired brass back to 1.393, and batching by brand and age as best I can. Some are mixed up purchases. Firstly, I'm surprised that newly manufactured brass have that much variation in length? Secondly, how much is accuracy affected (within one batch at 100 metres) by having variable case lengths?

Hornet can be a difficult case to reload, the brass is thin and needs to be handled carefully to avoid crushed cases. I doubt that the range of lengths you have which are all within tolerance will result in any noticeable accuracy variations but remeasuring after firing and then trimming could be warranted it "grows" on firing a bit more than most cases do.

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

So GrandpaMac and Oldbloke, I've acquired a couple of hundred brand new, primed, Winchester Super cases in 22 Hornet. The Hornady reloading book states: Maximum Case Length 1.403, Case Trim Length 1.393. A random selection on the new brass measure; 1.399, 1.401, 1.402, 1.404, so I'm guessing I should be trimming (and de-burring) the whole lot back to 1.393 for consistency. I'm trimming all the fired brass back to 1.393, and batching by brand and age as best I can. Some are mixed up purchases. Firstly, I'm surprised that newly manufactured brass have that much variation in length? Secondly, how much is accuracy affected (within one batch at 100 metres) by having variable case lengths?

Greetings @Hugh Shields,
In addition to what @Oldbloke has said above I suspect that your Super cases are quite old. You could try loading a small sample and firing them to see if you get neck cracks on the first firing. If you do you might want to fire the primers and anneal the cases before your first load. Close to 50 years ago I had problems with neck cracks in Hornet cases in what I think were Winchester Super cases. You also might want to do some check weighing to help with your batching as Hornet cases have varied with weight over time.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings @Hugh Shields,
In addition to what @Oldbloke has said above I suspect that your Super cases are quite old. You could try loading a small sample and firing them to see if you get neck cracks on the first firing. If you do you might want to fire the primers and anneal the cases before your first load. Close to 50 years ago I had problems with neck cracks in Hornet cases in what I think were Winchester Super cases. You also might want to do some check weighing to help with your batching as Hornet cases have varied with weight over time.
Regards Grandpamac.

Gidday Grandpa, I'm also a Grandpa, but only one time over. She is 19 months old now. I also acknowledge what you say about reloading keeping your mind active and your small motors skills well oiled! I've only come to reloading in the last year because Neville O had to give it away. Thoroughly enjoying the journey.

You are also correct that some of my fired brass is old! I bought my first Hornet at the start of 1988. An Anschutz model 1433, which I still own, although I use the suppressed Weihrauch for culling. My mate Ken Mac, also from HB, did some reloading for me back then and I still have the origin boxes and some of the original Winchester brass. Some of the old brass regularly develops neck cracks, as you say, which I discard. The "New" Win brass which I have acquired is in the same OLD style of packaging, so you are correct, it could be as old as the 80's/90's. I also acknowledge that, from what I have learnt, Winchester brass is inherently thinner than European brass (??). In the go around, I have also picked up Norma, Hornady, a couple of Sako, and even some Imperial from Canada. I tend to discard any PPU, NNY, Sellors and Bellot, and 19 Browning BXV silver cases.

In the response above there are a couple of schools of thought. One is, "Just shoot it then trim!" The other is, "Trim it then shoot!" I'm going to start as I mean to continue, which is; Measure - Trim -Debur -Load Shoot. Seeking consistency, although acknowledging variable case length might not make all that much difference to accuracy.. Just put that down to the OCDO! ACDC Whatever....

Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings @Hugh Shields,
In addition to what @Oldbloke has said above I suspect that your Super cases are quite old. You could try loading a small sample and firing them to see if you get neck cracks on the first firing. If you do you might want to fire the primers and anneal the cases before your first load. Close to 50 years ago I had problems with neck cracks in Hornet cases in what I think were Winchester Super cases. You also might want to do some check weighing to help with your batching as Hornet cases have varied with weight over time.
Regards Grandpamac.

If you do that, better to push them out. What with primer shortages no way I would waste them.

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

If you do that, better to push them out. What with primer shortages no way I would waste them.

Lock and load I reckon!

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

Lock and load I reckon!

Fwiw, I reckon @Oldbloke is on the money, push the primers out with a depriming die, there was a thread on this quite recently, well a wee while ago anyway. Very doable & the primers should be able to be reloaded if you aren't too heavy handed, softly softly catchee primer as it were. I loaded for a Hornet for a few years, gave it away as too much hassle but by neck annealing before firing them & then no more than neck sizing while reloading, you have a better chance of getting some case life from them.

Originally Posted by shananah

Fwiw, I reckon @Oldbloke is on the money, push the primers out with a depriming die, there was a thread on this quite recently, well a wee while ago anyway. Very doable & the primers should be able to be reloaded if you aren't too heavy handed, softly softly catchee primer as it were. I loaded for a Hornet for a few years, gave it away as too much hassle but by neck annealing before firing them & then no more than neck sizing while reloading, you have a better chance of getting some case life from them.

Yes, that what I would do. Trim as well.

Cases are often a bit long (or short for that matter) from new. But there is a safety margin built in to the system. In this case you would get away with not bothering, but personally I would trim before loading.