# How many times...



## mccoy (Dec 31, 2007)

How many times you reload your brass before tossing it?

Figures vary widely...


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## mactex (Jan 23, 2007)

Figures vary based on a number of things like:
1. Caliber
2. Heavy or light loads (powder, seating depth, etc)
3. Quality of the initial brass
4. Fit of the case in the gun's chamber

I load .380s and 9mm with light loads. So far, I've not thrown away any of the brass I started with well over 2 years ago. Many cases have been reloaded over 10 times so far.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

I've read were some guys won't load a case twice with a hot load. Others just keep loading them till they split. I've loaded some .357 cases with near max loads over a dozen times and only lost two shells. As you know I've just got back in to reloading and I still have those old shells which I plan to use. The splits I've had were at the mouth of the shell and less that an eighth of an inch. We are talking pistol pressures and while high they are nothing compaired to say a 7mm Winchester magnum. If a case fails in a revolver I don't think it would be a real big deal. So I say shoot them till they wear out.


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

I reload'em until they are out of spec, bent, or cracked.

That being said, 90% of my time reloading is spent on brass prep!


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I inspect my brass very close and shoot them till they split. Most all my loads are under max spec for all calibers. Throw out maybe two or three per thousand is about all. I loose more than I throw out.


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

I haven't thrown any away yet except what I damage by stepping on them or similar actions. I picked up a couple of other peoples brass that was split but not mine. I have at least 8 cycles on .40 and 9MM brass.

When I start finding a few bad ones I will trash what I have and start over with a fresh batch of once fired.

A friend of mine, yes I do have a couple, picks up a hand full and rattles them in his hand. He can hear a split case. I lost my hearing 10,000 rounds or so back and can't do it.

:smt1099


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## benzuncle (Aug 29, 2007)

I was loading some .380 yesterday (I loaded a couple hundred rounds as payment to the person that gave me 1000 rounds of used .380 brass). I felt something in the handle that felt "different" when I was knocking out the old primer. Upon inspection, the casing was cracked. That's the first casing I've come across that was unusable except, as TOF mentioned, the stepped-on ones.


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