Wiley Clapp: Check Your Brass

by
posted on November 7, 2017
brass.jpg

If I had one cent—just a penny—for every piece of brass I have picked up off of one range or another, I would be able to buy a new truck (and I have expensive tastes in trucks). It used to be a custom for military Rangemasters to require this, but times are apparently changing. The biggest reason you still see this happening is because so many guys are rolling their own—handloading. That's fine, but there are other reasons why shooters are picking up their brass, whether they are using factory or handloaded ammunition. It can tell you things about your ammo.

Factory loaded ammunition is generally quite good, but the really hot loads can show signs of high pressure by flattening or even cratering the primer. You may never notice this unless you pick up a handful of the brass and check out every case. Every one of them should look the same, particularly the primer and primer pocket. In the case of handloaded ammo, you also need to look at the case mouth. If you begin to see cracks or splits, at least that case, and maybe the whole batch, has reached retirement age. Good brass lasts very well for when loaded sensibly. Years ago, a friend gave me a .50-caliber ammo can full of Remington GI .38 Special brass. I made PPC loads with that stuff for years and some of it is still out there in the garage.

Pistols sometimes eject brass so violently that they are dented when the case smacks the rear edge of the ejection port. There are other maladies that shorten the life of good cartridges. Worse yet, you can sometimes be shooting a cartridge that is just plainly too hot. Other than excess muzzle blast and recoil, you can't tell what's happening unless you check your brass.          

Latest

Man author christopher olsen holding in hands outdoors benelli nova 3 tactical pump-action shotgun black gun
Man author christopher olsen holding in hands outdoors benelli nova 3 tactical pump-action shotgun black gun

New For 2025: Benelli USA Nova 3 Tactical

This latest update to Benelli’s pump-action shotgun gives users a few upgrades over previous generations, making the new NOVA 3 the most exciting pump-gun yet to come from the Italian maker.

Mauser: The Rifle That Made Good

Combining inventive genius with shrewd sales ability, the Mauser brothers, Paul and Wilhelm launched one of the world’s most famous small arms dynasties.

Preview: Hornady Backcountry Defense

The company’s new Backcountry Defense line is designed specifically for personal protection in the backcountry.

Military Armament Corporation Introduces New MAC 9 DS Models

Military Armament Corporation expanded its line of M1911-style, double-stack handguns with its new Double-Stack Duty, D-Comp and Comp designs.

Preview: MTM Case-Gard Ruger 10/22 Extended Mag Can

Made in the U.S.A., the O-ring-sealed Mag Can from MTM Case-Gard stows one of the most important parts of the semi-automatic carbine—the magazine—twelve BX-25-pattern extended magazines, to be exact.

Gun Of The Week: EAA Witness2311 Brat

Built on M1911 principles and imported by European American Armory Corp., the EAA Girsan Witnesss2311 Brat is a unique take on the double-stack, 2011-style pistol.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.