Wiley Clapp: Check Your Brass

by
posted on November 7, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
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

Star Model B Ihtog 1
Star Model B Ihtog 1

I Have This Old Gun: Star Model B

Of the many Spanish-made firearms to emerge throughout the 19th and 20th century, one of the most recognizable is the Star Model B, largely due to its similarity to the Colt Model 1911.

New For 2025: Kimber Next Generation 1911

For its latest M1911 offering, Kimber Mfg. borrowed design elements from its double-stack 2K11 pistol to create what it calls the Next Generation 1911.

Review: Charter Arms Double Dog

Charter Arms is an American gunmaker that has offered its own versions of compact, double-action revolvers at fair prices for more than 60 years.

Rifleman Q&A: Mysterious “Broomhandle” Bring-Back

"My favorite gun is inoperable, so I have not shot it. It is one of two weapons that my dad brought back from the Philippines after World War II, the other being a sword."

New Jersey Town Supports CCW With Fee Refund

The city of Englishtown, N.J., recently made a move to reduce that financial barrier, sparking widespread optimism that a statewide, even nationwide, trend may be on the horizon.

Review: Savage Arms Revel

Lever-action rifles have experienced a revival in recent years, and Savage Arms is getting in on the act with its Revel series rimfires. To understand it, you may have to read (backward) between the lines.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.