Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

[Ouch!!]

I have a few pics of some brass I fired today. They are in no particular order of how I fired them, I was doing some ladder testing the last 2 days on a .243 load with RL-17. I know some of them are showing some pressure signs but if anyone cares to shed a little more light I will be happy to hear it! Im more curious to see what some of you think the brass life would be like with these pressure signs. This is only a cold weather load as I know it will need to change when the weather gets warmer but I am getting ready for the mammoth shoot and wanted something that shot a little hotter. Its giving awesome accuracy for 105vlds out of a factory savage.

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

It looks like some gas leakage around the primer. Not necessarily over pressure but over working the primer pocket. How is your primer pocket depth? How is the primer seating pressure? Looks like a lot of chamfer on those pockets also. If you get gas past the primer the brass is now junk. You don't want to flame cut the bolt face. Bad JuJu

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Its all brand new lapua brass

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

My rifle is probably really dirty, its probably on 300rds or so without me cleaning it. The accuracy hasnt been affected yet so I havent cleaned it.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

The gas leaks around primers, and bold ejector marks are clear signs of too much pressure.

If you reload those, you will probably notice the new primers go in too easy. They are probably toasted already. As already mentioned you don't want hot gasses cutting into your boltface.

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Hmm alright ill see what happens tommorrow ill pull a few. I never experienced any extra hard bolt lift or anything but like I said Ill pop a few out tomorrow and see what the verdict is see if things are haywire.

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

I had seen this once before when the brass was sized to short also. The primer pushed back and appeared to be real hot. A little less bump cured it. So I would check to see how much the brass grew from unfired.

 

[vman]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Ouch, check out sizing as stated above.

If all else fails, get yourself some Smooth Kote and coat your barrel and also try loading up some moly coated rounds.

This will bring the pressure down a tad.

How does your boltface look? Release the tension on the spring so that the firing pin protrudes out. Is there any excess space around the firing pin?

Its weird how your primers dont look all that flat however the primer itself has flowed into the bolt face thru the firing pin hole.

 

[Timo Turl]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

I'd love to see more pics of "warning signs" on brass if anyone has some. Thx

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

T.J. I searched google for "brass pressure signs snipers hide" and found some good threads cause I didnt see mine as being so bad. But I didnt really see anything on gasses passing the primer. I will look at it all today when I do some more shooting. I can take the load back down to the other accuracy node. But this load is a super flat shooting load haha. Only 19.1 moa to 1000 lol

Thanks guys, and Ill shoot some more and do some measuring and see how it all works out.

 

[Quickdraw40]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Change to H4350 or H4831SC and you won't have to worry about temperature differances. $0.02

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TJ.</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd love to see more pics of "warning signs" on brass if anyone has some. Thx </div></div>



Hornady 208gr AMax, moly'd
Brass: Norma
OAL: 3.46" (3.47" OAL kisses lands, 15Feb08)
CCI-200 primer
Reloder-22

Left to right in picture:

60 gr - 2660 fps - 57K psi (22.5” bbl)
61 gr - 2710 fps - 62K psi
62 gr - 2765 fps - 66K psi
63 gr - 2800 fps - 70K psi, flattening primer, gas leakage
64 gr - 2850 fps - 74K psi, flattening primer, brass flow in ejector, .002" web expansion, gas leakage

The brass is old and loaded many times, so there is some wear and tear visible.

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Im using RL17 cause I bought it and I want to use it

Im going to switch to 4350 when I can find it.

Montana thank you for those pics.

Most of mine look like your middle picture.

 

[jmtyndall]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

I agree. I see some ejector marking, but it doesn't seem as excessive as what I usually look for. But it definitely looks to me like you have leaking around the primer.

My savage also craters pockets around the pin, even when firing low-average loading, so unfortunately we can't use that as part of our pressure diagnosis.

 

[MontanaMarine]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

I loaded up that far because I was curious how far from excess pressure I was. 61gr (second from left) is my standard load.

 

[Timo Turl]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

v.interesting, thx

 

[vman]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

Nice pic Montana.

 

[Ouch!!]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

My brass went from 2.034 to 2.043 so it grew .009 after firing, I didnt measure anything else. If other people have parts they want me to measure let me know and I will do that.

 

[aggiesig]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MontanaMarine</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TJ.</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd love to see more pics of "warning signs" on brass if anyone has some. Thx </div></div>



Hornady 208gr AMax, moly'd
Brass: Norma
OAL: 3.46" (3.47" OAL kisses lands, 15Feb08)
CCI-200 primer
Reloder-22

Left to right in picture:

60 gr - 2660 fps - 57K psi (22.5” bbl)
61 gr - 2710 fps - 62K psi
62 gr - 2765 fps - 66K psi
63 gr - 2800 fps - 70K psi, flattening primer, gas leakage
64 gr - 2850 fps - 74K psi, flattening primer, brass flow in ejector, .002" web expansion, gas leakage

The brass is old and loaded many times, so there is some wear and tear visible.

</div></div>
Hate to dig up an old thread but.

this image is invaluable for us beginning reloaders

Google search engine saved me from asking a repetitive question!!!!

 

[Clark]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

The only thing worse than lose primer pockets after one firing of expensive Lapau 243, is lose primer pockets after one firing of carefully prepped and fire formed Win brass for 257 Roberts Ackley Improved.

I feel like having funeral for each young piece of brass I have to throw on the bone pile.

After attending enough brass funerals, you will become a brass pressure sign expert.

 

[Wannashootit]

Re: Calling all brass pressure sign experts...

I posted somewhat similar looking pics from our Rem 700 last year with the primer "flowing" around the FP pocket and was told by many here that it's just caused by the poor fit of the Rem. 700 firing pin and not to worry about it- or spend a fortune to fix a non-existent problem. But I'm a novice at reloading- so these subtle differences may be lost on me...

Didn't have any "black" around the primers though.