Will this etsy brass kill me?

[Mindyourbuisness]

So I found this screaming deal on etsy.com.

But when I started resizing about 30 cases with my RCBS FL .223 small base die about 50% started to tear apart.

The remaining 25% were already trimmed(?) to short to be usable, and the last 25% made it through.

What would cause this shit quality? And how likely is it to blow up if I load and shoot the brass that made it through resizing? The shells are mostly LC military stamped, and I'm super green to reloading.

 

[MarinePMI]

So I found this screaming deal on etsy.com.
View attachment 7911546

But when I started resizing about 30 cases with my RCBS FL .223 small base die about 50% started to tear apart.

View attachment 7911554

The remaining 25% were already trimmed(?) to short to be usable, and the last 25% made it through.

What would cause this shit quality? And how likely is it to blow up if I load and shoot the brass that made it through resizing? The shells are mostly LC military stamped, and I'm super green to reloading.

It's brittle from work hardening. It needs to be annealed. I would most definitely not shoot that brass until it had been annealed. You're likely to have a case head separation if you do (case breaks off in the chamber). Even annealed, I'd be very leery of that stuff.

Looks like brass fired out of an M-249 SAW, that was way out of timed (cases were probably severely bloated before initial resizing), and was sized back down without annealing it.

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

It's brittle from work hardening. It needs to be annealed.

You don't think it might be a problem with the brass being worn out? A lot of the brass was trimmed well below the maximum trim length.

The 5.56 that I know have only been fired once have never given me this issue when resizing.

 

[Jgault]

You don't think it might be a problem with the brass being worn out? A lot of the brass was trimmed well below the maximum trim length.

The 5.56 that I know have only been fired once have never given me this issue when resizing.

There are ways to resurrect it with heat but personally I only reload to about 5 times, so to me it’s just diminishing returns. I’m just not going to risk a gun I really like, but that’s just me. Considering what you’ve described that brass has probably been worked past what I would consider a viable case.

 

[MarinePMI]

I honestly have no idea (nor do you I would suspect) if the brass is "worn out". Brass typically fails first when the primer pockets loosen up. If they were aggressively resized (excessively bumping the shoulder back), then yes, the brass itself will fail, but typically just above the rim of the case (not that that isn't just as bad a thing).

Trim length is subjective to some extent. It's more important that it isn't too long, rather than too short. Though at some point you can trim a neck so short that it affects the concentricity of the bullet as it's seated. But a couple thousandths short isn't the end of the world.

The 5.56/.223 you've had in the past was likely shot out an AR or M-16, which unless was grossly over gassed, wouldn't cause cases to bloat or stretch that severely.

Like I said, I think you got brass fired from a belt fed, open bolt gun, which can play hell on cases, especially if the gun was run hot or the timing was off, and cases were being extracted before pressures dropped (which happens often in belt fed guns). Extraction before pressures drop, causes the case to swell excessively, since the chamber wall is no longer supporting the case. Then when you go to resize the case, you end up really work hardening the brass, which then causes the case to get brittle, and tear or crack.

I think you're smoking deal, was a deal for a reason. Someone was selling off brass that they had tried to use, and gave up on. But that's just my hunch...

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

It's brittle from work hardening. It needs to be annealed. I would most definitely not shoot that brass until it had been annealed. You're likely to have a case head separation if you do (case breaks off in the chamber). Even annealed, I'd be very leery of that stuff.

Looks like brass fired out of an M-249 SAW, that was way out of timed (cases were probably severely bloated before initial resizing), and was sized back down without annealing it.

Thank you for expanding on your original post, these sketch me out to much, I won't be firing them.

So with other 5.56 brass I have (that I know for sure has only been fired once) I should anneal them before resizing them in a FL die?

 

[ForgeValley]

The fact that you are sketched out by that picture is probably a good sign, you might have a future as a reloader. Throw it in the trash and call it a learning experience.

 

[SalomonQST99]

Etsy doesn't sell brass anymore. They haven't sold brass for a number of years now.

 

[Shoots 700's]

Chalk it up to $45.00 of wasted money

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

The fact that you are sketched out by that picture is probably a good sign, you might have a future as a reloader. Throw it in the trash and call it a learning experience.

Thanks, I'll definitely toss them out but I was thinking why just throw them away when I can use them a decoration. Like in a public fountain instead of pocket change.

Etsy doesn't sell brass anymore. They haven't sold brass for a number of years now.

Etsy does in fact sell brass. Your options are limited though.

300BLK

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewelry, and more… lots more.

www.etsy.com

9mm

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewelry, and more… lots more.

www.etsy.com

 

[SalomonQST99]

Thanks, I'll definitely toss them out but I was thinking

Etsy does in fact sell brass. Your options are limited though.

300BLK

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewelry, and more… lots more.

www.etsy.com

9mm

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewelry, and more… lots more.

www.etsy.com

They made a big deal a couple of years ago of not selling any firearm items. Good to see that they've changed their tune.

 

[akmike47]

Just spend the money on good brass. I started buying lapua for my bolt guns, never looked back.

Granted I have cheaper rifles I use LC in also, but the lapua is nice.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Guaranteed to have been fired at least once...but probably 10 times.

Meh, I bought brass on Ebay back when Ebay was cool.

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

They made a big deal a couple of years ago of not selling any firearm items. Good to see that they've changed their tune.

I'd like to think they changed their tune but there's so few options for brass that I think it's just flying under the radar.

 

[SalomonQST99]

I'd like to think they changed their tune but there's so few options for brass that I think it's just flying under the radar.

Have you looked at the discord channels for reloading? Lots of brass for sale there at great prices.

 

[acudaowner]

the world probably would have been better if they stopped and never restarted selling firearm anything if that's the quality level they are pushing . did you try to contact them ? maybe get a refund on a defective item ? maybe however unlikely maybe the seller did not know his product was defective I would not hold my breath but you never know until you try . it's a valuable lesson you learned and luckily your still around to make , others , now get back out there and try harder .....

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

the world probably would have been better if they stopped and never restarted selling firearm anything if that's the quality level they are pushing . did you try to contact them ? maybe get a refund on a defective item ? maybe however unlikely maybe the seller did not know his product was defective I would not hold my breath but you never know until you try . it's a valuable lesson you learned and luckily your still around to make , others , now get back out there and try harder .....

If etsy's refund policy is anything like ebays then I am guaranteed a refund. I've already contacted the seller. He has 48hours to get in touch with me before etsy handles the dispute.

Funny thing is the seller CaptainBrass has a dozen 5 star reviews and all the reviews pretty much say "arrived quickly, can't wait to get the time to reloading these". No on bothered actually testing the brass. I'm going to review bomb this dude hard.

 

[Badfinger]

There are a lot of better places to get brass, check these guys I have always got good brass form them.

Carolina Brass

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

Have you looked at the discord channels for reloading? Lots of brass for sale there at great prices.

I have not. Is it legit? I've heard shady stuff about discord in general. Do you have the channel name?

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

There are a lot of better places to get brass, check these guys I have always got good brass form them.

Carolina Brass

Thanks man, I booked marked it. Now I have another website to check daily for restocks.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Seems like the least expensive way to get a big pile of mixed 223/5.56 brass is the local shooting range.
Nobody picks it up, same with Mil type 308.

I could literally fill a 5 gallon bucket every week

 

[Assholenumberone]

I buy my brass from American Reloading if not at the range where I shoot. Range charges me about $3 a pound. American is +/- .10 a round.

 

[spamassassin]

A bargain behind a 7-11 is never a bargain.

 

[Mindyourbuisness]

I buy my brass from American Reloading if not at the range where I shoot. Range charges me about $3 a pound. American is +/- .10 a round.

Seems like the least expensive way to get a big pile of mixed 223/5.56 brass is the local shooting range.
Nobody picks it up, same with Mil type 308.

I could literally fill a 5 gallon bucket every week

Where you're from sounds nice. At the ranges where I live we first have to give 1/3 of our ammunition to beautiful undocumented citizens and strong inner-city single mothers before we can shoot. Needless to say I don't go to the range much, not because of the privilege tax but because I lost my state mandated butt-plug.

 

[Assholenumberone]

Where you're from sounds nice. At the ranges where I live we first have to give 1/3 of our ammunition to beautiful undocumented citizens and strong inner-city single mothers before we can shoot. Needless to say I don't go to the range much, not because of the privilege tax but because I lost my state mandated butt-plug.

I'm sorry buddy.