How big a dent, is too big a dent????

[Rogeritall]

Simple question, but one that I imagine will be difficult to answer via computer....

Back story: I'm brand new to reloading and bought a bunch of equipment off of a friend of mine. I'm wanting to reload some .223 and .44 mag to start out with. In this bunch of stuff is a box full of .223 brass (likely over 1000 rounds), so I think "great I'm set for brass for years"...

Upon close inspection of the brass, it seems each one has a dent (in varying places) of some kind on it, of varying severity and depth. I wish I could take a photo of some of them to show you all, but I don't know if the camera would be able to focus on the dents or not: I may try and see how they turn out and hope to post later.

The dents vary from what looks like would happen if a person just lightly dinged the case sidewall with a center punch, to what would look like if you shot it with a BB gun. Some have a scrape with a bit of a crease, or almost like if someone tried to cut the case with an knife and dented it.

Some of it I just don't trust to load at all, but with the little dings and dents, how big is too big before you guys won't reload it anymore? I'm beginning to wonder if I have inherited someones junk brass collection, because I'm sure my buddy didn't shoot all that brass, and he got it from some body else. So that's the main trouble I don't know any of the history of this brass at all. Recycle and start with new, or load a few of the lesser damaged ones???

Any thoughts on the matter would be well received... Thanks.

[steve4102]

As you said it's hard to say without looking at the case, but in general I don't worry to much about ejection dents as long as the brass is not kinked or creased.

[ryan42]

you will be suprise some will straight out when you run them through the resizer die.But if your not comfortable dont reload them.dont throw them out cause you can sell scrap brass for 2.50 a lb.

[ryan42]

what part of indiana are you from?

[JLA]

the dents will shoot out.

[myfriendis410]

I would just do a sort of the worst brass and chuck it. It's not like .223 brass is hard to come by these days either. Anything you introduce to your reloading setup for the first time should get a full-length sizing. If you are loading it to just go "bang" in an AR then I would plan on FL sizing every time. If you are loading for a bolt gun you can back off of the FL sizing die to better fit your chamber (for overall accuracy).

Dings are normal to common on brass fired from a semi-auto. Some are worse on brass than others (the H & K 91's and 93's were awful).

Have fun!

[JLA]

mini 14s are bad about putting a nice dent mid case upon ejection.

[TheGunClinger]

As they eject form an AR they hit the deflector thingy? It leaves a mark. No biggy. My LR-308 puts a big ding in each case as it is ejected. Thats how I can pick out my brass from all the other brass I pick up. My other AR's also leave a dent somewhere on the case.

[JLA]

That shell deflector thingy always catches the casemouth for me. plum flattens it on one side.

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by JLA

That shell deflector thingy always catches the casemouth for me. plum flattens it on one side.

I put a dime sized stick on pad on mine, no more dented mouths.

[JLA]

thatll work steve. I have a few rolls of felt tape. maybe cut a small piece and give it a try.

[Rogeritall]

Thanks all for the replies, I think I'll use the ones that have the smallest dings and discard the rest. (recycle) It will take two days to short through them all probably. I'll be shooting my .223's out of a single shot, and a bolt action at Coyotes, so they shouldn't get any more major dents in them. I've noticed that the dented brass does have heavy extractor marks, so it may have been shot from an AR 15 type rifle with a brass deflector of some type.

ryan42... I'm in the Grant County area as well.

[ozo]

Originally Posted by steve4102

I put a dime sized stick on pad on mine, no more dented mouths.

Do you have any pics of your pad ?

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by JLA

That shell deflector thingy always catches the casemouth for me. plum flattens it on one side.

that's the biggest issue I see case mouth errors..

I toss any big dents or creases.. they go into the future recycle box

[Charles Christensen]

I remember from days gone by when I was into reloading that a lot of wildcat rounds were made from standard cases but were cut down and "fire formed" by firing them in the new gun if the shoulder was a different but larger size.

I would think that if the brass will run through your dies and there are no actual cracks in the case then you should be fine.

[ozo]

Set your camera to 'macro' and don't use the flash
to keep the glare down.
Most .223 semi-autos leave some dent damage behind,
and almost all are re-usable.
Sharp creasing can split when fired.....but dents will
'shoot' out from the pressure.
Using a single shot you are even at a better advantage
as the brass will be encased without movement when fired.

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by ozo

Do you have any pics of your pad ?

It's just a card of stick on pad I buy at the Hardware store. These are foam. I have tried the felt ones, but the don't stick as well.

[steve4102]

Don't know why all my photos from Photobucket are all upside down and backaswards. They have the correct orientation on my PB page.

[Ledslnger]

Originally Posted by JLA

mini 14s are bad about putting a nice dent mid case upon ejection.

Dad has a mini-14 ranch rifle and I am not sure I have ever seen a dented case fly from it. And, they fly from it! I have only shot his mini though, no others.

[ozo]

Ya, my Ranch Rifle slings some brass.......20+ feet or more.
No dents except for [if] the brass hits something after
it is slung away....

[ozo]

Originally Posted by steve4102

Don't know why all my photos from Photobucket are all upside down and backaswards. They have the correct orientation on my PB page.

Photo bucket is weird in my experience...
I store my pics in a file[s] in my laptop
I hate it when you read a thread, and the pics
from photo bucket are gone and an empty
box is all you see.

[JLA]

Brass from my mini would hit the charging handle