[DAShooter]

My buddy and I got into reloading at the same time so neither one of us know the answer. He is reloading 45 colt ammo and he noticed that some of the brass has a indented ring around the center of the case. He was wondering if they are safe to reload these are factory loads that he fired off.

 

[Alpo]

Absolutely safe. The purpose of that (that's called a "cannelure", by the way) is to give a little lip inside the case for the bullet to sit on. As you may or may not know, the 45 Colt was originally a "black powder" cartridge, and the case was filled full of powder. The bullet sat atop the powder. With smokeless powder cartridges, they use MUCH less powder (my loads use 8 grain of Unique, versus the 40 grains of black that was the original load) and there is a large air space between the bullet and the powder, so the little inside lip for the bullet to sit on.

This lip is not necessary, and many manufacturers don't use it. But some do. It does not hurt anything. It does not weaken the brass. Probably by the second firing the cannelure will have fireformed out.

 

[DAShooter]

ok thanks Alpo must have got a mixed batch because some have it and some don't out of the same batch.

 

[oldfartrr]

no problem completely safe ,, as ALPO stated ,, have some with the ring also,, and have reloaded many times.. have fun

 

[JLA]

Things can happen. I had a rossi ranchhand (mares leg) come in, chambered in .357 mag, that had a half a .357 case stuck in the chamber. Guy was shooing cannelured .357s and one of them separated at the cannelure and left the front half of the brass stuck in his chamber. I had to make a little hook to dig it out.

Only time Ive ever seen it, but it can happen.