Recently picked up 150 rds. of nice looking .303 large Berdan primed ammo @ $25.00, searching web indicates it is Iraqui 1959. It shoots just fine. At a flea mkt. I picked up a 150 ct. pack of Berdan primers, correct size; Dunamit Nobel RWS 1/85 (assume non corrosive) for $4.50 (3 cents ea.) Yeah, spent primers are a pain to remove but this looks like good clean brass and with the correct primers should make decent reloads. Any opinions out there on this brass, is it worthwhile reloading?
IMHO I wouldn't, here's a great chance the original loading was ignited by either corrosive or mercuric primes. The corrosive you could probably reuse if the priming effects were neutralized. If mercuric, the brass is ruined and should be disposed of. The mercuric primers will cause dangerous embrittlement and make the brass unsafe, not to mention the exposure to mercury. What were the cases charged with, some sort of modern flake powder or with Cordite or some variation of it. If I remember correctly Cordite was corrosive also.
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