Question on resizing

[ghentry]

I just received my Lee dies today and I started depriming & resizing. There were a batch of shells I picked up at the range that don't seem to shape back up.

Questions:

1. Looking at the picture below, are these ok to continue reloading?
2. Does anyone know this headstamp?
3. I'm noticing brass shavings at the bottom of the shells. Is this normal?

[Thane]

I dunno if they're "OK" to reload with. I do know that I've reloaded cases like that, and they function. I'll run them through the resizing die a time or two, giving the shell a half-turn in between. What's left of the dent should come most of the way out when you bell the case mouth. As I use lead bullets for my loading, I bell all the cases, to minimize lead shavings from seating the bullet, and just adjust the seating die to give the round a bit of a crimp.
The brass shavings are probably be a result of not lubing the cases prior to sizing. I have found that Dillon's spray-on case lube is very effective; Lee's lube is problematic at best, and really gunks up my dies. You do have to tumble the cases after using the Dillon's though - it tends to get sticky after a while. Imagine handling cases with a light film of dried Sprite on them, and you'll get the picture.

In short, while I dunno if those are OK "by the book," I'd certainly use them. Major dents, splits, and crumplings are just about the only things that will disqualify a case for my use; yes, I'm kind of cheap.


... Which reminds me, I've got another thousand rounds I need to load in the next week or so....

[Edit] Forgot to address your second question. Unfortunately, I don't recognize the headstamp. I presume it's military surplus from somewhere, but haven't a clue where. [/Edit]

[ghentry]

Well I just tried putting a few of them through the expanding die and it took care of the dents. I guess I'll procede with loading them. I didn't use any lube since I read that the carbide dies don't require any.

[ShootingStar]

ghentry,

I reload lots and lots of .45 on my Dillon and have the same philosopy as Thane. Unless a case is split or dented pretty bad, I use it. Never had a problem. I just shoot them til they split and then throw them away.

The Crimp on the primer pocket is a pretty good indicator that the case is military as well as the trace of red primer sealer. I pick up a lot of .45 on the range and have never seen a stamp that looks like that.

I have never used case lube, but it would go easier when resizing. I just didn't like the extra work. My wife says I have a lazy streak in me, but I don't believe her.

Keep you eyes pealed for .45 small primer and .45 GAP. I picked up some .45 small primer a while back and it stopped my Dillon real quick. I suspect they are both a fad and will eventually go the way of the buffulo.

[Houston1944]

Found 2 names that use CCC -
CCC - Canyon Cartridge Company, 141 Albertson Ave, Albertson, NY
CCC - Creedmoor Cartridge Co., Barberton, OH
I don't know anything about either of them. It also would not surprise me for a company in one of the eastern European countries to use CCC.
The only 45 brass I ever had to lube to run in my 650 was new Winchester brass. I've never lubed any straight wall pistol brass that had been fired.

[nuparadigm]

I'll go with Thane & Shooting Star: I've used cases in similar shape. Usually, the expander takes care to the little dings around the top. Splits anywhere, major discoloration around the webb after resizing and major dents still there after resizing are about the only reason I won't use a case again. Never had a case failure on mixed-bag-range-pickups that meet the foregoing qualifications. I've been loading a long time (since 1973).

Never seen that headstamp.

Blow out the brass shavings.

[longtooth]

Never seen the headstamp. Your little dent is the mark of some guns.
nup is right in that anything that is a malformation to the inside of the case, at the mouth will, will be taken care of when you bell the mouth. One suggestion there that REALLY helped me when 1st starting. Many instruction manuals say to bell the case just enough to get the bullet started in the top. I like to bell it enough to set the bullet in easy & almost to the lube ring. I have RCBS single stage & if I just barely get the case mouth wide enough to start the bullet, some of the cases crush a little. Open the mouth & load them til they split. .45s are an easy cal. to start & learn on. Good loading, shooting.