What’s your longest lasting brass?

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   I'm curious as to what brass some of you might have that you've loaded a whole bunch of times.  The same batch, over and over, without having any problems with it.
Back in the mid to late 1980s I bought a few boxes of PMC 44 Spcl ammo, and luckily kept the brass.  When I started reloading in 1993 I had that plus some other 44 Spcl.  The others have fallen by the wayside, but the PMC is still here, being reloaded at least 3 times a year.  
I've only had to discard a few cases from split necks.  And I still get very good accuracy from it.  
I realize it's a straight walled case and isn't put under a lot of pressure when fired, but I'm still amazed at how long it's lasted.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?

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Gunrunner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Forest Grump Joined: 05 July 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1970	Topic: What’s your longest lasting brass? Posted: 01 September 2004 at 11:01
	I'm curious as to what brass some of you might have that you've loaded a whole bunch of times. The same batch, over and over, without having any problems with it. Back in the mid to late 1980s I bought a few boxes of PMC 44 Spcl ammo, and luckily kept the brass. When I started reloading in 1993 I had that plus some other 44 Spcl. The others have fallen by the wayside, but the PMC is still here, being reloaded at least 3 times a year. I've only had to discard a few cases from split necks. And I still get very good accuracy from it. I realize it's a straight walled case and isn't put under a lot of pressure when fired, but I'm still amazed at how long it's lasted. Has anyone else had similar experiences?
	Somebody better call the Secret Service. Let 'em know there's an illegal alien in the White House...and it ain't the cook!!

7mm Magnum Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .30/06 SpringField Joined: 15 August 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 251	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 11:08
	I've got some original Remington brass for my 7mm Mag (50 rounds) that I purchased in 1994 STILL in reloading service,.. they must be on their 7th or 8th loading. I inspect them VERY carefully and they are still as good as new,.. no split necks, no worn out primer pockets,.... NOTHING! If the necks to start to split out they go,.... they aren't that expensive.
	Shoot Straight & Stay Safe! Terry A. Webster Life Member NAHC Life Member NAFC Life Member NRA Mich. Steelheaders RMEF Supporting Member SCI Veteran US Army 70-72 SGT 1Bn 327th Inf Div

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 11:40
	I got some Norma loaded 243 rounds from (if you can believe it) the 1960 Olympic games. the boxes were stamped with a metal red label ID with the Olympic logo. I had about 150 rounds, and shot them and reloaded them at least 20 times probably more like 45 times on some. Initially I loaded them very hot, foolish youth, lots of blown primers. but i settled on 40 grs of IMR4064 behind an 85 grain pill. I retired them last year when i loaded 600 rounds to hunt PDs (i bought 600 Remington empties). I had very few split necks over the years. I always used a file type case Gage on them as the necks grew. Never had problems with them in my HB Sako L579. I reloaded a lot of WW-2 '06 brass, up to about 1985, in my '03. then gave it to my dentist who reloaded it in his M1. The only bad brass i ever had was Star cases in 41 mag. Poor specs, rim thickness was all over the place. finally donated it to the recycle brass barrel at my club. Shit of the first order. BEAR BEAR

TasunkaWitko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator aka The Gipper Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Chinook Montana Status: Offline Points: 14753	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 11:47
	if someone would have asked me yesterday, i would have suggested PMC, but i just did some reading and apparantly they ahve a lot of consistency issues, especially with the primer pockets being slightly too large sometimes. also, flash holes are apparantly off-center quite a bit. i will qualify this by saying that i ahve not seen this myself, and have only read about it. PMC brass always looks to me to be pretty darn good and strong, but i ahve only seen two boxes worth, so that is not a very good sampling. that aside, my WCC "military surplus" brass lasted quite a long time. i eventually gave it all away, but probably could have loaded it many more times. the caveat HERE is that i use a lee laoder (which only neck-sizes, which means less stresson the metal) and i load fairly mild loads. given that, i could probably reload the damn things forever......
	TasunkaWitko - Chinook, Montana Helfen, Wehren, Heilen Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen

Ranch 13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 02 June 2004 Location: Guernsey Status: Offline Points: 657	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 12:09
	I have some ww 44 special and 45 colt brass that are well over 30 years old. And I have some federal 243 brass that are as old or older.
	The most expensive bullet there is isn't worth a plug nickel if it don't go where its supposed to.

deaddog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator AKA The Flying Gun Joined: 23 April 2004 Location: Svalbard Status: Offline Points: 991201	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 17:35
	Lapua then Norma .44 Special with light loads will last almost forever. DD
	Endeavor to persevere.

macca Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA The Thunder From DownUnder Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1149	Posted: 01 September 2004 at 19:36
	I am on my twenty second reloading of Lapua brass in my 308 with no losses from a batch of a hundred rounds.I have taken some Norma to thirty reloads and my shooting partner is on sixty with his norma in 6.5-284. Norma is the best,followed by Lapua. I have some win at twelve but a few 270's are being discarded. Macca
	don't let the bastards grind you down.

Moose6 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA The Knoxville NASCAR Nut Joined: 25 July 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2191	Posted: 02 September 2004 at 00:52
	I have some plain-ol' Winchester brass in .338 Win that is on its 12th loading. Trimmed once.
	Y'all shoot straight!!! Moose - Knoxville, TN

Triggerguard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby aka The San Antonio Terminator Joined: 13 June 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2212	Posted: 02 September 2004 at 00:56
	.45 ACP. Loose them long before they wear out!
	"...A moral compass needs a butt end.Whatever direction France is pointing-towards collaboration with Nazis, accomodation with communists,...we can go the other way with a quiet conscience"-O'Rourke

Gunrunner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Forest Grump Joined: 05 July 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1970	Posted: 02 September 2004 at 15:46
	Wow! It sounds like Norma brass is the way to go. I've never shelled out the money to buy some, but maybe I'll get some 308 one of these days. Tas, I would normally agree with you on the PMC brass being junk. About the same time I bought the 44 Spcl ammo I also bought some PMC 44 Mag ammo. That stuff was garbage. Out of the same box, some of it shot like a 44 Mag, some of it shot like a 44 Spcl, and I thought some of it would blow my gun up. I didn't keep that brass. But the 44 Spcl worked great from the box and I kept the brass. Bear, I heard bad things about Star brass and never tried it. Probably won't either. And Macca, sixty on a 6.5-284!? I find that amazing. That is one high pressure load from what I've seen guys shoot. Triggerguard, the one caliber/case I've never had any trouble with is 9X19. Any brand, they always work good. Since I haven't loaded for a 45ACP I can't make judjement on it, but I bet it's the same. Glad to hear you guys have had some good results with your certain lots of brass.
	Somebody better call the Secret Service. Let 'em know there's an illegal alien in the White House...and it ain't the cook!!

macca Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA The Thunder From DownUnder Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1149	Posted: 03 September 2004 at 11:49
	Yeah gunrunner it is a lot of reloads.He has 30 pieces of brass all neckturned to fit his custom chamber.They have only ever been necksized in custom dies and they are still going.He is not running the rifle flat out though,its a high accuracy load. I have heard of benchrest shooters with the 222 and 6ppc getting higher numbers but don't know any of the people in question. Macca
	don't let the bastards grind you down.

Eagleye Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .30/06 SpringField Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 293	Posted: 03 September 2004 at 17:21
	I have a batch of WW 6mm Remington cases that have been reloaded 16 times and I have not lost one yet. In all fairness, they have been used in an accuracy load that does not build max pressures, but they have also been used in three different rifles. This means Full length resizing has been there at least 3-4 times. I trim when they reach max length, and my records say they have been trimmed 4 times, so one day I will be losing a few of these, but so far, so good! Regards, Eagleye
	Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level & then beat you with experience!