Been loading 9mm this morning on my Dillon 550B. All the brass is stuff my wife brought home from the range. I've asked her to only bring home new, once-fired brass. Every now and then a case would hang up in the Dillon powder die. I mean locking up the press with the ram raised and it took some serious effort on the lever to get it to release. At first, I thought I was perhaps belling the case mouths too much so I re-adjusted the powder die. That didn't solve the issue so I started looking at head stamps and found the cases stamped CBC were the ones hanging up. A little net surfing indicated it's Magtech. One of the wife's shooting buddies had shot a bunch of Magtech ammo and saved all her brass for us. Gonna sort that stuff out and put it in the junk-brass bucket. Just wondering if anybody else has run into something like this.
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Magtech brass issue
- Thread starter DRob
- Start date
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It may be a touch thicker and is hanging on the powder die.
When I pin/water tumbled leaving brass sparkly clean, I had brass sticking bad on the dillon powder funnel constantly.
I have been water tumbling without pins with a final tumble with armor all wash&wax. Leaves a slight silicon layer that keeps brass from dulling and less sticking.
Never noticed one brand brass over another causing problems.
I have been water tumbling without pins with a final tumble with armor all wash&wax. Leaves a slight silicon layer that keeps brass from dulling and less sticking.
Never noticed one brand brass over another causing problems.
Ive had it happen on occasion on the 550's i just hit a piece of brass with lube when it starts and it goes right away, as stated above the brass is what i consider to be dry!
you told your wife...
"new, once fired brass"? huh?
She supposed to ask people shooting how many times they've loaded the cases?
LOL
7 posts and nobody's explained? what's this place coming to? Magtech 9mm uses a stepped case. It prevents bullet setback and makes a smaller case volume so they can use less powder for the same peak pressure. All else being equal not so good for longer barrel use since there isn't enough powder to keep the pressure up while the bullet travels.
"new, once fired brass"? huh?
She supposed to ask people shooting how many times they've loaded the cases?
LOL
7 posts and nobody's explained? what's this place coming to? Magtech 9mm uses a stepped case. It prevents bullet setback and makes a smaller case volume so they can use less powder for the same peak pressure. All else being equal not so good for longer barrel use since there isn't enough powder to keep the pressure up while the bullet travels.
Yep, these cases are the only ones that I've had problems with.
Amazing picture. I have never run across true stepped modern brass. I never would have thought that it would make sense to use expensive brass to save powder.
I have seen brass that started the taper closer to the mouth that would have sizing problems with flat based bullets. I think that was A-Merc brass, but I cannot remember for certain.
Even the best brass will hang on a die if it is too clean. Any two tapers will hang up if they are clean. The only thing that holds Morse taper lathe tools together is the grip of the taper, yet it holds against rotating torque that will easily separate your arm from your body.
Most everyone has stuck a dry rifle brass in a full length sizing die. The polish I use for corn cob polishers does not make the brass sticky. Just for smoother running, I take a quick spray, maybe two pumps of case lube over the 2-1/2 gallon bucket of brass. Pretty much an immeasurable amount on each piece, some lube gets in some of the mouths and that seems to be enough. Shake and stir the brass before filling the primer tubes and fill and set the powder measure. You can actually feel the handle on a progressive press having less resistance, even tough you cannot really feel anything oily.
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Thanks for the info, i had found some brass like this a couple years ago on a outdoor range, knew nothing about it so i left it on a table for someone else, glad i did!
you told your wife...
"new, once fired brass"? huh?
She supposed to ask people shooting how many times they've loaded the cases?
LOL
Yes, I have told my wife to only bring home once-fired cases. The ammo she is shooting is all my reloads and have been reloaded several times. I don't want that brass. We'll never use all the 9mm brass we have so I'm picky. And yes, she does know what ammo her fellow shooters are using. She shoots with the same group of women often and in a league with them twice monthly. None of them reload and several of them save their brass for us. I apologize for not using the term "commercial" so you'd understand.
Thanks for providing the info on the Magtech brass. Now let me answer your question, "what's this place coming to?" This place is not coming to anything particularly new but is known for smartass answers which attempt to ridicule those who may not be as well informed.
Edit: I have checked several of the CBC head stamped cases which I've tossed in the junk brass bucket. None of them are "stepped" as in the above photos.
"new, once fired brass"? huh?
She supposed to ask people shooting how many times they've loaded the cases?
LOL
Yes, I have told my wife to only bring home once-fired cases. The ammo she is shooting is all my reloads and have been reloaded several times. I don't want that brass. We'll never use all the 9mm brass we have so I'm picky. And yes, she does know what ammo her fellow shooters are using. She shoots with the same group of women often and in a league with them twice monthly. None of them reload and several of them save their brass for us. I apologize for not using the term "commercial" so you'd understand.
Thanks for providing the info on the Magtech brass. Now let me answer your question, "what's this place coming to?" This place is not coming to anything particularly new but is known for smartass answers which attempt to ridicule those who may not be as well informed.
Edit: I have checked several of the CBC head stamped cases which I've tossed in the junk brass bucket. None of them are "stepped" as in the above photos.
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One of the reasons I don't buy MagTech.
I don't trust my wife or my shooting buddies with that. Scoop it all and I'll sort it later. Even then stuff happens.
I was referencing someone not explaining before I do. Usually someone beats me to an explanation lol. Take it easy or you'll hurt yourself, grumps, I'm supposed to be the wet blanket at the party.
I do not believe MagTech makes "stepped" brass. MaxxTech and a couple other brands have.
Stepped brass is not to prevent bullet setback. If it were, it would be formed at a height that would prevent setback enough to prevent pressure spikes. These photos show some of the internal steps, some are too low to accomplish this.
Rather, the "stepped" brass is a result of reverse impact case forming as shown
Most brass cases are draw formed as explained here
Drawing Brass | How Cartridge Cases Are Made | Peterson Cartridge
See the brass rifle casing manufacturing process at Peterson Cartridge from raw brass coils to the finished casings we deliver to you.
www.petersoncartridge.com
I have QuickLoad and have modeled pistol loads and found case volume and seating depth can affect pressures greatly on straight walled ammo compared to bottleneck ammo. Stepped brass mixed with other brass during reloading may cause erratic pressures due to varying case volumes.
Ah, indeed the ones I have are Maxxtech. Darn those very similar names!I do not believe MagTech makes "stepped" brass. MaxxTech and a couple other brands have.
Stepped brass is not to prevent bullet setback. If it were, it would be formed at a height that would prevent setback enough to prevent pressure spikes. These photos show some of the internal steps, some are too low to accomplish this.
View attachment 221578
View attachment 221579
Rather, the "stepped" brass is a result of reverse impact case forming as shown
View attachment 221580
Most brass cases are draw formed as explained here
Drawing Brass | How Cartridge Cases Are Made | Peterson Cartridge
See the brass rifle casing manufacturing process at Peterson Cartridge from raw brass coils to the finished casings we deliver to you.
I have QuickLoad and have modeled pistol loads and found case volume and seating depth can affect pressures greatly on straight walled ammo compared to bottleneck ammo. Stepped brass mixed with other brass during reloading may cause erratic pressures due to varying case volumes.
I didn't know that about case forming but however it's done, they chose to do it and leave it there. Different manufacturers may do it for different reasons... the Maxxtech cases I have definitely have the step placed where it would prevent setback, whether that was a driving reason or not.
Though I wonder what is cheaper, a grain of powder, or a couple grains of copper since it now takes more copper to make.
I stopped buying MagTech years ago. I got several boxes that were all over the place on velocity and a few were so bad I thought they were squib rds (they weren't, but felt like it) I stopped using them.
Maybe they have improved since then. I haven't used them for around 20 years or around there.
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