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Posted: 2/15/2014 6:25:51 PM EDT
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So I've been playing around with Steel lately. Reloading it. Having run a few hundred rounds I've had zero issues with it.
First...Pick up the steel. Enough picking it up and you'll quickly learn to ID the boxer primed ones. I've found TulAmmo at my range appears to be the boxer. Now...I much prefer getting it from the indoor range if I can, but I've also picked some up out in the elements just to see. So here you go....pick up the weathered stuff. 
Be sure that you deprime then wet tumble :-) 3-4 hours gets both the inside and outside very clean. I like to change the water after the first hour. 
once it comes out throw it into the dehydrator to dry them up, Then drop it into the dry tumbler for another hour. I use the nu-finish polish. My thoughts are the wax will hit the pores of the metal and place a layer of protectant on it. 
Then home lube and size them. Then Trim (doesn't hurt my Giraud blade). Then throw them on your press and load as normal. Primers are a little more stiff going in, but they seat very well and you at least know you have a nice tight primer pocket. When you're done... 
well....for me...I'm just collecting and loading until I have 1 or 2 k of these loaded in ammo cans and ready to go. 
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I use the nu-finish polish. My thoughts are the wax will hit the pores of the metal and place a layer of protectant on it. From the website. http://www.nufinish.com/products/car-polish "Only car polish product in the market that contains no wax." They use very hard ceramic microspheres to grind down the edges of the scratches on the surface of you car paint. |
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From the website. http://www.nufinish.com/products/car-polish "Only car polish product in the market that contains no wax." They use very hard ceramic microspheres to grind down the edges of the scratches on the surface of you car paint. Quoted:
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I use the nu-finish polish. My thoughts are the wax will hit the pores of the metal and place a layer of protectant on it. From the website. http://www.nufinish.com/products/car-polish "Only car polish product in the market that contains no wax." They use very hard ceramic microspheres to grind down the edges of the scratches on the surface of you car paint. Well that's interesting to know, but whatever it lays down appears to penetrate the pores of the metal. You can feel it on brass after tumbling and total different feel when you clean it with spirits. So...something is acting as a sealant / protectant. |
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Nice, but you didn't use the rusty ones  but now you know you can.
Also good to see one of the replies was the hornady spray appears to act as a barrier and preservant, I'd actually thought about trying that as well. |
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It was your posts that got me into loading steel cases. From there I went on to Berdan primed steel 7.62x39.
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It was your posts that got me into loading steel cases. From there I went on to Berdan primed steel 7.62x39. Quoted:
From there I went on to Berdan primed steel 7.62x39. When I was young fella,, couple friends parents thought I was bad influence 
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When I was young fella,, couple friends parents thought I was bad influence Quoted:
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From there I went on to Berdan primed steel 7.62x39. When I was young fella,, couple friends parents thought I was bad influence You and Dryflash are BOTH bad influences. Posts from you have cost me several hundred more than once
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Light rusty gets wet tumbled. Dirty gets dry tumbled. Bad rusty never makes it home.
I've only reloaded a couple of hundred steel cases, 45 ACPand 223. I love 'em. They resize well, trim well, are easy to chamfer, look great... Some of the 45 ACP cases are split from resizing even before reloading once. So be on the lookout for splits. |
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Just a quick question regarding the sizing die for steel cased ammo. Do you gents recommend a separate sizing die ( one for steel and one for brass) or do you go with the as long as its clean the same die will work for both. And do you recommend
X sizing die over Y sizing die for steel case? I'm very interested in this (since I know at least Dryflash3 read my post about my father handing me over all his gear, the deal with my brother in law did in fact get approved by my sister. So now I'm the proud owner of a mini 30 now, and 7.62x39 is now on the list for me). |
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Quoted:
Just a quick question regarding the sizing die for steel cased ammo. Do you gents recommend a separate sizing die ( one for steel and one for brass) or do you go with the as long as its clean the same die will work for both. And do you recommend X sizing die over Y sizing die for steel case? I'm very interested in this (since I know at least Dryflash3 read my post about my father handing me over all his gear, the deal with my brother in law did in fact get approved by my sister. So now I'm the proud owner of a mini 30 now, and 7.62x39 is now on the list for me). While I have a backup die (redding) I exclusively just use my Hornady die for both Steel and Brass. In Fact, I usually just throw my brass and steel together in my case feeder and run them to load at the same time. X die, Y die...I haven't a clue as I'm not familiar with either, I think those are something that keeps one from having to trim, but for now I prefer to just trim. Only thing I do during the reload is watch for the steel cases as I know if I'm sizing, they will require me to move much faster downstroke and much quicker upstroke as they do go in tighter than brass, when loading I watch for them as I also know primers will take a little more oompf to seat properly. Now....if you take the time to primer pocket uniform your steel it goes in much easier to below rim level. |
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Quoted: Just a quick question regarding the sizing die for steel cased ammo. Do you gents recommend a separate sizing die ( one for steel and one for brass) or do you go with the as long as its clean the same die will work for both. And do you recommend X sizing die over Y sizing die for steel case? I'm very interested in this (since I know at least Dryflash3 read my post about my father handing me over all his gear, the deal with my brother in law did in fact get approved by my sister. So now I'm the proud owner of a mini 30 now, and 7.62x39 is now on the list for me). 7.62x39 Berdan is RCBS only because the decapping pin is easily removed. 223 is Hornady 45 ACP is RCBS carbide No reason Lee dies wouldn't work also. My 7.62x39 Boxer dies are Lee. But brass cases here. Remember steel cased 7.62x39 will be Berdan cases. So you will need a Berdan decapper, and a modified hand primer to prime. Decapping the steel cases in the pics above before tumbling. RCBS decapper, 5/16 bolt mounted in block bolted to bench to hold cases. |
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Quoted:
Well that's interesting to know, but whatever it lays down appears to penetrate the pores of the metal. You can feel it on brass after tumbling and total different feel when you clean it with spirits. So...something is acting as a sealant / protectant. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I use the nu-finish polish. My thoughts are the wax will hit the pores of the metal and place a layer of protectant on it. From the website. http://www.nufinish.com/products/car-polish "Only car polish product in the market that contains no wax." They use very hard ceramic microspheres to grind down the edges of the scratches on the surface of you car paint. Well that's interesting to know, but whatever it lays down appears to penetrate the pores of the metal. You can feel it on brass after tumbling and total different feel when you clean it with spirits. So...something is acting as a sealant / protectant. I do something similar. Once the cases, steel or brass, are dry, I make sure that they are still pretty hot. By that I mean too warm to comfortably hold in my hand. Then I tumble them for a while in corn cob that has some fresh liquid Turtle Wax car wax. That's for the same reasons as Scorpius. The wax also keeps the cases from sticking to the powder funnel on my Dillion press, for those that I load with it. |
| I reload steel 223 for three gun compitition. I am a little more than OCD about loosing brass and all of our matches are considered "lost brass" matches. So I started doing this two seasons ago. I have seen zero difference between steel and brass cases with my loads in-so-far-as accuracy, velocity, and functioning is concerned and I have probably shot over 1,500 rounds of this stuff. I only use it for matches since I can get my brass back during practice and because it's difficult to find quality non rusted steel cases on the ground at my range. The only difficulties I have encountered are that the primer pockets seem to be more shallow and require more force to seat the primers and that I absolutely have to flare the case necks to avoid shaving bullets. |
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Quoted:
I reload steel 223 for three gun compitition. I am a little more than OCD about loosing brass and all of our matches are considered "lost brass" matches. So I started doing this two seasons ago. I have seen zero difference between steel and brass cases with my loads in-so-far-as accuracy, velocity, and functioning is concerned and I have probably shot over 1,500 rounds of this stuff. I only use it for matches since I can get my brass back during practice and because it's difficult to find quality non rusted steel cases on the ground at my range. The only difficulties I have encountered are that the primer pockets seem to be more shallow and require more force to seat the primers and that I absolutely have to flare the case necks to avoid shaving bullets. do the PPU and use the chamfer tool or Giraud. both those issues are resolved. |
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Recalling this thread, I started picking up fresh steel, and got strange reactions from most.
Cleaned and sized cases last night, and will load shortly. I am using an X-die, and the Wolf cases were slightly long for the case gauge, so I had to re-adjust the die to size correctly. I may get a dedicated die for steel, for I don't want to mess with what has worked for so long. Hope to do some blasting this weekend
It's good to have alternatives |
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Quoted:
I reload steel 223 for three gun compitition. I am a little more than OCD about loosing brass and all of our matches are considered "lost brass" matches. So I started doing this two seasons ago. I have seen zero difference between steel and brass cases with my loads in-so-far-as accuracy, velocity, and functioning is concerned and I have probably shot over 1,500 rounds of this stuff. I only use it for matches since I can get my brass back during practice and because it's difficult to find quality non rusted steel cases on the ground at my range. The only difficulties I have encountered are that the primer pockets seem to be more shallow and require more force to seat the primers and that I absolutely have to flare the case necks to avoid shaving bullets. I hate to think of how many .45ACP steel cases I've thrown away that could have been saved for lost brass matches. I now save small primer and aluminum cases for this purpose. |
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