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I am getting into reloading (don't even have a press yet) so this likely is a very dumb question.
I was given 50 boxes of older 270 brass (Winchester Super X, Norma, and Federal). All were fired (once) out of the same Sako 270 and appear to be very clean. The primers are still in the cartridge. Do I need to be concerned with the age of the brass and the fact that the primers have been in there for a while?
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Joined: Nov 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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How old is it? more than likely, it's fine.
Men ocassionaly stumble over the truth from time to time but, most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
- Winston Churchill-
NRA Endowment Life Member
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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DANGER!!! Possible trouble here. Send that brass to me and I'll dispose of properly.  They are just fine. FL size and enjoy.....
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Thanks for the information.
Brass is once fired and from the 70s, I'd guess.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Fear not. Just inspect it for the odd bit of corrosion possibly. Having been born in the 50's, I don't consider things from the 70's to be "old"! I guess it's a matter of perspective. Back in the 60's and 70's I routinely fired ammo from the 20's and 30's and then reloaded the brass countless times. The only truly old brass I would be overly concerned with would be pre-1910 mercuric primed stuff (like that's an issue anymore!), and any other brass that exhibited cracked necks, corrosion, stretching from over-use, yadda yadda yadda.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz
"Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Joined: Jan 2008
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No problem. Buy a $2 Lee primer pocket cleaner, and clean up after removing old primer.
If the gun it was fired in is not the gun you are going to reload for you may have other issues. I would size a few and see if they are going to fit your gun. With 50 boxes you have an awful lot of brass. I would sort it by brand and throw out anything suspicious. Of the ones you listed Norma is probably the best, with Winchester second, and Federal last. 100 pieces of good matched brass is a lot better than 1000 pieces of a mixed bag.
If you neck size and only FL size when necessary, your brass should last 20 reloads or even more.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
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No problem. Buy a $2 Lee primer pocket cleaner, and clean up after removing old primer.
If the gun it was fired in is not the gun you are going to reload for you may have other issues. I would size a few and see if they are going to fit your gun. With 50 boxes you have an awful lot of brass. I would sort it by brand and throw out anything suspicious. Of the ones you listed Norma is probably the best, with Winchester second, and Federal last. 100 pieces of good matched brass is a lot better than 1000 pieces of a mixed bag.
If you neck size and only FL size when necessary, your brass should last 20 reloads or even more. Thank you. Brass is still in the original boxes.
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 463
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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JDK,
Old(er) brass can do some unusual things. Neck splits, shoulder cracks/perforations, just to name a couple. Just for consistency's sake, I think I would process all this brass as a batch, then re-sort it by headstamp.
I'd start with cleaning/tumbling them all. Resize/deprime, and make sure they will chamber in your rifle without difficulties. I might anneal (do a search) the whole lot, too. clean primer pockets, trim all to the same length. A quick tumble to clean off lube, and you are ready to prime.
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2011
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nock the primers out and load away
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