How many times to reload .45 brass?

How many times is it safe to to reload .45 brass?
 I lightly spray my brass with case lube  and tumble them,
about 50 at a time in a Zip lock bag, when I heard a distinctive ring unlike the usual “brass sound”. I carefully  looked at each case a found one with a crack. It was a Browning case which I loaded 5 times previously.
Thanks for chiming in.

54 times for this guy's study. It still didn't split but the primer pocket depth was less than SAAMI specs and he felt it wasn't safe anymore.
http://www.massreloading.com/loading45ACP.html
-Dave

Case splitting is very dependent on your dies, case mouth expansion for seating, crimp, load density (pressure) and your particular chamber dimensions. Generally the working of the case for sizing, case mouth expansion, crimp, then expansion on firing, and extraction takes its toll on the forward portion of the case.  

But remember not to try to minimize the case mouth expansion for seating, that method just creates too many other problems.  Cases are a consumable product, just keep some records and feel the sizing operation (even on a progressive press).  

To more generally answer your question, about 9 to 10 times for me.  

To more specifically answer the question, I reload in batches of 2,000+ cases (usually add a couple hundred for attrition, etc.), starting with once fired cases (mostly Federal which were fired in new barrels for testing - got a giant batch from one manufacture years ago).   I test (Ransom) my loads the start of each reloading season (early spring), and for each new gun / barrel.  Since I run though about 4,000 to 6,000 rounds per year of .45 - that gives me 2 to 3 reloads per case per year.  Based on history and with my components, etc., its generally about 9 to 10 reloads before I see splits start showing consistently enough to give up on that batch. (Sometimes a split case or two will show up sooner, but after about 9 or 10 reloads it begins to increase in occurrence.)  

And no, I don't see any significant difference in group sizes or scoring even up to the last loading. And as noted above, the case base on a .45 takes the majority of the battering and will eventually get pounded shorter affecting the primer depth, but splitting tends to show up first.  And split cases tend to be ones with feeding / does not chamber issues, so that's another good reason to just start a new batch.  I'm looking for consistency on the long line and reliability on the short line.  And no, I don't separate long line or short line brass.  If its not good enough for one, then its probably not good enough for the other. 

CR

Bestdentist99 wrote:
How many times is it safe to to reload .45 brass?
 I lightly spray my brass with case lube  and tumble them,
about 50 at a time in a Zip lock bag, when I heard a distinctive ring unlike the usual “brass sound”. I carefully  looked at each case a found one with a crack. It was a Browning case which I loaded 5 times previously.
Thanks for chiming in.

I wouldn't reload that case anymore, but I know people who would!

I've never been so obsessive that I count how many times I load brass. Basically you load it until it splits or like one did to me and blew out. I try to look at my brass before I load it to check for signs of failure. I have unwittingly reloaded split cases before and I'll be durned if I could tell the difference when fired but I assure you I didn't load it again.

I just keep on reloading until I spot a crack, usually very small at the case mouth.  I use mostly military WCC cases and still using ones from 30 years ago.  Who knows, maybe 30-40 reloads.  Military brass lasts and lasts.

I'd like to find more of that military brass. Anyone know a good supplier?
Stan

Good luck finding military brass. There is some floating around my ut the US Military doesn’t use it much anymore. Most gets combined with the range pickup.

28 gauge is almost always good for one more....so they say.

Wobbley wrote:Good luck finding military brass.  There is some floating around my ut the US Military doesn’t use it much anymore.  Most gets combined with the range pickup.

If you shoot at matches held on a military base, just pick up the brass before they police it up.  It is considered expendable and they won't care if you pick it up and keep it.  If you happen to shoot next to a marksmanship unit soldier/sailor/marine at a big match, they'll give you their brass.  They don't reload it.  They have all the fresh ammo they can use, courtesy of our tax dollars.  

At Camp Pendleton Navy Matches, I used to think that all that brass was policed up was sent to be recycled.  It isn't.  It is given out to sailors who reload their own ammo after the match is done.

I have lots of military 9 mm that I'll have to swage the primer pockets sometime, but I don't shoot 9mil anymore.
Stan

Found a source for military brass -

https://fedarm.com/product/45-acp-military-contract-brass/

I load and shoot till it splits .. how many times? I have no idea.

oldsalt444 wrote:Found a source for military brass -

https://fedarm.com/product/45-acp-military-contract-brass/

it says they are out of stock.

Tim:H11 wrote:I load and shoot till it splits .. how many times? I have no idea.

This one!
The only thing I'd add is until it splits "or I lose it".
I'm still loading some winchester brass from 1967 I scrounged from a ways back.