Fired Bullseye Brass.

Just received a bunch of fired brass from a member on this site (Thanks Lamar) that he purchased from Bullseye shooters over the years.   A couple of questions if I may.   First, all the brass is Federal.   Is this a preferred headstamp for Bullseye loads?   And second, much of the brass is marked with a colored magic marker on the case head, either a line across the case head, or even a completely green or red colored case head.   With rifle brass, this is sometimes done to indicate that the brass is toast and to toss it once it is fired and not to reload it again, but I suspect that this .45 ACP Bullseye brass is marked for identification or some other purpose.   Thanks in advance for your comments.

Don

A lot of people used a magic marker to identify their brass easily when at the range.  My usual technique was to police the brass in my area pick out mine with the stripes of the day and then put the others on a firing point.

As for makes of brass that are preferred.  I like Winchester in all its forms, even WCC military, and Federal.  Tho I do have most makes. I do keep makes separated until it’s time for the practice bin.  Then I don’t care.

Once fired brass has better consistency than new brass (for whatever reason) when I reload.  Same headstamp brass is (generally) more consistent and desired than mixed headstamp brass.  Like any projectile sport (darts, golf, archery, etc.), consistency is important. 

Federal makes good brass.  I have some brass with the sharpie mark - I inspect the brass and if it looks OK ignore the mark.  I have found that pistol brass doesn't have to be trimmed, or even thoroughly cleaned, to function safely and correctly.  However, I rarely load the maximum charge and generally load near the minimum.

Stan

Oh, the sharpie marks will soon be gone, after I wet tumble the brass this weekend.

Don

w4ti wrote:Federal is the last major maker who puts out wadcutter target grade 45 ammo, so it could very well be the case that many of these are Gold Medal in lineage.

In my experience the Fed GM 185 SWC brass is easily identifiable as it has a roll crimp in the brass.   One batch of my GM had FC headstamp, but the stuff I bought recently was back to the Federal headstamp.

Don the marks was to identify my brass.
Different colors for powder & short or long
line loads.
Thanks for the  purchase.
Lamar H

Aprilian wrote:

w4ti wrote:Federal is the last major maker who puts out wadcutter target grade 45 ammo, so it could very well be the case that many of these are Gold Medal in lineage.

In my experience the Fed GM 185 SWC brass is easily identifiable as it has a roll crimp in the brass.   One batch of my GM had FC headstamp, but the stuff I bought recently was back to the Federal headstamp.

Ah, that was another question I had.   I noticed that some of the brass has a roll crimp and some didn't.   So, can I assume that any Federal or FC marked brass with a roll crimp is GM?

Don

Don,   I can't emphatically answer that as I don't have enough experience to be able to say that is their only product with that combination of roll mark and headstamp.  In my case, I know that my brass can be sorted that way as I only have a few with that combination which I introduced into the mix as once-fired.  Any used similar ones I acquire are put into the practice bin.

For those that don't tumble (wet or dry) denatured alcohol on a paper towel will wipe off those Sharpie marks making them clean as a whistle.

For the record all I use is Federal brass. The pain comes when I get new once fired brass and have to pick out the small primer pocket brass.  Never much (couple in every 1000) but if not done will jam up the Dillon.

Virgil