Reloading Boxer-primed steel cases in .45 ACP

[CowboyT]

Been doing some experiments with the (relatively) newer Boxer-primed steel cases that now come in from Russia. These are the ones typically headstamped Wolf or Tulammo.

I have a batch of 19 cases that I'm test-firing until failure. All are .45 ACP. After the fourth firing, I had one Wolf case split. It was a standard case split not unlike the ones I've seen with brass cases.

Here are a few pics. These were taken with a basic phone-cam with me holding things in the shade trying to get enough sunlight, so please pardon any slight blurriness.



The first picture shows the case head. The spent primer is a standard Boxer LPP from Winchester. The second picture shows the Boxer priming (single hole). The third picture shows the split. It goes from the top of the case to just below halfway down.

The firearm was a recent model, standard-size Springfield 1911. The round didn't feel any different from the others. The load is a max load for 200gr, which would be right around 21,000 PSI, using Titegroup powder and a 200gr LRNFP cast boolit of BHN 12 (wheel weight alloy).

This post is in answer to a question raised previously regarding steel and what would happen when it eventually gives way. It appears that as long as the firearm's chamber remains intact, which should be the case unless you double-charge or the gun's defective (translation: you've got bigger problems anyway), you should be good to go with Boxer/steel cases.

BTW, the others are on their fifth (5th) firing now and are still looking good. So, I now have a batch of 18 cases.

[Palladin]

Still have a nagging voice saying this isn't a good idea...

[M1A4ME]

I've been reloading the Russian steel cases for 3 or 4 years.

The only issue is they seem harder to seat the primers in vs. brass cases.

I run them through the same dies and toss them in the brass polisher with the brass cases unless they look really clean/shiny when I pick them up.

I've been saving the steel (boxer primed) .223 cases but I haven't gotten around to reloading any of them yet. I met a guy at the range one day (several years ago) who was picking up his steel cases (.223) and putting them in his shooter's bag. I asked him why he didn't toss them in the garbage can like everyone else and he told me he was reloading them. I didn't ask how many times before he tossed them.

[CowboyT]

That is true about it taking a little more priming force than some brass cases. Actually, the steel cases felt a lot like priming Speer brass cases.

Palladin's concerns and that "nagging voice" are not to be overlooked, though. Perhaps the promising results that I'm seeing are due to the relatively lower pressures of the .45 ACP round. It'd be intriguing to get some insight from those reloading steel for the higher-pressure rounds (e. g. 223) like the fellow that M1A4ME mentioned.

[RWBlue01]

Yes, I have reloaded 45ACP, 9mm, 223 steel cased ammo. I didn't load them with powder puff loads. The issue is case failure. Based on what I could see, brass shows failure before it fails. Steel cases didn't.

So I reloaded mine once and didn't worry about them. I consider it unwise to continue to reload them after the first time. The cost of brass, vs. the cost of fixing the gun...ROI.

[arkypete]

Back when I was competing I got couple of steel cases mixed into batch of 45 acp cases I was reloading. Even with a carbide die it was a bit push and pull on the press handle to resize it.
Have fun, personally the steel cases make good landfill.

Jim

[CowboyT]

Well, I had a steel case split on me. It looked like it split just like the brass cases do when they give out. Seriously, the split looks identical. This split case ejected as any other (brass) split case would, too. Given this, I really don't know what all this fear is about.

This batch is now on its 5th loading, BTW. Still looks good.

[NovaHunter]

For .223, would you be able to trim the necks of steel cases or do they not expand as much?

I'd also be worried about ruining my dies by reloading steel.

[M1A4ME]

Steel cases are bound to wear out the cutter head on your trimmer faster. Brass will do it. I've been through a few, but steel is bound to do it faster.

You might be better off:
1. after resizing your batch of once fired steel cases measure lengths and segregate by length,
2. set your seating die up so as not to touch the case mouth of the longest cases (I've never crimped bottle neck rifle cases for bolt action or semi-auto rifles, no issues).
3. measure the cases on every resizing

As to wearing out the die? I though the idea of lubricating the cases with resizing lube was to create a thin layer of lube between the metal of the case and the metal of the resizing die?

[CowboyT]

Quite correct, that's exactly what any lube does, including the oil in automobiles. That's also why a decent-quality car that's properly cared for will not need its engine rebuilt for hundreds of thousands of miles. Same goes for dies. Additionally, the steel in the dies is way harder than the mild, springy steel in the cases, so this shouldn't be a problem. That said, I haven't yet done steel .223 Rem, only .45 ACP and .357 Magnum, neither of which are bottlenecked.

[jmax]

I used to lube and reload USGI steel cases for my annual jack rabbit hunt with my TSMG in NW CO when I lived there. Ended up cracking the carbide sizing ring in my sizer die so I stopped the practice and just used really crummy brass cases for future machine gun hunts

[HighExpert]

I tried to reload steel for a little while. Case life stinks since steel is no where near as ductile as brass, hard on dies, even with lube and neck tension is nowhere as near consistent. I trashed a set of dies and quit.

[shovel1966]

I have heard of several people reloading steel cases over the past 10 years or so. I haven't yet figured out why someone would want to when plenty of brass cases are readily available. Is it just to prove that it can be done? Is there an advantage that I haven't figured out. Personally I wouldn't put my dies through the process of reforming steel.

[jdonovan]

Think about it... the powder, and projectile makers, mostly don't make brass (there are a few, like hornady that do), so mostly they have no business interests other than selling you components to put in the case of your choice. Even they recommend against steel case use.

There might be something to this...