Safety Tip: Inspect Brass to Minimize Case-Head Separation Risk
We are re-publishing this article at the request of Forum members who told us the information proved very valuable. If you haven’t read this Safety Tip before, take a moment to learn how you can inspect your fired brass to determine if there may be a potential for case separation. A case separation can be dangerous, potentially causing serious injury.
On the older Riflemans’ Journal blog, GS Arizona wrote an excellent article about cartridge Case-Head Separation. We strongly recommend that you read this article. It examines the causes of this serious problem and he explains the ways you can inspect your brass to minimize the risk of a case-head separation. As cases get fired multiple times and then resized during reloading, the cases can stretch. Typically, there is a point in the lower section of the case where the case-walls thin out. This is your “danger zone” and you need to watch for tell-tale signs of weakening.
The photo at the top of this article shows a case sectioned so that you can see where the case wall becomes thinner near the web. German scribed a little arrow into the soot inside the case pointing to the thinned area. This case hadn’t split yet, but it most likely would do so after one or two more firings.
One great tip offered involves using a bent paper clip to detect potential case wall problems. Slide the paper clip inside your case to check for thin spots. The author explains: “This simple little tool (bent paper clip) will let you check the inside of cases before you reload them. The thin spot will be immediately apparent as you run the clip up the inside of the case. If you’re seeing a shiny line on the outside and the clip is really hitting a thin spot inside, it’s time to retire the case. If you do this every time you reload, on at least 15% of your cases, you’ll develop a good feel for what the thin spot feels like and how it gets worse as the case is reloaded more times. And if you’re loading the night before a match and feel pressured for time — don’t skip this step!”
Similar Posts:
- Case-Head Separation: Causes and How to Spot Problems
- Case-Head Separation — Spot Problems Before Things Go Boom…
- Incipient Case-Head Separation — How to Detect the Problem
- Case-Head Separation — How to Detect Potential Problems
- Safety Tip: How to Check for Potential Case-Head Separation
Share the post "Safety Tip: Inspect Brass to Minimize Case-Head Separation Risk"
Tags: Brass, Case-Head, Casing, Paper Clip, safety, Separation
I see this appears to be a Winchester casing , I’ve heard some things about this brand of casing from other reloaders , and shooters , I could hazard a guess that this happens eventually to most cases , but is it inherent early on in winchester cases ?
Hi, I have been a student of Mr. Salazar for many years and learned a tremendous amount from his articles on reloading and .30 caliber in general. Where did he go, I know he was injured and could no longer compete as he once did but his articles are classics and cannot be lost! How can I continue to study his work? I would host his articles for all if I were allowed to. Do you have his current contact info? Please pass this on, I’m not the only person who is missing his incredible articles!
Chip Louie