TexasCHLforum.com

I have a table with chicken wire on top and just roll the cases around like "dominoes" and I'll listen for abnormal sounds, of course I'm visually inspecting as well, how do y'all ensure you don't load cracked cases?

For pistol cases Ill feel it when I bell the case mouth.

Visually throughout the loading process, and by feel when a case is in the dies. I load semi-progressively on a LEE Classic Turret press, so I'm only dealing with one case at a time.

Editing to add that when loading 9 X 19mm, with case thickness variations ever increasing, I sort by thick and thin while military brass goes in a separate bin. Part of the viewing process.

kayt00 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:25 pm For pistol cases Ill feel it when I bell the case mouth.

How so, I run a 650 and can not detect a tactile sensation indicating a cracked case?

I check visually through out the process. Usually find them when de-priming before they go to wet tumbling. I load 9 and 45 on 650's so it is either catch them up front or when I gauge check all of the loaded rounds. If I miss a cracked case prior to that, they are always detected when gauging.

thatguy wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2020 6:00 pm

kayt00 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:25 pm For pistol cases Ill feel it when I bell the case mouth.

How so, I run a 650 and can not detect a tactile sensation indicating a cracked case?

I use an old RCBS Rockchucker, I won't feel anything when resizing but definitely feel less resistance when belling the case mouth. Obviously if I get an opportunity to upgrade to a progressive I may not be able to feel it and will have to go to a more visual inspection process.

During p/u, decap, cleaning and sorting and loading the bin next to sizing die I listen every time I pour or scoop brass... cracked & split cases have a amplified high pitched jingle, like broken glass.

flechero wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:31 am During p/u, decap, cleaning and sorting and loading the bin next to sizing die I listen every time I pour or scoop brass... cracked & split cases have a amplified high pitched jingle, like broken glass.

Yes sir they do, I have a bench with chicken wire stretched across it and I'll load 500 pcs or so and shuffle them around like dominoes and I'll hear the .38 Super cases first and of course the cracked cases most of the time, .380 not so much and 9 MM Markov not at all.

It depends. For rifle ammo, it's pretty easy. If it's split, I'd feel 100x less resistance in the resizing die. I do checks afterwards too just in case, but I've never caught a split piece of rifle brass after resizing before.

For pistol caliber ammo, it's a bit different. I will feel for extra light resistance when resizing. There, I'll get a mostly false positives and catch a few split. I do the same when I open the mouth up. I can catch a few more then. I also do a visual when I prime them. Now here's the kicker. Sometimes the case will look perfectly fine until I seat the bullet. Yes, I have caught cracked at that point. It's definitely not a perfect science when you're loading hundreds at a time.