Starline brass

[Kurt]

I just loaded some new 2.6 Starline brass for the .44-100 Shiloh and two out of 20 separated a 1/2" from the rim at the base. I checked the head space and that is tight so it's not a head space problem.
I went through this a few years back with the same problem and I sent Starline a bunch of separated cases and never got a reply from them. Are any of you having a problem with new cases from them?

[Don McDowell]

Last batch of 40-65 I got about 1/3 of them were to big to even chamber in Carols rifle and there were some that were very tight, those had to be driven out after firing the extractor wouldn't kick em out. Rim thicknesses were all over the place.
I've never been a fan of Starline, and with stuff like this happening am even less inclined to buy any of the stuff unless I am absolutely forced into it.

[Kurt]

Well I guess it's better then Bertram.

[Don McDowell]

That's generally my thoughts, but I may have to rethink the Bertram thing. This 40-90 came with several boxes of Bertram and RMC brass, the Bertram stuff isn't to bad. The only other experience I've had with Bertram was in the 8x58R dane roller, and every case split length wise when fired.

[rdnck]

I've always had good luck with Starline. However, my experience has been limited to 45-70, 45-90, and the stretched 45-2.6 brass from Buffalo Arms that we were forced to shoot in our 45-110s at first. That and 100 40-65 Starline cases that I somehow wound up with. I've been lucky, I guess. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[Don McDowell]

I got some of their 44-40 brass, the stuff as it comes from the box is straight as a string, have to put the neck on it with the size die then fire form to get the shoulder, comes out quite a bit short. Luckily I had a friend with about 1/2 dozen boxes of once fired Winchester's, so I could park the starline stuff.

[Kurt]

here is the first batch and this second batch is just like it.
[attachment=1108]

[Kurt]

Here I split a couple to see the inside of the case.
[attachment=1109]

[Don McDowell]

That ain't good.

[Kurt]

I have in the neighborhood of 2100 .45-90 Starline cases and 400 plus .45-70's and over 400 2.6 cases and .50-90 as well as .40-65 and all has been good and I have no complaints. Yes I have lost some .45-90 cases as well as the 2.6. The thing that bugs me is the silence from the company. When they first made .50-2.5 cases they sent me some to run a test. How they knew my name and that I had a .50 is beyond me they never told me where they got my name, but I ran a test with the first batch and that batch started to pull apart after three shots fired so I sent them back for them to analyze them and I put down what measurements I could get before and after they were fired. A couple weeks later they sent another batch to test and they were good and I sent them back also for them to check. I never got a thank you from them for doing the test.
All of us that shoot these old calibers should thank Starline for making this brass but it sure would be nice if they would acknowledge the shooters that use their product if there is a problem.
I know that it's hard to make uniform cases for all of the manufactures that make these reproduction rifles with their own chamber specks. When I order a rifle I get the cases for this chamber and send a couple cases to the one making the rifle and tell them to set the head space for this brass and this always has worked out well.

For the .40-70 there was nothing around except what BACO stretched and the hornady brass that needed some fitting work to fit the Shiloh chamber so I got 100 Bertram cases they had the correct head stamp and they chambered good but it didn't take long till I had less then 20 left so we should be thankful that we have Starline.