Starline Brass

[Gunlaker]

Kurt, I was just doing some case prep yesterday and found two cases that were about to separate at the same location as in your pictures. My lot of Starline brass is probably 4-5 years old. Much of it is still unfired. The ones about to separate probably had only 8 or 10 firings on them.

These are for my DanT PP rifle that stretches the cases a little ( say 0.005" on each firing ). I anneal and trim each time before loading. I think the rifle has a rim recess that is a tiny bit too deep, and the thin case rim dimensions probably don't help.

Meacham used to sell a tool to dimple the case rims to get the thickness back up to spec. I'm going to call them on Monday and see if they can still make them.

By the way, how far down the case neck are you annealing? I'm setting the flame about 3/4" below the case mouth so just the necks get annealed, I wonder if I should go just a little further down.

Chris.

[Lumpy Grits]

Put that flame more towards the case mouth.
I have the flame about 1/4-5/16'' below the cases's mouth.
Gary

[Old Jim]

When the base of the bullet is at a known distance below the case-mouth, then I anneal to that point. But, I resize cases, more or less.

[Kurt]

Chris I anneal my cases as Jim said.
The base just ahead of the rims hold a diameter of .498"-.499". That is a little undersized to the average chamber dimensions that run .502-3" + that leaves a lot of room to expand above the thick portion of the base to stretch the brass at that point. My chamber mouth is tight at .501" cut from my reamers. Shiloh uses a .505" for their chamber, that would make this problem worse letting the case expand .007" just above the rim if this portion of the web is to thin.
I have not cut a case open yet to get some solid measurements where the separation is.

[Gunlaker]

I haven't measured my thickness at the point where the two cases were about to separate, but I'lll keep an eye on it from now on. My annealing definitely covers where the bullet's base and wads sit. My PP bullet is only 0.110" in the case :-)

The chamber is pretty tight all the way down to the base. Dan spec'd them reasonably tight.

Chris.

[Kurt]

I should have said where a GG would be seated. About an inch from the mouth is where the coloration stops.
I don't anneal to often because I don't size my brass and I don't see any signs of soot from blow back.

[Don McDowell]

I checked a few of the JBA brass, they're just under .5 just in front of the rim.

[kokomokid]

Gunlaker; Did you learn anything from Meacham about the rim thickness tool they advertised in the past?

[Lumpy Grits]

Kurt-What material are your wads?
Gary

[Gunlaker]

I got sidetracked and didn't call :-). Today I've been working on m wife's little Shasta trailer so I can get to Worland at the end of th month. I will call them tomorrow after coming back from the range. I've got another question for them anyway.

I'll let you guys know what I find out.

Chris.