Crimped .45 case safe to load?

[fish1260]

I've been reloading for several years now, but have nowhere near the experience of many of you, so I figured I would ask here.

I recently came into 100+ pounds of mostly rifle brass recovered from grandpas barn, but there is a good portion of .45 brass as well. This is all from the late 60s and early 70s, mostly WCC headstamped. Most, but not all have a full crimp around the middle of the case, presumably at the base of the bullet. So, my question is this. Are these still safe to load, has the crimp compromised the integrity of the case? It obviously had been fired once in this condition and was fine. Is this just the way things were done before? Picture attached of what I am talking about. Three crimped, one is not...

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[rick benjamin]

They will reload without a problem.

 

[Pepe-lepew]

It is good to go to reload. I have reloaded brass with that type of base crimp that had been reloaded so many times the head stamp was almost hammered out.

 

[MarkAd]

what they said.

 

[bearingman]

I would only worry about the idea they were stored in a barn. The ammonia from the animal droppings and urine could degrade the brass and cause failure. Probably ok if the barn hasn't been used for livestock.

 

[usagi]

crimp is no problem. your bigger concern as bearingman points out would be ammonia, which causes season cracking in brass.

 

[fish1260]

I would only worry about the idea they were stored in a barn. The ammonia from the animal droppings and urine could degrade the brass and cause failure. Probably ok if the barn hasn't been used for livestock.

This is not a problem. I called it a barn, but "pole barn" or shop would be a better description. There are no animals to worry about, just a mountain of junk covered in decades of dust.

Thanks for the responses guys!

 

[usagi]

rodent urine, insect droppings, and bird droppings will weaken brass. any brass left long term in a scrap heap is highly questionable.

 

[rick benjamin]

Believe them! Turn the useless brass over to ME!
If you do this, you will make me very happy, and my .45s may thank you too.
Rodent droppings? What CRAP!

 

[fish1260]

Thanks for all the responses, and such concern for my safety

The brass really is in good shape, stored either in original boxes, or in empty milk jugs, and inside of larger cardboard boxes. I really only was concerned with the crimp.

It will be put to good use!

 

[Certaindeaf]

It's called a "cannelure".. and that's fine. look at some new unfired, factory loaded ammunition one of these days.

 

[JayDub]

It's called a "cannelure".. and that's fine. look at some new unfired, factory loaded ammunition one of these days.

I tink dem gos onda boolits...

 

[Certaindeaf]

I tink dem gos onda boolits...

Yea no.. the case is not the bullet.
jes so u no

 

[Certaindeaf]

I think they tried to rivet this one.. notice the cannelure.. on the case, as the OP wondered about and this thread is about..

 

[kod38]

I pee on my own brass so I know which brass is mine . j/k
Like others point out is fine. Just inspect your brass as with any other.
If concerned do not hot load it.

 

[mikeybuck]

What was the purpose of it? So you don't seat the bullet to deep?

 

[Certaindeaf]

So the bullet doesn't get "seated"/jammed back too deep.. upon feeding. Some weapon designs and or bullet profiles are more prone to this "bullet setback" than others.. and in the case of revolvers, to prevent "bullet jump" that could tie up the revolver.

 

[AMProducts]

As Certaindeaf points out... these were probably military cases made in the 40's or 50's that cannelure is there to prevent setback in machineguns like the thompson and M3. Essentially what it does is create a small ridge on the inside of the brass... when you're loading you shouldn't try to seat the bullet deeper than that ridge as it will bulge the case and make it not chamber (you're putting more force with a reloading press than you are striking the feed ramp).