Reloading aluminum casings.Tips and tricks or things to avoid/watch out for?

[DizzyJ]

Currently tumbling a load of spent aluminum .45 ACP casings. This will be my first attempt to reload aluminum. Basically want to see if it can be done successfully, or what to pay attention to/watch for in case it ever became necessary down the road.

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[arakboss]

Currently tumbling a load of spent aluminum .45 ACP casings. This will be my first attempt to reload aluminum. Basically want to see if it can be done successfully, or what to pay attention to/watch for in case it ever became necessary down the road.

Watch for Kabooms.

If you try it, use in firearm with fully supported chamber.

 

[RVTECH]

Give them an extra look-see after sizing for splits.

Low end loads only and 'let 'em fly' as one time 'plinkers' only !

Been doing this for years with no problems in a variety of calibers and currently have a 'few' 9mm prepped to load!

 

[arakboss]

Watch for Kabooms.

If you try it, use in firearm with fully supported chamber.

This is something that's been floating around the net for awhile. I am eager to find out how it works out for you.

Aluminum case reloading info I found from a CCI employee - AR15.COM

Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear.

www.ar15.com

 

[Pepe-lepew]

The procedure is toss them in the trash can and get brass. If you are worried about future availability of brass, stack it deep now.

If you know a little about aluminum it in not a material really suited for a cartridge let along worked multiple times and then subjected to high stress. In factory loaded aluminum cases there is higher failure rates than brass to start with.

From a reloaded cost standpoint, aluminum usually is only used for cartridges that are common. Used brass for those same cartridges is low cost, negating the cost benefit when considering failure risk of aluminum.

Reusing aluminum cases and making primers always pops up more often during high price panic times.

 

[RVTECH]

If you try it, use in firearm with fully supported chamber.

And while I never considered this (never having shot aluminum in other than fully supported chambered guns) - I agree with this.

 

[DizzyJ]

The procedure is toss them in the trash can and get brass. If you are worried about future availability of brass, stack it deep now.

If you know a little about aluminum it in not a material really suited for a cartridge let along worked multiple times and then subjected to high stress. In factory loaded aluminum cases there is higher failure rates than brass to start with.

From a reloaded cost standpoint, aluminum usually is only used for cartridges that are common. Used brass for those same cartridges is low cost, negating the cost benefit when considering failure risk of aluminum.

Reusing aluminum cases and making primers always pops up more often during high price panic times.

I have brass, that's not the issue. This is more of an experiment/learning point. Appreciate your input though.

They will only be loaded once. I know a bit of metallurgy from my past, so I totally understand work hardening, metal fatigue, etc. This is why I'm looking for input from those who have done it failed, or otherwise.

 

[red442joe]

Lowd 'em!
'Choot 'em!
Just for funsies, just to try, just to do it.
You will then "know" about reloading aluminum cases.
Just be safety conscious, and diligent.
You might pull down a 45 with 230gn fmj....I was surprised how little powder was in the CCI Blazer.

Joe

 

[DizzyJ]

Lowd 'em!
'Choot 'em!
Just for funsies, just to try, just to do it.
You will then "know" about reloading aluminum cases.
Just be safety conscious, and diligent.
You might pull down a 45 with 230gn fmj....I was surprised how little powder was in the CCI Blazer.

Joe

Appreciate the info. My plan is minimal charges with this experiment.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I like little projects like this. Let us know how they shoot and if you can load them again.

 

[RVTECH]

I like little projects like this. Let us know how they shoot and if you can load them again.

One time only with aluminum cases.

This has typically been the accepted practice with those of us who have been reloading them for a long time.

 

[CLT65]

Like RVTECH, I've loaded them off and on for years, with varying degrees of success. I found that .45acp worked fairly well, with lighter loads. Most of what I've loaded has been .45acp. I've loaded some 9mm and .40 S&W but had more cracked cases with the higher pressure rounds. Maybe it was just the cases I was using. I never had any problems beyond cracked cases, that I remember. I once found a bunch of .45 Colt aluminum cases, but as I recall most of them cracked when I tried to seat new bullets. I tossed them all.

Much like steel cases, I'd use them as best I could if it was all I had. Brass is a much, much better metal for cartridge cases, so for me it's just not worth bothering with when brass is so cheap and plentiful.

Nothing wrong with tinkering though, in my opinion. I've done it for years. If you're cautious and understand the dangers and principles involved, you'll learn what you can and can't get away with.

 

[DizzyJ]

So far I've tumbled, sized, deprimed, flared and hand primed. So far no cracks as of yet. We'll see what happens when I seat the bullets. Using some plated 200gr SWC I've had for close to three decades.

I lubed them with hornady one-shot inside and out even though I'm using carbide sizing dies to help reduce stresses in the metal.

 

[fstdraw]

I reload steel, you might as well reload alum.

 

[P7M13]

I appreciate what you guys are doing, but nope, I'm not going to dive into that end of the pool.
The high likelihood of a few too many Baby Ruths floating around is enough to discourage me from wasting any time on it.

 

[thorborg]

I like to experiment too, hopefully you will report your success / failures.
Here are some of my thoughts hopefully helpful;
Having forgotten more than I care to admit. Aluminum is a different critter than brass or steel. most of my aluminum forming experience comes from alloy 6061T6. I do not know how this fits in casings which I suspect may be closer to 3031 alloy wise and way more formable than the former. at any rate, 6061 @ T6, is a fairly hard aluminum and though not considered optimum for forming, can be bent to a right angle using a fairly generous radius. (about three or four times the metal thickness) Once done, efforts to reform this bend usually will result in work hardened stress fractures .
However, it can be gently annealed , but only one time. I don't remember the temperature but a splinter of fir about the size of a toothpick will leave a dark brown/black mark on the surface of the metal when you reach the right temperature with a torch, (even a quality heat gun). Such heat altered, gives a chance to fix things leaving little crystalline damage. Although firing a case is not the same physical sort of forming, the stretching stress applied may be similar .
Unbeknownst to me is whether this annealing band aid applies to 3031 and / or what ever alloy cartridges are formed from.

I offer this possibly dubious information when considering your results of of your reloaded aluminum cases.
If poor results, try annealing once fired cases before reloading to see if things are better. when annealing, unlike brass, I would include the entire case base to tip.
Even so, a third or forth time might be optimistic.
When examining case damage, (this is my opine) I never felt endangered by split cases since they are contained in the strongest part, the breach . Much trepidation is appropriate should anything remotely resembling the possibility of head separation appear, and should be avoided at all cost.

 

[DizzyJ]

Seated 25 rounds. No cracks or splitting as of yet.

 

[DizzyJ]

Looks decent enough so far.

 

[DizzyJ]

The two (older) Speer manuals I have list a 200gr lead SWC with a starting load of 4.2gr bullseye up to a max of 4.6gr

They also list a 200gr TMJ combat (SWC shape) starting at 5.5gr bullseye up to a max of 6.0gr.

These appear to be plated (not lead or jacketed) even though the box print says FMJ, so I'm going to err on the side of caution and load on the low side in increments of 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8 and 5.0gr Bullseye.

I've got close to 300 casings so if I need to bump up the charge a tad on the next test I can. If these cycle fine I'll leave them as is at the lowest charge that will reliably cycle the slide.

 

[CLT65]

I've got a few more you can have if you want them.