Reloading Usgi Blank Brass For Regular Bullets

[724wd]

my dad has several thousand rounds of spent blank 30/06 cases. they date prior to 1980. they are standard length cases with a heavy crimp at the case mouth, not the extra length star crimp. i have read conflicting reports online about the suitability of such brass for use with normal bullets. some say blank brass was rejected by the manufacture for various reasons, and others say it's just like the real stuff and go for it! if it's viable brass, we're thinking about using it, but i wanted to get a few more opinions before doing so.

 

cases look just like the one on the far right

 

[pacrat]

742,

 

I picked up several hundred 7.62 nato blanks in a trade in the 70's. I asked the same questions. Got the same answers. Some pro some con. After firing bout 1 out of 10 split at the neck. From my point of view that gave credence to the (rejects) votes and I just used em for 4th July and New Yrs Eve. but never tried to reload em. Just smashed em with a hammer and scrapped em after firing.

 

Just wasn't worth the risk.

 

JMO

[AzRednek]

I've loaded hundreds, if not thousands of 30/06 blanks. Back in the 70's when the only way one could get 7.7, 7.65, 7 and 8MM brass was by buying new ammo. I converted Canadian 30/06 blanks to other calibers. The only problem I had was some of the primers were corrosive and after shooting they would corrode from the inside out. Proper cleaning at the kitchen sink with dish soap and water fixed the problem. Eventually I removed the factory primers prior to fire-forming. I still have plenty of the converted brass left today and wouldn't hesitate to load and shoot it.

 

I only used a few for 30/06. Back then surplus 30/06 ammo and brass was abundant. I did a few into 30/06 and it was pretty simple. Resize the brass to iron out the crimp and trim to the proper length.

 

I suggest you save the blanks for the calibers I mentioned above or any cartridge using the .470 rim. If you have priced 7MM, 7.65 and especially 7.7 Jap brass lately. The 06 blanks could save you a substantial amount of $$. Takes a bit of time to reform, trim and fire-form but with brass prices going sky-high and odd ball stuff like 7.7 being hard if not near impossible to find. The extra effort, especially with my shrinking bank accounts is worth the time to me.

 

If you start splitting necks like PackRat you may want to anneal the shoulder and necks. The converted brass I annealed I did after the second load. I fire-formed, loaded and shot them again. I annealed most the brass prior to the 3rd loading. Some say anneal prior to loading, others say after fire-forming. I liked to have the brass ironed out real good before spending allot of time annealing. Usually by the third loading, depending on caliber and what I was shooting it in. I was neck sizing only, most of the brass.