Blazer brass?

[willie]

I can't tell the difference between Blazer brass and any other brand concerning reloading usefulness. Variations in brass occur between brands and within brands. From that standpoint there is not lot of precision. When fired, the case expands to fit the chamber, if it extracts easily and has not split, then we are happy. The reloader is even more happy if his die set will convert the case and other components into a loaded bullet that functions. Note that this guy's die set will vary from your die set even if made by the same company.

[Borderland]

Brass is brass. I shoot range brass exclusively. I've had good luck with all of it. The most important part of reloading range brass is inspecting it.

That means both visual and during sizing and flaring. A gauge will also tell you a lot about the brass after sizing. Won't gauge, toss it. If you flare it and there is little or no resistance the case is worn out. Toss it.

People get too hung up on brands. Brass and primers are the least important components of reloading. Worry about bullets and powder if you need to worry about something.

The CCI plant which produces several brands (CCI, Blazer, Blazer Brass, and Speer) is owned by ATK (the same company that owns Federal).

If somebody dumped a pallet of Blazer brass, Speer bullets and CCI primers in my driveway as a gift I would be a happy camper.

[olstyn]

Brass is brass.

Disagree intensely, at least for 9mm. There are significant differences with certain specific headstamps.

CBC brass gets thicker farther up the case wall than other brands, so if you have a pistol with a tight/short chamber and you're trying to load long bullets like 147 grain, you will almost certainly get a higher reject rate with CBC than other headstamps because the brass is more likely to bulge at the base of the bullet, especially if the bullet has a sharp/abrupt shoulder. 124 or 147 gr Montana Gold JHPs + CBC brass + Walther/CZ pistol = pain in the rear. Best to save that brass for when you have round nose bullets with an ogive conducive to loading long and a gentle rear shoulder.

There are also several brands which have a ledge inside the brass - these are not to be trusted, both because the internal volume may be different from normal brass and because the sharp corner of the ledge is a potential stress riser. I've personally seen a ring of brass left in someone's chamber as a result, with the back half of the case ejecting as normal. Not good.

Xtreme brass has a smaller internal volume than other cases. Probably not a huge deal if you're not right up against the max end of the load range, but also probably best to set them aside until you have enough to load a bunch of them with their own specific recipe.

[CCT125US]

All brass is not equal. I did some informal testing with a variety of .380 brass many years ago. I believe I had 10 different types of brass, all loaded with exact same powder primer and bullet. Some brands exhibited very consistent velocity, and SD. Final OAL varied between brands due to different rebound rates of the brass, despite being run through the same dies without adjustment. There was a difference, but at the end of the day, they all fed, fired, and ejected. I figure (precise terminology) that the statistical variations would grow with caliber, but didn't pursue any further. Case length does vary slightly by manufacturer, and would effect neck tension and pressure. As previously mentioned, some have different wall thickness and therefore internal capacity, which also effects pressure. As far as lifespan, I had 9mm brass that was loaded 15 times, .45 that was loaded 25, and .38 loaded 40+. I no longer concearn myself with times loaded in pistol brass. Except .40 that is one and done, because i simply don't trust the brass and have buckets of it.

[Borderland]

Disagree intensely, at least for 9mm. There are significant differences with certain specific headstamps.

CBC brass gets thicker farther up the case wall than other brands, so if you have a pistol with a tight/short chamber and you're trying to load long bullets like 147 grain, you will almost certainly get a higher reject rate with CBC than other headstamps because the brass is more likely to bulge at the base of the bullet, especially if the bullet has a sharp/abrupt shoulder. 124 or 147 gr Montana Gold JHPs + CBC brass + Walther/CZ pistol = pain in the rear. Best to save that brass for when you have round nose bullets with an ogive conducive to loading long and a gentle rear shoulder.

There are also several brands which have a ledge inside the brass - these are not to be trusted, both because the internal volume may be different from normal brass and because the sharp corner of the ledge is a potential stress riser. I've personally seen a ring of brass left in someone's chamber as a result, with the back half of the case ejecting as normal. Not good.

Xtreme brass has a smaller internal volume than other cases. Probably not a huge deal if you're not right up against the max end of the load range, but also probably best to set them aside until you have enough to load a bunch of them with their own specific recipe.

I've heard that the brass is thicker and won't gauge. I don't load 147's as they aren't native to 9mm. 124 RN was the original bullet. HP can also be a problem. Problems start when you wander away from the original concept.

I've never had a problem with CBC brass. All of it gauges and runs in my Sigs.

But that's good information for people who load 147 HP.

[JFK]

I have never had a problem with it in 9mm

However the .45 stuff is small primer.

[okie john]

I recently got a few cases of various weight Blazer Brass, my first ever with the brand, and I have found it a solid performer.

Same here. Not the fastest stuff in the world, but it cycles and it's passably accurate.


Okie John

[NuJudge]

My trouble with Blazer Brass has been with the bullets. Shot through a 9mm Beretta 92G, the copper on the bullet comes off, and the bullet hole is surrounded by these little cuts, where the copper has hit the paper like little throwing stars. I believe it has some small effect on accuracy.

[Alpha Sierra]

Brass is brass. All my 9 mm reloads are done with mixed brass and zero concern for what's in there. I've shot 4500 reloads since February without a single hitch and thousands upon thousands more since 2008 or so.

I neither need nor care about precision accuracy with this stuff. It goes bang, makes power factor, and holds half the A zone at 25 so it's good to go.