Did you know that the largest pistol load is capable of killing elephants?

Pistol brass is just as versatile as rifle brass, from the lowly .22 all the way up to the impassive .600 nitro that can take down Africa’s biggest beasts. There’s something here for target shooters as well as professional hunters.

But how can you tell pistol bullets apart, and which types of brass do you need? Knowing your brass options will ensure you can effectively reload your own ammunition.

In this guide, we hope to demystify it all so you’ll be ready when you purchase your own pistol brass. 

The Parts of a Pistol Round

Pistols, like rifle bullets, come in a very similar package. You have several key parts that all play an essential role in how the cartridge behaves and performs. They are the following:

• Bullet: the projectile that sits lodged in the opening of the pistol brass
• Casing: the brass casing that holds the bullet and the propellant
• Propellant: gunpowder, which explodes and releases expanding gases that propel the bullet downrange
• Primer: a tiny circle at the bottom of the pistol brass that ignites the propellant when struck

Every bullet will use a different type of pistol brass. The size of the brass allows the projectile to pack in more grains of gunpowder. Further, brass can come in varying thicknesses to withstand greater pressure.

You cannot mix and match brass options. In most cases, the bullet would not even fit. But if it did, it could injure you or damage the gun when fired.

Take special care to make sure your brass matches your bullets and weapon.

Pistol Brass Calibers

We measure pistol brass options by the size of their bullets. The diameter of these bullets is what becomes their caliber name. Here are some of the calibers that you may reload:

• 9MM
• 10MM Auto
• .380 Special
• .38 Special
• .357 Magnum
• .357 SIG
• .40 S&W
• .45 ACP
• .44 Magnum
• .44 Special
• .45 Colt
• 5.7x28MM

Choosing the Right Caliber

The type of caliber you choose will depend primarily on how much stopping power you want. Stopping power refers to how much damage–and therefore how much a bullet can stop–your target.

Heavier grains like the .45 Colt, due to a wider diameter and more gunpowder, will hit the target like a ton of bricks. The biggest rounds, such as the .357 Magnum, can take down big game. These are high-pressure rounds with a lot of gunpowder meant for special revolvers and single-load pistols.

However, bigger calibers come at a bigger cost. More grain means more recoil, which means maintaining your aim becomes more difficult. This tradeoff means that only those who have practiced shooting the heavier caliber should carry it.

The most common among these is the 9MM. 9MM load is versatile, and everyone from the military to the police uses it. These are easy to reload and common enough that your pistol is likely 9MM. 

Sometimes, it’s more valuable to put more bullets down range. Other times, you would want a caliber capable of piercing thick targets. Beginners should stick with the 9MM and work their way up to heavier cartridges.

How to Identify Pistol Brass

You need to take the time to identify your brass before you begin reloading. As we’ve said before, two pieces of brass may look and feel the same. But if you were to load them and fire them, the result could injure you or damage your weapon.

Look at the bottom of the brass. You should see two pieces of information stamped into the metal:

• The caliber
• The manufacturer

Pay careful attention to this information and only reload in accordance with it.

This is why it’s a bad idea to pick up used brass at the range. It’s bent and corroded to the point where you’d need to spend some time scraping it clean. That, and it might be impossible to read the delineation stamped onto the bottom.

You can purchase brand-new brass that has not been used for the best experience. 

Different Bullet Types

Now that we understand calibers and how to identify them, let’s talk bullet types. Most bullets fall into the following categories:

Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)

This is likely the most commonly available bullet on the planet. This is a bullet that, as the name implies, has a hard metal “jacket” that encases the soft lead inside.

FMJs serve a wide variety of purposes, but their primary advantage is penetration. Lead is soft, and will warp and deform when it hits the target. This results in bullets that struggle to penetrate thicker targets.

The hard metal (usually an alloy) allows the bullet to punch through many surfaces. This makes it ideal for police and military who need to puncture body armor. It also makes it an excellent bullet for going through walls or other types of cover.

However, do keep in mind that this is not a suitable bullet for self-defense. If you were to use this in a home defense situation, bullets could go through your intruder. They could pass through the wall and hit your neighbor.

You should use hollowpoint for self-defense, which we cover in the next section.

Hollowpoint Bullet

You can identify hollowpoint by the distinctive hole in the bullet’s nose. When fired, this bullet breaks open upon hitting the target. The nose flowers outwards, creating a petal shape.

This allows the bullet to do catastrophic damage to soft tissues. The ragged metal edges of the bullet tear through the target. 

However, the bullet is less effective against hard targets. Unlike the FMJ, it will break up upon entry and likely won’t go out the other side.

Hollowpoint is ideal for self-defense because it does a lot of damage to the intruder. This means you can take out a threat to yourself and your family with fewer shots.

It’s also ideal because any stray rounds pose less of a threat. A hollowpoint shot into your wall is less likely to harm your neighbor.

Softpoint Bullet

Softpoint does something similar to hollowpoint. Rather than using flowered metal to tear through a target, it uses soft lead.

You can identify these bullets because the end is soft, gray lead. When this lead hits the target, it expands from the head. This increases the surface area, therefore increasing the damage.

These bullets excel in hunting applications. As a hunter, you often only have one shot before the game flees. You need that shot to do as much damage as possible.

Tipped Bullets

The bullet tip material can have a huge impact on how the bullet performs. The most common tip is polymer plastic. This has a similar effect to the expanding softpoint.

However, tipped bullets have better performance during their flight path. They don’t begin to deform and expand until they’ve reached their target. Think of a plastic-tipped bullet as a more effective softpoint.

Frangible Bullets

A frangible bullet breaks up upon impact with the target. Of all the bullets, this one has the least effective stopping power. 

Frangible bullets are best in self-defense and target practice. They hit the target and do not continue out the other side. This means you hit your target and only your target.

Using the Right Grain

When you reload pistol brass, you don’t want to fill the casing all the way with gunpowder. This creates no air with which the gunpowder can ignite. It also deprives the bullet of the ability to create expanding gasses.

Every bullet has a specific grain that it needs to fire the projectile–without harming the gun or breaking the casing. Too much gunpowder can make your gun malfunction when you fire it. Too little could cause the gun to jam.

It’s important to note that your semi-automatic pistol is calibrated to recycle the kickback from a bullet. It takes this force to re-cock the pistol for another shot. 

Check the manufacturer’s guide on your firearm to ensure it can use the bullet and grain you want. If your pistol cannot handle higher pressure, DO NOT use those higher-pressure bullets. 

Can You Reload Pistol Brass?

The short answer is yes. This depends on how many times you’ve fired the brass. Brand-new or certified once-fired brass can be reloaded dozens of times.

Brass is a tough metal, and it can withstand incredible pressure. However, at some point, it will fail.

Check your brass carefully before reloading. Avoid using brass that is crushed, bent, or corroded. Often, brass will split when it has reached its expiration date. 

Sometimes, your brass may fail you during the reloading process. As you’re seating the bullet into the casing, the casing may crack from being overstressed. Discard this casing immediately and use another one.

Find All Your Brass in One Place

When reloading pistol brass, it pays to know all the types of brass. You need to use the correct caliber and the correct grain during the reloading process. Do your research if you’re ever unsure, and the gun community will be glad to help.

Diamond K Brass is your one-stop shop for all your brass needs. Buy in bulk to save big before you reload next time.