Whether you’re a seasoned hunter, competitive marksman, or just a recreational shooter, there always seems to be a shortage of ammo. With the cost of bullets ranging from 5 cents to $10 dollars, developing cost-cutting solutions can save gun owners a lot of money.

The cost of the ammunition for the firearm is a constant factor regardless of whether you own a firearm for hunting, recreation, or home defense. Your budget for target practice at a shooting range and leisure shooting are both impacted by the price of ammunition.

The cost of ammo can greatly vary based on the caliber, type of bullets, and manufacturer. To satisfy your bullet needs you can practice reloading your brass casing. Keep reading to learn how to reload used brass. 

Always Inspect Your Brass

Inspection of the reloading brass for flaws and damage is essential to the procedure. making sure that you have prepared your reloading brass properly.

Severely damaged brass should never be reloaded into your weapon. If your brass is cracked or dented you may not be able to depend on the bullet once it has been loaded into the chamber. 

The majority of your time should be spent making sure that your brass is clean, soft, the proper size for reloading, and in good condition. Reloading brass should be continuously inspected.

Remove Old Primer

The chemical or mechanism known as the primer is what causes the propellant combustion that propels the projectiles out of the gun barrel in firearms. When you are preparing brass to be reloaded you need to remove this chemical. 

If you are removing an unfired primer from a cartridge case in extreme heat the primer may become too dry and ignite. So be sure to handle this part with care. 

Tumble the Brass

In order to eliminate impurities, old brass casings are spun or jostled in a reloading tumbler along with a cleaning solution and media. Tumblers prepare your brass for reloading by cleaning the casings.

If you plan on cleaning mass amounts of brass you will want to invest in your own personal tumbler. This can be used to clean countless loads of casings.

Wet and dry tumblers are two distinct varieties. As an alternative, you can clean brass using a dry media tumbler that uses walnut or corncob media. Since dry media tumblers don’t spin, they are sometimes known as “vibratory” tumblers. 

Wet tumblers require the use of water for cleaning. Steel pins are the cleaning medium in wet tumblers. A cleaning or polishing solution is typically added to the tumbler.

Measure and Resize the Casing 

Once you have thoroughly cleaned the brass you should measure the length of each case to assess the amount of brass stretch experienced during firing using a micrometer or another precise gauge.

Resize the case to factory requirements using a neck-turning tool. Consult your reloading manual or the website of the manufacturer as each brand and caliber will vary.

Lubricate Your Casings

Lubrication makes a barrier between the cartridge case and the reloading die while the bullet is experiencing compression. Lubrication makes it easier to seat the bullet and reduces the chance of damaging the casing. 

By using lubrication you can ensure a more even release of the bullet when it is fired. Keeping your brass well lubricated ensures that your bullet is aligned when fired. 

Add New Primer

Once you have cleaned out your brass you need to reinstall a primer to initiate the combustion. When you store primers, you need to keep them in a cool and dry environment. Extreme heat has the potential to dry up the priming chemical and make materials fragile. 

Refill With Powder

Now that your bullet is cleaned and re-primed, you need to refill it with powder. This is a very precise process that requires routine measurement. You need to calibrate your scale and measure out the exact amount of powder to refill your brass casing. 

Once you weigh out the powder on a scale you can use a funnel to safely load your cartridge. If you load in too much powder you can put yourself and your fellow sportsmen at risk. 

Change Die Base and Seat the Bullet 

Since the bullet has previously been fired you will need to unscrew the punch die and replace it with a bullet seating die. To seat the bullet you will need to insert the brass into a bullet press and pull the lever. This will firmly seat the bullet into the brass. 

Conduct a Final Inspection 

Even if you are super meticulous when reloading your brass, you need to conduct a final inspection before storing the reloaded brass. Check all of the surfaces of the brass for stretching or scrapes that may harm the functionality of the brass. 

You will want to closely inspect the seating of the bullet to ensure that the powder is well sealed. Once you have done this you can store your newly loaded brass away until the next time you go shooting. 

Learn How to Reload Used Brass

Reloading brass is a great way to grow more familiar with your firearm and save money on ammunition. Making your own bullets allows you to conduct quality control of your bullets. 

Once you learn how to reload used brass you can save your wallet from the escalating costs of brass. Contact us at Diamond K Brass to stock up on your ammunition needs.