7.62 M1A vs. M1 Brass Life

[Hip's Ax]

Question, is a 7.62 M1 Garand hard on brass like an M14/M1A is? Or is the 7.62 M1 much kinder to the brass like it is when its in 30-06?

Thanks!

[Maury Krupp]

Compared to an M14 I think an M1 is easier (or at least less harsh) on brass in both .308 and 7.62.

Probably due to the different gas systems.

Maury

[Hip's Ax]

Exactly what I was hoping to hear Maury, Thank You.

[remus]

I have a .308 garand and I get only two reloadings of casings. Rifle shoot really well. Is not a chamber insert gun, but a dedicated .308 chamber.

[Maury Krupp]

I have a .308 garand and I get only two reloadings of casings. Rifle shoot really well. Is not a chamber insert gun, but a dedicated .308 chamber.
Check your headspace and sizing die. One may be too long or the other may be setting the shoulder back too far. Or both.

Either way something's causing your cases to stretch way too much if they separate after two (three?) firings.

Maury

[jjrothWA]

Adjust sizer to give JUST minimal axial (fore & aft) play in bolt when seating a fresh re-sized case (no bullet) Watch your case lengths then after.
This seems to give best case life, six reloads before recycling cases. Did to both Cal.30 and 7.62 for M1 and M1A reloading.

For hunting loads, follow regular directions for use among several rifles.

[Col. Colt]

I have not tried it yet, but on the M14 Forums they talk about the special RCBS "X" Dies for use with the M14 that control case growth, giving up to 18 (eighteen) reloadings from a case that normally would only last two (2)!! Worth researching, I would think. CC

[Maury Krupp]

I have not tried it yet, but on the M14 Forums they talk about the special RCBS "X" Dies for use with the M14 that control case growth, giving up to 18 (eighteen) reloadings from a case that normally would only last two (2)!! Worth researching, I would think. CC
That has been my experience with an X-Die as well.

The old rule of thumb on an M14 was to pitch brass after the fourth loading. Anything more was on the wrong side of the odds.

I usually got around six out of an M1 using a standard sizing die.

With an X-Die I started getting around 12.

Since then I've stopped keeping track. I still use the X-Die but now use a bent paper clip to check each case after firing for signs of incipient head separation. If the case passes it's good for another load; if not it's scrap.

Maury

[da gimp]

Maury, I might just have to try an X-Die in .223 Rem on the old Dillon 550, or are you depriming & resizing first on your Rockchucker?

[Maury Krupp]

I do everything on my Dillon.

The first resize/deprime is done with a Dillon die in a separate toolhead. Its decapping stem is virtually unbreakable. Then I do all the trimming, swaging, etc needed for initial case prep. It's a one-time-good-deal that only happens with new (to me) brass.

The X-Die doesn't come into play until second and subsequent resizings.

For those it's:

-Inspect and cull
-Tumble in corncob to clean off range dirt (I've got a trashcan full of leftover media, might as well use it)
-Lube with PAM (water soluble and cheap)
-Resize/deprime with X-Die
-Wet tumble in stainless steel media (cleans primer pockets)
-Let dry overnight
-Done - brass is now ready to load

The only steps that require any real time or effort on my part are the inspection and sizing. All the rest consist mostly of letting a machine work on its own for a couple hours.

Much less tedious and a much greater production rate.

Maury