Average life of 45 ACP brass

[APEXDUCK]

What is your expected life for new 45 ACP brass, how many time can or have you reloaded before it is done for? Just trying to figure the net cost of reloading and trying to estimate how many reloads I can expect from once fired brass.

APEXDUCK

 

[contender]

My load for my 45 ACP is for competition. It averages around 735 fps. I have been reloading the same cases a lot over the years. I lose a few, I add a few, and replace the ones that split or do not chamber check. I pull from the same bucket of brass a lot. I'd say it's easy to get 20 or more loadings with a mild reload.

 

[mattsbox99]

There is really no reason that .45 ACP loaded to common target levels would not last 50+ cycles. Just put a light taper crimp on it and you'll be set.

 

[WESHOOT2]

Based on specific load, and specific load process and tooling, and specific launch platform, the average 45 ACP case can seemingly last forever.

 

[kelbro]

You will lose more than you will split.

 

[cbass]

Most pistol brass gets lost before it gets worn out.

Additionally, I typically leave the range with more brass than I came with. 45acp is a common caliber and you will likely be able to pick up brass for free if you look around your local range.

 

[WIL TERRY]

ANY 45ACP BRASS can seemingly last forever. In my mixed lot stash there is 45ACP brass from 1918 and all through the 30's 40's, 60's and 70's in every military headstamp you can imagine. BUT....YOU ARE PICKING THE WRONG REASON to take up the handloading of your own ammunition. You will not save a single penny !!! BUT you will do one 'ell of a lot more shooting on the same discretionary funds. FURTHERMORE, being in TOTAL control of your personal ammunition supply is the BEST reason to start handloading.

 

[mikld]

For a formula to determine costs, .45 ACP brass is very difficult to give a definitive number of reloadings. 7 years ago I bought a Ruger P90 and a box of ammo. I now have a 1911 and I gave up counting the times reloaded for that particular box of brass at around 10-12. I have a couple thousand .45 cases laying around and have no idea how many times the majority have been processed...

 

[Snake45]

To save mulitple quoting, I concur what much of what's been said above.

You'll lose more .45ACP brass by sheer physical loss than by wearing it out.

If you reload it enough times, the mouth will split eventually, and you could prolly prevent this by annealing (which I've never done). BTW, if you spot a TINY split/crack in the crimp when inspecting your finished ammo, don't throw it away--go ahead and shoot it. (But that case won't be good to load again.)

Another possible cause of "wearing out" is the primer pocket getting too loose to safely hold a primer. (Pretty rare.)

I've never heard of a .45ACP case growing "too long" through repeated loading and shooting to be out of spec.

I have hundreds of .45 cases that have been shot so much that the headstamp has pretty much disappeared. And they're still good.

You can count on at least a half dozen loadings. And you wouldn't be out of line to expect twice that. :wink:

 

[Rclark]

You'll lose more .45ACP brass by sheer physical loss than by wearing it out.

Well, unless you shoot it only in revolvers like I do . I don't have enough data on my Starline .45 ACP brass to say how long it will last, but since it's taper crimped instead of mouth rolled like my other non-auto cases it should last a long time. Some of my .45 Colt brass has over 20 reloads on them for example and still going....

I have picked up range brass with a 'bulge' on one side near the base.... Most of them I had to toss as even resized they would not chamber in my cylinder chambers.

 

[volshooter]

Agree with all posts. I have some that I have been loading for 20 years. Unless the case neck splits or, in my case the primer pockets won't hold the primer. I do not load hot rounds though. Most .45 ACP are loaded with SWC and just enough Bullseye to cycle. Target loads.