Reloading wolf cartridges
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I have read a lot about the steel cases and they all say not to reload. The laquer will get in the dies and the steel is hard to size. You are better off reloading the brass. As cheap as wolf ammo is, I would not even waste my time. Luck <!--emo&
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302 Posts
Jar:
Like Redhawk1 said the ammo is cheap enough. I work in a gun shop and help with reloading and have tried to tell people that all their gonna do is get the lacqur in their dies and scratch them up. Even using the Carbide dies you will get away with it for a while then youll be buying new dies. I see this all the time from the people I try to tell this to. The steel dies dont last at all when loading the russian steel cases. Buy brass in bulk from one of the mail order houses and your dies will last.
Gun Runner
Like Redhawk1 said the ammo is cheap enough. I work in a gun shop and help with reloading and have tried to tell people that all their gonna do is get the lacqur in their dies and scratch them up. Even using the Carbide dies you will get away with it for a while then youll be buying new dies. I see this all the time from the people I try to tell this to. The steel dies dont last at all when loading the russian steel cases. Buy brass in bulk from one of the mail order houses and your dies will last.
Gun Runner
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3,366 Posts
Jar,
I'll echo the sentiment about trying to load steel cases. I suppose in a survival situation, and you had nothing else, then of course one does what he has to do. However, we have a whole host of excellent conventional brass for loading components available to us, and you're best served by using them.
When calculating the cost of your handloaded ammo, consider not the initial purchase price of your brass, but the number of times you can load it for your individual gun/load, then figure based upon that the cost per load for your brass.... you'll find it is quite a bargain indeed!
Too, depending upon the caliber you shoot, there are some outstanding buys on once fired brass out there right now. 9MM, .40 S&W, .38 Spcl are so cheap for once fired brass, that it's not even worth looking for a lost piece of brass when you're out shooting, much less taking the chance and having the hassle trying to load steel commie cases!
FWIW,
God Bless,
Marshall
I'll echo the sentiment about trying to load steel cases. I suppose in a survival situation, and you had nothing else, then of course one does what he has to do. However, we have a whole host of excellent conventional brass for loading components available to us, and you're best served by using them.
When calculating the cost of your handloaded ammo, consider not the initial purchase price of your brass, but the number of times you can load it for your individual gun/load, then figure based upon that the cost per load for your brass.... you'll find it is quite a bargain indeed!
Too, depending upon the caliber you shoot, there are some outstanding buys on once fired brass out there right now. 9MM, .40 S&W, .38 Spcl are so cheap for once fired brass, that it's not even worth looking for a lost piece of brass when you're out shooting, much less taking the chance and having the hassle trying to load steel commie cases!
FWIW,
God Bless,
Marshall
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2,210 Posts
An additional thought,
I can't speak for the Wolf 45's in particular but I have come across many steel .308 cases that were Berdan primed and can't be easily reloaded regardless of the wear issue on your dies. Check the fired cases to see if they have one flash hole or two. If they have two your decision is pretty much made - no can do without decapping every one by hand with a special tool and then finding a supplier for the Berdan primers. ID
I can't speak for the Wolf 45's in particular but I have come across many steel .308 cases that were Berdan primed and can't be easily reloaded regardless of the wear issue on your dies. Check the fired cases to see if they have one flash hole or two. If they have two your decision is pretty much made - no can do without decapping every one by hand with a special tool and then finding a supplier for the Berdan primers. ID
Thanks for the info. I have plenty of good brass to load, just happened to run across the Wolf cases, noticed they were boxer primed & thought about loading them. I resized & deprimed 2 & noticed they were kinda shiny (laquer came off), so I thought I'd ask you folks for opinions before I went any further. Seems like a knowledgable group of people here so I'll take your advice & give the wolfs the ole heave hoe. Again, thanks for sharing your experience & knowledge.
Picked up a case of 9mm and 45acp at a gun show today. The 9mm is berdan primed and the 45acp is boxer primed. Took a few boxes of each to the range to try out, and it feeds fine and accuracy is good. But, that stuff has to be the dirtiest, smokiest ammo I've ever used.
Anyway, not a bad buy. I usually reload, but a friend has my press and I needed something cheap for practice.
Anyway, not a bad buy. I usually reload, but a friend has my press and I needed something cheap for practice.
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Was a time when cheap WWII surplus .45acp was on the market (notice there is some of it still showing up)...a lot of the rounds in the 1943 date will be steel cased (BTW: so were pennies).
Got a bad rep. for extraction and causing extractor problems; not having to use any of it under misrible condtions, I can't state I'd had any problems with it. Could be reloaded, but case life really was poor.
If I had to, I'd do reload those Russian steel cases...but if I had a choice, wouldn't.
Got a bad rep. for extraction and causing extractor problems; not having to use any of it under misrible condtions, I can't state I'd had any problems with it. Could be reloaded, but case life really was poor.
If I had to, I'd do reload those Russian steel cases...but if I had a choice, wouldn't.
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74 Posts
ribbonstone,ribbonstone said:
I had those darn silver 1943 rounds. They came with a 70 series gov't model i bought. Didn't know they were steel cases. Shot them all and when I tried to reload them, couldn't seat the primers. They have smaller primer pockets than large pistol but bigger than small pistol. They were not crimped either. Figured out they were steel when I put a magnet to them. Like everyone else said here in this forum. Plenty of empty cases can be had for an hour of O.T. at work so I am not going to sweat those Ruskie cases.
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