Is HXP brass worth the effort?

[Liam]

Prepped 100 pieces of one-time fired HXP (1973 & 1980 lots) brass for reloading this weekend. Also prepped about 20 pieces of Lapua fired a single time through same M1. Used a Wilson gauge to verify FL sizing and to determine if trimming was needed. It was. On about 25% of the HXP the ass-end would hang up on the Wilson guage and not slide in. 100% of the Lapua slid right in with no hang up or had the damage illustrated below. OK, a little filing. But it is not just the circumference of the rim that needed attention. What I find counter-intuitive is that the rim was PUSHED FORWARD, as opposed to being PULLED AWAY, as I would expect an extractor to do (see illustration). The HXP that exhibited this damage was difficult to fit in the rim of the shell holder on my RCBS press, and was even more so trouble to get on the shell holder of my Lee handheld primer. Only extended effort with a small, triangular file remedied the problem. In hindsight, the effort extended seems extreme for the reward.

Question: is Lapua brass harder than the HXP, and therefore less succeptable to this damage? AND - is this normal wear from an M1? If my illustration does not demonstrate the result clearly, I can take a photo this evening.
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/Liam_068/DAMAGE.jpg

[JohnF]

There is no doubt that Lapua brass is way better than HXP. What I determined using once fired HXP is that I think some lots of the brass are softer than other lots resulting in the bent rims. I found that some lots of HXP brass bent the rim as shown in the picture below and some lots did not. While not a scientific research, I think the problem experienced is nothing more than soft brass. I have not kept track of the several year dates that the rims bend as shown, but there are differences in the brass. Those lots that the rims bend will usually not filt the shell holder for sizing, so I just discard them. I have never experienced this type of bent rim with Lake City, IMI, Remington, Winchester, and Federal. So, I have to believe there is nothing wrong with rifle, it's just soft brass in the HXP and the extraction is normal. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Maybe someone else has some input.

http://www.fototime.com/E04E0606C906D8A/orig.jpg

[Liam]

That is EXACTLY the problem I am experiencing. I could not have taken a better, more representative photo. And, since there is no rim-conditioning tool with which to recover the proper profile, one has to resort to tedious labor to bring the brass into line. I will compare further to see if the fault lies in one of the two lots I fired (1973 and 1980). Overall, too bad, as I was hoping to get several firings out of the HXP in en blocs I purchased recently.

[joem]

I've done a little repair on cases like this just to see if it could be done. Try this; You'll need a vice grip with a curved jaw. Wrap the shell holder with some emery cloth and clamp it in the vice grip with the open end toward the front of the grip. Chuck the lubed case in a electric drill, and while the drill is running slowly place the case into the shell holder. The shell holder will most of the time reform the rim.

[John Sukey]

I don't have that problem with .303HXP Maybe it's just that calibre?

[HighPowerShooter]

99% of my HXP CMP ammo is 1968 lot number 1148 and the brass that have come out of my Garands don't even come close to that kind of rim damage....

[John Kepler]

I don't have that problem with .303HXP Maybe it's just that calibre?

I've never been able to understand it either John. The quality of HXP .303 Brit is a well-deserved legend.....some of the best stuff I've ever shot in an Enfield that I didn't load. But the .30-06 is almost a diametric opposite to the .303. It's crummy even by commercial mil-surp standards. VERY difficult to shoot in a 1903 Springfield (very hard extraction), and erratic in a Garand (duds, squibs, hang-fires, hot-loads). Based on our shared .303 experience, I had high expectations for the HXP .30-06, and was terribly disappointed in how it actually shot.

[Rodd Knox]

I've never been able to understand it either John. The quality of HXP .303 Brit is a well-deserved legend.....some of the best stuff I've ever shot in an Enfield that I didn't load. But the .30-06 is almost a diametric opposite to the .303. It's crummy even by commercial mil-surp standards. VERY difficult to shoot in a 1903 Springfield (very hard extraction), and erratic in a Garand (duds, squibs, hang-fires, hot-loads). Based on our shared .303 experience, I had high expectations for the HXP .30-06, and was terribly disappointed in how it actually shot.

Acrossed the board experience with the .30-06 or with a specific year or lot number?

[John Kepler]

The crud that was issued at the Nationals...I don't willingly shoot ammo I don't load.