Before I get into what may be interpreted as an argument, let me just thank all the respondents so far. Your comments and questions are appreciated greatly and I really thank you all for your time and thought here. I feel that the ideas you are presenting all deserve an equally thoughtful response so I hope I can respond without leaving anyone out. I am not the best for wording things in posts so my intent is to gleen your ideas but not to imply they are adverse to me at all. And I probably said that wrong but the thank you is there, so focus on that.
First up, schmellba99. Thanks for you thoughts.
Yes I most likely messed up my assumptions so let me clarify them if I can. Something changed when I added SS pins to my reloading routines and not for the better. Since this change to my routines, I am encountering a problem I do not like, and one I have never seen before. While it is possible that this problem and the association with SS pins may be coincidental, as the problem continues there is the statistical add up of numbers that are pointing to a probability that the problem and the SS pins are related. As the numbers go up, so does the confidence level.
I agree the primer pocket is the thickest part of the case, but thickest is not the same as hardest. It is also the smallest diameter and it seems to me for the SS pins to be cleaning the pockets as well as the rest of the case, the pin slurry has a physical difference there, as my pins cannot get in there without being somewhat aligned with the hole, but not so anywhere else on the case. So well aligned that some pins get stuck in the flash hole, don't they ? If I observe a problem with the pockets, combined with a slurry cleaning physical difference in that location, is this a far reaching assumption or a logical place to examine ?
The factory load issue does not seem to be a factor for me, since issues I have heard about are so rare that I consider them statistically insignificant.
I know nothing about nor have I observed brass particulates associated with vibratory tumblers. Any idea of an easy way to check for that ?
I am not seeing brass shavings or brass flakes. It is fine enough to pass through a T-shirt filter, and the one time I let the catch tub dry in the sun, there was not much there but rubbing my finger across gave me the impression it was the feel of talcum powder. There was no feel of granularity at all.
Next, serf'rett. You got me wondering too.
Would there be an easy way to tell if the flash hole were the source ? Remembering after a corn cob clean, the inside and flash hole are still pretty gunked up from my vibrator.
TMD again Thanks a second time.
When I began reloading, I used to document tests and case lots for durability. With 9mm for instance, I could go between 17 and 20 reloads before having to reject cases, using old Hercules rather than Alliant Unique. Nowdays I am so fortunate that I have enough of a brass supply that I rarely even push to a third reload. For example, I just received a bunch of federal cases, once fired and still in the factory boxes. Saves me having to store them when reloaded. This from a family of avid shooters, not re-loaders, who tend to go out of town a lot and they leave me to take care of their horses when they go. In return I get all their brass delivered in the original boxes. Another example is that when I say discard, I did not mean the sense you implied with "tossing" the brass. I still keep meticulous records on my brass, and when discarded from my bench, I corn cob clean and pass the brass and records down to others whom I trust and they in return...so it goes. Over time, most re-loaders I have known are great folks and develop innovative scavaging skills so to speak. I could make a whole post on how interpersonal relationships between re-loaders can bootstrap you up to having more brass than you can keep up with, and already inspected etc..
I do have a question on your stated opinion about discarding brass after three reloads is a waste of brass. Would you say the same thing about 30-06 used in a Garand or 308 in a match rifle ? I admit my good fortune now extends to all calibers I load for but I never pushed the above two examples even when brass was scarce.
I use the Dillon swager and have yet to see what you referred to as an over-swedge, except a case or two buggered when I was learning to operate it.
I have lately began a lot of testing with a chronometer and I have enough results to say that it seems that ammo manufactures have significantly improved the quality control and performance of their ammo in the last ten years or so. Such testing also gives me an additional source of known, once-fired cases.
