Anyone reduce the powder load for military brass?

[brandy12]

Reading the NRA specs for reloading the Garand and they say to reduce the load by 1.5 grains for military brass. Does anyone do that or is it fine to reload it like any other brass?

[Ballbags (Again)]

This Subject has been Beat to Death
I for 1 do not.If it is thicker as some say, then it should be heavier and on my scales I can only see a Minute Difference
Others will chime in I am sure

[plattincreek]

I don't reduce for military brass either and my chronograph doesn't show any big swings in velocity that might indicate a pressure problem.

[J.R.2009]

ch-chime ! I haven't reloaded for a good number of years (in the 60's and 70's) , but when I did all the manuals recommended that the loads be cut by 10% at near max and work up slowly when using mil brass. The brass is thicker, as all know, and because of the extra thickness the case volume is reduced. I cc'ed many a case and got at LEAST a 10% difference in the amount of water I could get in in the mil brass and commercial brass.

Just my .02 worth, for what it's worth. I'm sure things have changed somewhat since I reloaded all those years ago.
J.R.

[USSR]

For 7.62x51/.308, yes, as there is usually a BIG difference in case weight and capacity (especially light brass like Winchester and Hornady Match). .30-06, no, as there is very little difference weight and capacity-wise. Lake City M72 and Lapua brass are basically the same weight, and using the same load generate the same velocity/pressure.

Don

[ceresco]

Of course all the manuals recommended that--they copied from each other and the parroting has gone on ever since. The proper warning is something like this: "cartridge cases vary in weight and internal volume. When loading near maximum pressures make sure your cases are uniform and do not assume other cases are the same." The idea that "military" cases are all the same (and heavier) is just as ridiculous as assuming that all commercial cases are. The LC and HXP 30-06 "miltary" cases are in the same weight range as Federal and Remington cases and since M2 loads are far from maximum, it doesn't matter anyway. Really significant weight differences are found in .303British commercial cases, for example, and of course there is no reason to believe any manifacturer keeps the case weight uniform from year to year. Anyone with a scale can prove all this for themself.. The 5.56 and 7.62 NATO cases are sometimes heavier and here the load levels are high enough to make some caution advisable. Good Shooting........

[epm729]

I just recently started loading for my M1, though I've been reloading for years. For the sake of safety I followed whats in the Loading Data, if it says to reduce the powder load by 2.0 grains for military brass and work up the load that is what I do. That is not to say others are wrong, they have better experience, but if I'm the one putting my face behind the receiver or more so my sons , I want to be sure I've taken every precaution.

[rcolarco]

As usual, ceresco makes much sense. Military dup loads are safe in military cases. I do reduce loads somewhat, because the reduced loads produce better accuracy and kick less.

I would not rely on a chronograph for any indication of high pressure. Hatcher's notebook describes destruction loads that produced very consistent velocities as they blew up the rifles.

[demjones]

Once again, I've learned something from lurking around here.

Thanks everybody!

[plattincreek]

Another thought on this subject, you might want to brush up on how to "read" pressure signs by examining fired primers (examples in many reloading manuals); pressure signs with sticky extraction; and there is a good "how to" judge pressure by measuring case expansion with a micrometer article by Ken Waters in his Pet Loads book. I agree with rcolarco's comment above that relying only on a chronograph can be misleading. As long as you stay within the relatively limited published loads for the Garand, I don't think you will have problems with either commercial or military cases (accuracy might be a different subject though). Bolt guns can be a different story as there can be a tendency to creep towards finding that upper limit as you work up loads.