Lots of options - mixed brass; reamed and cleaned; same head stamp.. Prices also vary. Is the value brass practical or worth it or go with brand new brass?

I use mixed head stamp in pistol rounds and reload whatever I pickup as long as the case look OK. I don't trim pistol brass either. If you're rifle bench rest shooting, you may want the brass uniform.

The stamp doesn't matter really, most brass is similar in thickness and quality from what I have seen. I have reloaded brass over 6 times from ammo I bought new before it ripped in the press.

For my handguns i do all mixed brass, for rifles it's sorted by mfr. There are variations in thickness, volume, annealing, etc from mfr to mfr and even lot to lot so if you want consistency you have to eliminate all the variables that it's practical to eliminate.

Thanks. My book has not arrived yet but I'd like to start ordering so I have them all on-hand.

As some have stated above, mixed brass is fine for handgun reloading. I haven't had any issues with using mixed brass.

As you load you will identify crappy brass by it's headstamp. New production s&b tends to be a PITA.

As you load you will identify crappy brass by it's headstamp. New production s&b tends to be a PITA.

 

First thin you should check is if the S&B is actually brass. They have the same stuff as always, which is.. but has tight primer pockets (I actually like that stuff after the first reloading), and they have brass colored steel. It's their rane safe line of ammo I believe.

First thin you should check is if the S&B is actually brass. They have the same stuff as always, which is.. but has tight primer pockets (I actually like that stuff after the first reloading), and they have brass colored steel. It's their rane safe line of ammo I believe.

 

Yes, good point. I always check my brass with a magnet.

Be careful if you are using a roll crimp into a cannelure. I was using mixed headstamp .38spc. Set the press up for proper oal and good crimp. Ran next round and it crushed the case.

The mixed headstamp brass varied by .06 inches in case length causing the crimp to miss the cannelure, thereby giving way too much of a crappy crimp.

For pistol ammo just pick it up, clean it up, load it up, shoot it up, repeat, repeat, repeat, etc.