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Can steal cases be reloaded?

KaleS wrote:Can steal cases be reloaded?

Depends on who you steal them from and if they want them back before you get them reloaded!

Actually, my experience for reloading STEEL cases is no. Their metal properties don't lend themselves to expansion and contraction like brass. They will weaken and fracture more readily. This also goes for aluminum.

I have heard of people annealing them with a blowtorch and getting one or two reloads out of them, but it isn't a practice that I would recommend.

Don't attempt it without carbide dies, or you'll find yourself with a hopelessly stuck case, and/or damaged dies.

Yes, it can be done. But unless you're dealing with an unusual caliber whose only source of cases is Russian milsurp, it's not going to be worth the effort.

Even if you managed to do it without damaging your dies, you will still have Berdan cases that are very difficult to deprime and require a special tool. I'm also pretty sure that Boxer primers won't work in a Berdan case.

-ss

I have to side with the people who say it is not worth the trouble. Steel is not as resilient as brass, it is really hard on the dies, and it has to be coated to prevent rust and sticking in the chamber. Pick them up with a magnet and throw them in the trash.