Reloading Part 4: Inspecting

After cleaning is a great time to inspect all(and I do mean every single one) cases to make sure they'll be safe to fire.

Inspecting brass is one of the most important steps that you will do while reloading.

Inspecting brass is one of the most important steps that you will do while reloading.

That was so important it needed to be said twice. Remember that you are first setting off an explosion and then burning a highly flammable substance in an enclosed space between both of your hands and in very close proximity to your face with the intent to send a a very hard metal object flying away from you at up to speeds of up to 4000 fps which is about Mach 3.5 EVERY time you pull the trigger.

If you question whether a case is good or not throw it out. Do you want to bet your life on case that is worth a few cents? Remember how close to your face you'll be setting this off in the near future?

Things to look for:
-Cracking of the case -- look at the top and bottom (Shoulder and Rim)
-Excessive bulging of the case -- If the case is bulged it probably means a weak case and has reached its limit.
-Bright rings near bottom -- Also a sign of a weak case, discard it.
-separation of the rim from the rest of the case
-Dings, nicks, cracks or major deformation

These are just a few things to watch out for, remember if there is a question it is always good to try to find an answer, but don't shoot anything unless you are confident of it.

This is one of the most important steps for safety(there are a couple more). You can always buy more brass, more ammo and more tools. I haven't found a store to get another hand or eye yet.

When in doubt, chuck it.

-Steven Kipp