Sorting brass

[TMB]

I haven't started hand loading yet. I'm working on setting up an area in our 3rd bedroom. I've been reading some.of the threads here. I've read about keeping brass together in lots of 20 or 50 so you can keep up with how many times they have been shot and loaded. I've also read about cleaning brass in a tumbler.

My question is: if you shoot 20 round and 50 round lots. How do you keep them separate when your tumbler holds 200 or more shells?

[JEBar]

for nonhunting ammo, I don't worry about it .... I visually inspect every case prior to feeding it into the resizing/decapping die .... the ones that pass are reloaded .... prior to tumbling I try to separate calibers that allow one case to slip into another .... example : 44 and 357/38

[CT_Shooter]

That's a good question. I'm sure you will hear several different answers. I'm a bit obsessive, as you will see by the way I do it.

I store 50 round boxes of brass with the same head stamp and having been fired the same number of times. If I have two boxes of the same head stamp, but have been fired two different numbers of times, I tumble them separately so I can keep the "times fired" data sorted.

Otherwise, if I have two boxes with different head stamps, I tumble them together and separate them after cleaning.

If I happen to find a case that's defective, I replace it in the box with a one time fired case of the same head stamp (if I have one) or with another brand (and make a note of it). It's fairly simple, but it works for me.

My question is: if you shoot 20 round and 50 round lots. How do you keep them separate when your tumbler holds 200 or more shells?

[Mistered]

for nonhunting ammo, I don't worry about it

Neither do I.
If you feel you must separate brass then by all means do it but if you are not loading 'full house' ammo its really not necessary.
As JEBar said a quick inspection of each case before sizing is good enough.
I think I have found one split case in the last year or so of reloading and that been a lot of ammo.
Ditto as well on tumbling. Make sure you don't tumble different size cases that will 'nest' inside one another.

Before you decide on a tumbling method research liquid Vs. dry tumbling to determine what might be best for you.

[RanchRoper]

I have 2 big plastic tubs near the reloading bench. 1 is marked 1 TIME FIRED BRASS...the other 2 TIME FIRED BRASS. When I get back from the range the empties go in one of the other. Once I cycle through all the 1 time stuff, I'll re-label the tub...seems to work.

[BigAl52]

Im the same as the others. I dont worry about range ammo. I just throw it all together and load it with a quick inspection before I actually load it. One can make way more work out of it than it needs to be.

[TMB]

Thanks to all for the information. It seems I was making a mountain out of this mole hill. Mostly because articles I have read say to separate the shells by lot number which is stamped on the box of factory ammo. One article I read said to discard all the shells in a lot if a defect such as a crack or signs of excessive pressure were found in only one.

[JEBar]

for folks who fire at ultra long ranges or are precision shooters striving for single hole targets, such precautions may be worth consideration ... for those of us who aren't, doing so is OK but not necessary .... my natural wobble is much more of an issue than any possible variable like using different brands of primers, etc

[runnin n gunnin]

Im the same as the others. I dont worry about range ammo. I just throw it all together and load it with a quick inspection before I actually load it. One can make way more work out of it than it needs to be.

Agree with BigAl52 for pistol brass. I do a quick check when I resize and decap. I have some .38 brass that is 40 years old both brass and nickel I found in a bin in the garage. Still reload as new, and I have only found a half dozen split necks after multiple reloads.

[Mistered]

WIth regard to sorting brass on a side note IF you load any calibers that are also used by the military you might want to 'cull' out the military brass due to the crimped primer pockets.
This can be a headache when priming when you encounter a crimp that is a little tight.
For brass like .223, 9mm or .45 it might be a good idea to dump all your military brass and stick with civilian mfg. or you might have to consider swaging or reaming the primer pockets on the military brass.

Also another well known primer pocket issue is with Sellior & Bellot cases. These have normally tighter primer pockets than any other brass and some pieces will not accept standard primers. Most all of it primes very tightly as it is and I have encountered some that will not allow a primer to seat fully.

The up side is with multiple loadings the primer pockets 'stretch' a bit and start priming more or less normally. I would judge your use of and availability of brass as your guide.