Found some brass, have a question

[Tony]

While scrounging in the brass bucket last week at the range, I found some 38 spl brass that looks to be fairly old. The headstamp is Peters. I also found some with the headstamp REM-UMC and one with Western. Anybody heard of Peters?

Thanks,

Tony

[phlatnose]

Peters went on to be RP (remington peters). As much as I know, I think that is correct.

[Ysabel Kid]

They let you rummage through the brass bucket?!? I get my hand smacked and they act like it is grand theft where I shoot!

[Pete44ru]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peters_Cartridge_Company

[AmBraCol]

While scrounging in the brass bucket last week at the range, I found some 38 spl brass that looks to be fairly old. The headstamp is Peters. I also found some with the headstamp REM-UMC and one with Western. Anybody heard of Peters?

Thanks,

Tony

Remington bought up a lot of other ammo companies in decades past. You're right, if it's marked "Peters" or REM-UMC it's old. I was given a couple coffee cans full of ammo last year, a lot of it was also headstamped the same. Some of it was balloon head or semi ballon head cases. These should be set aside and used only for low pressure loads. They are not as strong as the modern solid head cases. How can you tell if it's a balloon head case? Look down it with a good light. If you just see the flash hole in the middle, set as it were in a fairly level floor, then it's solid head. If the flash hole is set in the middle of a protruding bump raised up off the floor, you've got a balloon head case.

[AmBraCol]

And another thing. Balloon head brass (if that's what you found) makes for dandy black powder loading. That balloon head allows a couple more grains of powder to be crammed into the case. The only way you'll ever be able to replicate the old 40 grains of black powder in the 45 colt for example is to use balloon head cases. The newer solid head cases only allow 30 some grains under the original bullet. I don't recall how much difference there is between the solid and balloon head 38 special case, but there's a difference which will allow a stiffer charge and higher velocity for 38 special black powder loads using balloon head cases.

And yet another thing, some of those cases may be a bit brittle - if they're old enough to have been fired with mercuric primers. I had four cases split last year out of the 38's I was given. The charge was a medium charge of 231 under a cast SWC, definitely not hot ammo. The failures were tied to brittle brass from mercuric primers I'm sure. So again, be careful of the older brass you come across and use it only for low level loads.