Reload 7.62x39 steel case?

[Sabre]

I saw berdan primers are in stock and pretty cheap online. Is it worth it to save steel cases, just in case?

I also saw hornady .310 123 gr Amax for about .15 per bullet. It seems like I could pull the FMJ bullet on some steel and load the amax for significantly less than the loaded Hornady stuff.

Thoughts?

[Great-Kazoo]

Shoot than reload you have good loaded ammo now. You could order the bullets and try a few .

[ray1970]

Lol. I wonder how many you could run through a sizing die before one got majorly stuck?

[Great-Kazoo]

Lol. I wonder how many you could run through a sizing die before one got majorly stuck?

over on arfcom there's thread on steel case reloading. It doesn't seem to be that hard to do. Rachael Ray / jreifsch80 is doing some 54R . I watched him peel off 1/2doz berdan primers , with a hand tool nothing flat. .

[Wulf202]

you can find berdan primed brass in the caliber also.

[Sabre]

As far as removing berdan primers (if I decide to try reloading steel) I'll use the hydraulic method: water, a tight piston/ram and a hammer. I don't know anything about priming with berdan -- does it work the same as boxer? Are the primers the same size?

[MarkCO]

Steel cases are good for one or two normal loads as reloaded, and then they will crack. Roll sizing is the best method to size, or you will need a lot of lube, and cleaning of dies. If your chamber is loose enough, some guys skip the sizing altogether. Harder on dies, harder on chambers and breechfaces...if you are doing it to save money, probably not worth it. If you want to have a back-up supply, but some once fired brass.

Pulling and replacing in steel cases...also more effort than it is worth. You will either lose the case neck tension, or scratch up the jacket so bad it may not even chamber, but the accuracy sucks.

[68Charger]

I'd look at reloading M67 (Yugo, brass-case, berdan, corrosive) before I'd bother with steel case.
Even then, that would be more of a last resort- I've been building my stockpile of boxer brass for 7.62x39 instead.