Safety Tip: Check for possible separation of the case-head

This article is being republished at the request of Forum Members who found it very useful. This Safety Tip is a great way to check your brass to see if it’s possible for case separation. A case separation is dangerous and can cause serious injury. The highly respected Riflemans’ Journal, created by our dear, late friend German Salazar* had an excellent article on Cartridge Case-Head separation. In this important piece, Salazar (aka GS Arizona), examined the causes of the problem and explained how you can inspect your brass in order to minimize the risk. Cases can stretch as they are fired repeatedly and then resized when reloading. In the lower section of a case, the walls will usually thin out. This is the “danger zone”, and you should be on the lookout for any signs of weakness. The photo below shows the case divided into sections so you can see the thinnest part of the case wall near the web. You can see an arrow in the soot of the case pointing at the thinned part. This case had not yet split, but it would most likely do so after a few more firings. Paper Clip Hack for Detecting ProblemsThe article gave a great tip on how to detect potential problems. You can use a bent-paper clip to detect possible case wall problems. Slide the paperclip inside your case to look for thin spots. GS Arizona explains that this simple tool (bent-paper clip) allows you to check the inside of your cases before reloading them. As you run the clip along the inside of the casing, the thin spot will become immediately apparent. If you see a shiny line outside, but the clip is hitting a thin area inside, it’s best to retire the case. You’ll get a feel for the thin spot if you do it every time you reload at least 15% cases. If you’re loading a match the night before and are under time pressure, don’t skip this. * German Salazar died unexpectedly at age 62 on June 21, 2022. German was a huge inspiration for this site and helped guide the creation AccurateShooter forum. German, a brilliant man, an expert attorney and a top-tier marksman in the world of shooting sports, will be missed.