Believe me guys, I never said I'd try it.... Too risky & too easy to overheat the case head. Just looking to satisfy a little curiosity and wondering about why those particular cases were sooo brittle.

Usually, Federal brass if kinda sorta soft. Soft enough to where if you load a little on the hot side it'll stretch open the primer pocket & you can feel it in the FS die when you run it thru.

These 9mm cases I was given at the range were like nothing I'd ever encountered. I squeezed one of them with my pliers and it cracked with a very distinct sounding "SNAP". While I had squeezed... (was squeezing?... squoze?...) applying pressure to the case WITH pliers, it was making a snap, crackle & pop noise. It crumbled as I had squozen it.

ANyway..... They'll help fill the scrap brass can & keep the "defense" fund flowing with much needed resources. I notice materials are going up...... again, in my area anyway. H4831 is up to $32 / lb.

It just kills me to have to toss 250 once fired Federal cases in the can. :'(

Gotta go load a few up. Headed to the range early to beat the heat.
See y'all later -

Frank in Fla.