I'm getting a lot of Brass 'Flakes' lately

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I've been reloading for over a year now. Lately, I've been getting a lot of brass flakes or dust from somewhere in the process but I can't figure out where it's coming from. It seems to be most prevalent when doing 45 ACP reloads, but I disassembled my Sig 226 the other day and there was a ton of brass debris around the hammer spring and inside the magwell.

Is any of this normal?? If not, any thoughts as to where I should start looking? I've already cleaned my dies...a few times now.

Thanks
 
Could be a sharp extractor, also Rem brass is soft I have a wideclaw extractor on my pin gun its agressive on soft brass.
 
Want to widen your inquiry? I wet tumble without pins. Quite often, there are brass "flakes", more like brass "dust" in the tumbler. I've lazily attempted to pinpoint the reason. Some suspects were crimped primers, once-fired brass and of course, freshly trimmed brass. None of those produce dust consistently.
 
Is the Brass showing up during reloading or just on your gun.

Both actually.

I think I must have found the culprit, but I'm not sure what it was. I re-cleaned all dies as well as the shell plate and basically anything that comes in contact with the brass. There must have been some debris somewhere because it's not happening anymore. I didn't do anything systematically, so I cannot determine the exact cause of the problem, but I'm leaning towards something on the shell plate since that's the only thing that wasn't previously cleaned.

Want to widen your inquiry? I wet tumble without pins. Quite often, there are brass "flakes", more like brass "dust" in the tumbler. I've lazily attempted to pinpoint the reason. Some suspects were crimped primers, once-fired brass and of course, freshly trimmed brass. None of those produce dust consistently.

I don't use pins either, and this is with pistol brass (9mm and 45ACP) so crimps weren't present...(well maybe a few, but not the rule as with once fired 5.56).

Bullets shaving when being seated? Do you inside chamfer?

See above, shouldn't need chamfering.
 
Clw42, what kind of press are you using? how do you trim? and what kind of crimp are you using?

These are the 3 places i find flakes/dust come from as far as during the reloading process.

As far as in the gun do you have a photo..if it isnt bad id just clean the gun.
When going full auto, sure i fInd brass residue in the gun.but with 2k to 5k a shoot and not cleaning everytime, id be suprised if there wasnt brass dust on there.

its probibky caused by the feedramp and the condition on the reload/neck and the ejector.
i suspect under annealed or not annealed brass flake/dusts more...but thats a total guess with out much to back it up


Edit
ignore the trim annealing thing, i forgot you arent talking about bottleneck cartrages..its probibly your crimp/flare.
 
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Clw42, what kind of press are you using? how do you trim? and what kind of crimp are you using?

These are the 3 places i find flakes/dust come from as far as during the reloading process.

Dillon 550

I barely flare the case - Just enough so that seating won't shave a coated bullet, and I crimp only enough to plunk or gauge without failure. I gauge it first then plunk it, but the die is set up by raising the the ram then setting the die until it touches the case then slowly dialing it in to where it passes the gauge.

I don't have a photo, I didn't think to take one until after cleaning...and it was too late. If it happens again, I'll revisit this thread and take pictures of the gun.
 
Q: Why would you trim straightwall pistol cases? All you do is increase head space and lose some accuracy and the crimp doesn't care.

I have found brass flakes from:
1) rough expander plug
2) not chamfering case inside and out
Never found flakes in the gun though.
 
Q: Why would you trim straightwall pistol cases? All you do is increase head space and lose some accuracy and the crimp doesn't care.

I have found brass flakes from:
1) rough expander plug
2) not chamfering case inside and out
Never found flakes in the gun though.

in my op i forgot we were talking pistol rounds.
 
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