Burnside Case Life

[Kenneth L. Walters]

How long do Burnside cases usually last?

And do the Burnside Gas Seals (just a case with all but the neck area cut off) last longer?

[RaiderANV]

Ken......haven't fired mine in over thirty years so the cases are old stock and were old when I got them. Have like 25 rounds fire out of each of the 50 cases. No losses and cases fit just fine. My gun was minty new unfired condition so chamber was as nice as you get. I used 35 grains of 3F Goex.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

On mine the little lips at the top of the case tore off last time I tried this thing. Not sure if that would interfere with further reloadings.

[Mike w/ 34th]

Ken,

I've been shooting the same Burnside cases for 14 years. A few have split, but I continue using them. I occasionally get a little gas leakage from the split ones, depending on how badly they're split. I've never seen the lip tear off a case.

What kind of bullet are you using? Sounds like it must be a hollow base? Something that expands before exiting the case?

Cheers,

Michael

[RaiderANV]

Might have even a bad lot of brass used to make yours ken or the chamber is way big allowing it to happen?
If it were a Maynard I could tell you Ken! =}

[Mike w/ 34th]

Good point. The most likely possibility there for defective cases is that the inside of the case mouth is rough, so the bullet/ball grips the brass and takes it along for a ride into the back of the barrel.