Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Lapua brass and drilled flash holes

Just got in some fresh Lapua brass. First I've ever used. The flash holes are drilled and it appears to be a very clean cut. Any need to debur??? I dont think so, just making sure I'm not missing something.

Roads

No need to deburr, unless you're rather anal about your brass. The Lapua brass is of excellent quality, and very consistent. Regards, EE

Lapua and Norma brass is punched, standard American brass is drilled. When the drill goes through the inside of the case, it leaves that nasty burr.

TT,
You've got it backwards buddy. All American brass is punched, Norma drills most everything, and Lapua drills some and punches most.

'roads,
I've never deburred any Lapua brass including some of the 6.5-06 stuff oyu've got. I'd guess it shoots O.K.

I use Lapus in my 308's and love it! Good stuff...

Cas, I work in a machine shop. I've also worked on the burr bench at times. Punched holes in anything are nearly always free of burrs, while drilled holes are nearly always burred on the back side of the hole. The drill pushes the last bit of metal out of the way instead of cutting it cleanly. This is simply an observation on my part. I don't really KNOW, just seems like it is just the opposite of what is repeated everywhere.

Has anybody actually asked them,(the brass makers), or is this just another internet, often quoted facto falsehood,Old wives tale)?

Have to agree with Cas, if you work at a machine shop you must not pay attention as to how brass would have to be punched and left fairly smooth.. You're facts on the Brass issue are Ass backwards. To punch the brass, you need some thing behind the brass that you are trying to punch the hole in as to pinch it off completley round and American brass is justed punched, left with a jagged edges. Call Remington or Lonnie at Hornady. Better yet was reading in Rifle shooter and here is you're PROOF-- www.rifleshootermag.com click on gun accessories and stroll down to the article =Norma 300 WSM cases. Learn some thing new every day but more experience even in the work place will soft BRASS should teach you some thing about drilling soft material as brass. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Okay, I just took a 10X glass, bore light and some brand new norma 300 WSM brass. Shining the bore light from the neck to the bottom of the case and looking at the flash hole from behind. I can very clearly see that the flash hole is PUNCHED! From behind! The break out normally seen on any punched hole is on the inside of the base of the case. No radial scratches that a drill would leave.

I don't have any new American made cases, the fired winchester WSM brass is so caked with carbon as to be impossible to see clearly.

Don't be so quick to follow blindly what is stated as fact. Question and be ready to change your mind.

You really need glasses or more expierence in the work shop. Norma Brass has always been Drilled <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I can see quite well thankyou. If you can't tell the difference between a drilled hole and one that has been punched then it's you that needs spectacles.

Buying into what you heard as fact can get you into bookue trouble. I'm only telling people what I think, and what I saw when I checked. It makes little difference in either case.

What we should do is find out for sure dirrect from the manufactures. Hearsay and conjecture is just that, no facts.

TT,

I guess the guys over at Sinclair's dont know what they're talking about either Norma brass description

escriptionNorma Brass provides the serious reloader a premium grade,superior quality cartridge to reload.Norma Brass is bulk packed.W try to keep a good supply of brass in inventory,but due to factory production and delivery delays,we may occasionally be out of some cartridges.Norma Brass is made to such exact standards that the cartridges typically include machined case heads,drilled (not punched)flash holes and close tolerance wall thickness.

I took this from the Sinclair website you linked to. It is on the page for 300 WSM brass. It's the same blurb for the page that you linked for .308 win brass.

I looked and saw a punched flash hole in my 300 WSM brass. I know what I saw. You can believe what you want to. Maybe they punch some and drill some, I don't know and niether does anybody else, unless they actually go look. The inside of my norma brass is free of any burrs, it don't need de-burring. The flash hole is too small for my de-burring tool anyway.

TT,

OK, we believe you. However, you are the only one around the campfire that has punched Norma brass and the only one who has drilled American made brass <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

TT,
I guess when I said:

"TT,
Norma drills most everything, and Lapua drills some and punches most."

You misssed the part about "most everything".

And yes, I do know for a matter of fact that American companies punch the flash holes (as part of the process when they draw the case), and I do know for a matter of fact that Norma drills "most everything" (when they are machining the case head).

Believe what you want, but I'll take the experts' word and the manufacturers' descriptions of their own process over yours any day.