What is sorting brass?

I know what you’re thinking. There are operations you do while reloading that make you question your sanity. Sorting brass is at the top of my list. Is sorting brass worth your effort? Everything is if you ask me, but to each their own. This installment in the Advanced Reloading Series hopes to answer your questions.

Over the years, I have read several studies, articles, and books touching on this subject. And what is the conclusion? No doubt about it; the answer is there isn’t any. Everything I have read has a 50/50 split and no middle ground to spare.

Do I sort my brass?

Yes, I do. It’s not time-consuming or complicated. I figure, why not? It’s better to err on the side of caution. True, it probably doesn’t make any difference, but it’s one less thing bouncing around in my head going into a match.

Why do the writeups have a healthy amount of variation in the results?

I believe it boils down to one simple thing: the point in time that the tests were undertaken. I understand that the brass quality in the past was inconsistent (a polite way of saying it was garbage).

I decided to test this theory and take out some back-in-the-day brass. I brought out my expensive tools (exact) and measured them up. I can confirm that the older-style cartridges were trash. So, I ended up taking a trip to the salvage yard to put them out of their misery.

I would have had to do a lot of work to get that junk match-capable. Even then, I still would be at a disadvantage compared to modern cartridges. Nowadays, the quality of brass is light-years ahead. Studies taken at different times in history could easily have come up with mixed results.

I can hear it now: “I read a study, and sorting brass is necessary.” I respond, “How long ago was a study taken?” And then, I hear the response of, “Only 20 years ago, but that’s good stuff.”

How do you sort your brass?

First, keep all of your brass in the same lot number. That is just good practice in reloading, regardless of what you’re doing. My brass, powder, primers, and bullets are all the same lot numbers when processing ammo for competitions. There is a reason match shooters purchase their components by the palate.

Next, the brass has to be fully processed and ready to load. Suppose everything on the outside is the same. The only discrepancy in weight can be on the inside. Then, sort them into their perspective groups on a digital scale. (Not a cheap one!)

I can process several hundred rounds in a little over an hour. Some shooters will fill their cases with water and then weigh the water. I have yet to cross that line, but I certainly will not say anything disparaging about it. “We are all mad here.”

I know some people will argue endlessly over different aspects of reloading/handloading. They may be right, and then again, they might not be. I look at it this way: I will do it and forget about it rather than not and wonder.

I think, sometimes, people don’t spend enough time discussing the mental aspects of the sport. For me, going to a match and having 100% confidence in all of my ammo probably has benefits that are impossible to quantify.

Whatever you need to set your mind at ease for a match cannot be a waste of time.

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