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Posted: 5/14/2011 11:01:53 AM EDT
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Long time lurker, first post here in the RL forum.
Ive been reloading about 6 months now, and have had great success reloading .45 ACP. I've been saving up my .223 brass, and since today was rather dreary, I decided to go ahead and start prepping the cases. After a Lemishine wash and initial tumble yesterday, I started the decapping/re-sizing process this morning. I'm using a LNL with the standard RCBS dies, a Lyman case gauge, and I lubed with Dillon's case lube and let the brass dry for 10 minutes before I started. So I'm rolling along nicely, and checking each re-sized piece in case gauge after the downstroke. When I finished the first couple hundred rounds, I had about 20% of the cases that did not fit in the case gauge. Is this normal? All the brass I worked with today has the same headstamp. I attempted running a few randomly selected pieces of the failed stuff back through the press a couple of times to no avail. I'm just curious if this is a standard failure rate or maybe I'm doing something wrong. TIA! |
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If they don't fit the case gauge, you need to figure out why they don't fit. Case too long? Not resized correctly? Shoulder too far forward? There are a number of possibilities.
But, I'll go out on a limb. You didn't mention trimming the brass, so the case being too long is a possibility. |
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Nope - not using the EZ one - I got this one;
Linky And yes I'm in total agreement that I need to determine why they are not resizing correctly. Lemme get the calipers out and dig a bit. I'm still at a loss why the majority worked fine but the 20% failed. Pareto rule? 
Oh and I thought that you trimmed AFTER you re-sized, correct? |
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OK so here's the scoop - the rim diameter on the cases that don't pass the chamber test are about 5/100ths of an inch larger than the cases that pass.
I verified this by lightly filing down the rim on one of the failures and it passed. So has anyone else seen this before? Maye it's just this run of brass - IIRC the brass is the Federal value pack stuff from ChinaMart. Thanks! |
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Quoted:
Nope - not using the EZ one - I got this one; Linky And yes I'm in total agreement that I need to determine why they are not resizing correctly. Lemme get the calipers out and dig a bit. I'm still at a loss why the majority worked fine but the 20% failed. Pareto rule?
Oh and I thought that you trimmed AFTER you re-sized, correct? Yes, you trim after. I spaced it off and thought you were gauging loaded rounds. 
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Quoted:
OK so here's the scoop - the rim diameter on the cases that don't pass the chamber test are about 5/100ths of an inch larger than the cases that pass. I verified this by lightly filing down the rim on one of the failures and it passed. So has anyone else seen this before? Maye it's just this run of brass - IIRC the brass is the Federal value pack stuff from ChinaMart. Thanks! Dings or nicks on the rim of the brass can prevent the case from "passing" the case gage test. To test this, take a piece that doesn't pass, turn in around and try to insert the rim into the gage first. If it doesn't fit, chances are there is a burr keeping it from doing so. File it off and check again. |
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first of all a rifle caliber drop in gage won't reallly tell you if it'll chamber or it, they measure two things: headspace and OAL. Granted if the headspace is too big chances are it won't chamber. Same for OAL, if it's too long probably won't chamber. But if it fits the case gage within spec of OAL and headspace it may or may not chamber as a rifle drop in case gage is not a faux chamber as are the pistol drop in case gages. If a case doesn't fit a drop in case gage it's usually because the rim is dinged it. That round usually will chamber if the other cases in the same batch chamber. The rim never enters the rifle chamber so it can't prevent a live round from chamberling. I would say the majority of live rounds that don't chamber are because the cases aren't sized enough. The drop in case gage will tell you this on the head end of the case gage. The sized case must fit between the low and high steps of the gage. |
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Quoted:
OK so here's the scoop - the rim diameter on the cases that don't pass the chamber test are about 5/100ths of an inch larger than the cases that pass. I verified this by lightly filing down the rim on one of the failures and it passed. So has anyone else seen this before? Maye it's just this run of brass - IIRC the brass is the Federal value pack stuff from ChinaMart. Thanks! It could just be that your gauge is a little on the tight side. I can drop a fired case into my Dillon gauge and it will drop out. Can you do that with the Lyman ? What is the headstamp on your brass ? |
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Quoted:
OK so here's the scoop - the rim diameter on the cases that don't pass the chamber test are about 5/100ths of an inch larger than the cases that pass. I verified this by lightly filing down the rim on one of the failures and it passed. So has anyone else seen this before? Maye it's just this run of brass - IIRC the brass is the Federal value pack stuff from ChinaMart. Thanks! Your problem is common with the Lyman gage, it's cut too small for case heads that run to the large end of the acceptable dimension (0.378 inches). My experience is identical, they will accept a 0.373 inch diameter rim with no problem, and most brass runs to this diameter. Turn the large cases around and try to fit the rim into the gage - they won't fit, but the remainder of the case body is fine. Your cases are most likely fine. You can determine that by buying a Hornady / Stoney Point type gage to measue the case from the shoulder to case head, or you can round up a nice 5/16th's inch inner diameter bronze or nylon bushing to accomplish the same thing. The outer diameter doesn't matter. This arrangement is a little more fiddly while getting the case and bushing lined up between caliper jaws, but once everything is lined up, give the bushing and case a twist to center them up, and take a measurement. The bushing needs to be long enough to extend from the case shoulder past the case mouth. |
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After a Lemishine wash and initial tumble yesterday, I started the decapping/re-sizing process I highly recommend you decap before a liquid cleaning, you can't rinse them thoroughly with the primers still in place, the acidic cleaner can start corroding the primer, causing you a lot of problems if you wait too long before you decap them. |
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Quoted:
Wow - thanks everyone for your insight. Looks like I'll be off to pick up a new gauge and bullet comparator today. Anyone looking or a Lyman case gauge cheap? NOW, that you are aware of the problem............may I suggest............. When beginning a production run........ Just F/L resize a few cases...........gauge and adjust the F/L resizer die as needed.........when satisfied, lock it all down and start your production run. Then, every X number of cases...........do a spot check. In theory the set back has not been affected (because the die hasn't been messed with) and thus, the lot should still headspace correctly. Course movement of the die could happen.......that's the reason behind the spot check. So, IF the case fails the spot check test.....determine if it's a rim or a headspace issue. IMHO, a small nick in the rim won't always affect the feeding/chambering so, I could/might choose to ignore a small nick in the rim issue. 
But, as always........YOU COULD............ Make a modification to the gauge. 
Or.......... Buy a new gauge. Or.......... Whatever. Aloha, Mark |
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Funny thing is I was following your method to a "T". The weird part was there was no rhyme or reason as to when I'd find a case that would fail the gauge test.
So I assumed that there must be something else going on, hence my trip back to the failed cases with the calipers. I'll report back after obtaining the new gauge - I've still got a schload of brass to process..... |
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Except that I'm not using a shellholder - the press is a LNL that uses a shell plate..
Oh, and to answer a previous question this is all Federal brass with a headstamp of FC 223 Rem. And yes it's got a crimped primer. Comparator and gauges ordered today - mostly backordered of course.... Thanks again for everyone's input - this forum ROCKS! |
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