Tight bolt closing on resized brass / .223

[Lefty Trigger]

Don't know why I never thought about this before but I bought the proper measuring tools for checking my rounds but never even opened and used them. I have a set of LE Wilson headspace checkers for all my rifle rounds. I dug them out and checked this tight piece of brass and sure enough dropped in it sets slightly above the top. So knowing that would the small base die correct it?? Any brass that drops flush to the recessed machined groove chambers perfectly.
Also I adjusted my FL die down some more like mentioned and the brass chambers fine now but it set me at about .0045 clearance instead of the .002 I was set for. That be ok in a bolt rifle?

 

[Ken]

I was having this problem. I sanded a small amount off the shellholder and sized the brass. Problem solved. Did I mess up?

 

[Drop Port]

I was having this problem. I sanded a small amount off the shellholder and sized the brass. Problem solved. Did I mess up?

All depends, it hits more of the base, but if you take too much off you can set the shoulder back too much.

 

[Ken]

All depends, it hits more of the base, but if you take too much off you can set the shoulder back too much.

All depends, it hits more of the base, but if you take too much off you can set the shoulder back too much.

Yes, I was concerned about that so I screwed the die in a few degrees at a time till I felt it go from tension on closing to little or no tension. The rounds shoot good. I am happy with this approach unless I learn better.
Thanks

 

[Uncle Ed]

I would recommend a Hornady cartridge headspace gauge like I have below. It lets you measure a fired case and then adjust the die for the correct amount of shoulder bump.

NOTE, the problem is a fired case will not fit in the Wilson type drop in case gauges so you can not measure your starting point.

Below measuring a "fired" case from my AR15 in my Hornady gauge, I the set the resizing die to bump the shoulder back .003.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

I would recommend a Hornady cartridge headspace gauge like I have below. It lets you measure a fired case and then adjust the die for the correct amount of shoulder bump.

NOTE, the problem is a fired case will not fit in the Wilson type drop in case gauges so you can not measure your starting point.

Below measuring a "fired" case from my AR15 in my Hornady gauge, I the set the resizing die to bump the shoulder back .003.

Yes it will, fired brass will drop right in a LE Wilson check gauge. They even recommend checking it that way to get a good starting point. Heres a link to their "how to use video"

 

[Liven The Dream]

Have you tried a different Die ?
I have found a SB Body Die to help at times ?

 

[Texas10]

Sounds like you might be getting inconsistent springback in the shoulder area of your brass. Or your chamber was not reamed accurately in the shoulder area, and your dies are trying to reform the shoulder but not doing it consistently. You could make a chamber cast to confirm.

Might also anneal again and see if you get more consistent forming.

What annealing process do you use?

If using a Hornaday type headspace comparator to measure as-fired brass, be sure the primer is removed first, or use the OAL tool on one blade of the caliper, and the headspace gage on the other. This gives you a "hole" for the primer to sit over and eliminates primer protrusion and cratering errors in measuring.

 

[MGYSGT]

If you have a custom chamber, perhaps the necks are too thick with the bullet in them. If not, more likely it is the shoulder not being bumped back far enough. Screw in your die a 1/8 turn or less.

 

[Uncle Ed]

Yes it will, fired brass will drop right in a LE Wilson check gauge. They even recommend checking it that way to get a good starting point. Heres a link to their "how to use video"

If you go back and read my posting I said "Wilson type drop in case gauges". And I have had fired cases that would not fit in a Wilson gauge. It depends on the diameter of the chamber and chambers can vary in size.

Below a fired case in a Dillon case gauge and the same approximate diameter as a Wilson case gauge.

Below the same case in a JP Enterprise case gauge cut with a finish chamber reamer. Meaning this gauge also checks case body diameter. And if the case fits in this gauge it will fit in any chamber, because this gauge is cut to minimum SAAMI dimensions.

Below a Wilson, Dillon and JP Enterprise case gauges with the cases put in the gauges base first. This shows the Wilson and Dillon gauges are a larger diameter, but some fired cases will not fit.

Below a RCBS Precision Mic and it has a hole in its base and you can measure fired cases without removing the primer.

Bottom line, the case diameter and chewed up rims can keep a case from dropping all the way in a Wilson "type" case gauge.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Have you tried a different Die ?
I have found a SB Body Die to help at times ?

Got one on order from Midway they had them on clearance from RCBS and picked up a .223 small base die for $21 bucks. The die I have been using, a RCBS FL die will not screw down farther as it is hitting the shell holder now firmly. The small base die is cheaper than custom Redding shell holders...

 

[Uncle Ed]

The Redding competition shell holders will not push the case as far into the die as a standard shell holder. This is because the deck height of the competition shell holders are lower in .002 increments to .010 lower.

You could try and lap a few thousandths off the top of a standard shell holder and push the case further into the die.

Below the normal deck height of a standard shell holder is .125 between dimension "X".
And the competition shell holders range from .127 to .135, meaning less shoulder bump.

 

[fguffey]

Got one on order from Midway they had them on clearance from RCBS and picked up a .223 small base die for $21 bucks. The die I have been using, a RCBS FL die will not screw down farther as it is hitting the shell holder now firmly. The small base die is cheaper than custom Redding shell holders...

This stuff does not lock me up or drive me to the curb. I have small base dies, I have RCBS BAR dies and I have feeler gages. When I have a case that requires sizing for a short chamber I place a feeler gage between the case head and shell holder deck. Placing the feeler gage under the case head raised the case head off of the deck of the shell holder. I understand that means nothing to a reloader; but when I want to shorten the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head I increase the dies ability to reduce the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head and reloaders will not believe the feeler gage turns the die into a small base die.

The small base die is cheaper than custom Redding shell holders..

Anything a reloader can do with the Redding Competition shell holders I can do with a feeler gage. With the feeler gage I have the advantage; I can size 20 different length cases with 20 different feeler gages.

F. Guffey

 

[fguffey]

The die I have been using, a RCBS FL die will not screw down farther as it is hitting the shell holder now firmly

When you raise the ram to size the case you are assuming the case is being sized, I don't. If the die does not make it to the shell holder the case has not been returned to minimum length (also know as full length sized). Some cases can have more resistance to sizing than the press can overcome.

F. Guffey

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Anything a reloader can do with the Redding Competition shell holders I can do with a feeler gage. With the feeler gage I have the advantage; I can size 20 different length cases with 20 different feeler gages.

F. Guffey

Provided the shell holder has "clearance" for the feeler gauges to even fit. I use both RCBS and Hornady shell holders and the Hornady one's don't have the "wiggle room" that the RCBS holders do. Hornady shell holders are less likely to damage brass if the case gets sorta stuck in the die. I had that issue trying to reload the 5.7x 28 tiny brass and it was tearing the rims off but the Hornady shell holder fixed that issue. But I can clearly see how the feeler gauges would hold the brass higher there for stuffing more into the die.

 

[fguffey]

Hornady one's don't have the "wiggle room" that the RCBS holders do.

You are correct, RCBS is my favorite shell holder, they fit like a hand-me-down shirt; they only fit where they touch but the loose fit give me the utility I need when forming cases. Most RCBS shell holders will allow .010" clearance.

I have Herter shell holders, Herter shell holders are the best fitting shell holders.

F. Guffey

 

[chuckshooter]

Got one on order from Midway they had them on clearance from RCBS and picked up a .223 small base die for $21 bucks. The die I have been using, a RCBS FL die will not screw down farther as it is hitting the shell holder now firmly. The small base die is cheaper than custom Redding shell holders...

after reading your post, I order one as well. I've made a few over the years but I'd rather have one that's hardened and good to go. I hope it will work on all my 223 based cartridges like 20 vartarg and 20 practical also. good thread

 

[Peebles24]

This stuff does not lock me up or drive me to the curb. I have small base dies, I have RCBS BAR dies and I have feeler gages. When I have a case that requires sizing for a short chamber I place a feeler gage between the case head and shell holder deck. Placing the feeler gage under the case head raised the case head off of the deck of the shell holder. I understand that means nothing to a reloader; but when I want to shorten the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head I increase the dies ability to reduce the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head and reloaders will not believe the feeler gage turns the die into a small base die.



Anything a reloader can do with the Redding Competition shell holders I can do with a feeler gage. With the feeler gage I have the advantage; I can size 20 different length cases with 20 different feeler gages.

F. Guffey

As a mechanic of years, your feeler gauges are probably no where near the size they originally were. They are not designed to have that much force applied on them. They are meant to measure a gap by feeling drag against them, they are not a piece of shim stock.

 

[JFrank]

As a mechanic of years, your feeler gauges are probably no where near the size they originally were. They are not designed to have that much force applied on them. They are meant to measure a gap by feeling drag against them, they are not a piece of shim stock.

Yes
Crushed beyond recognition "

 

[fguffey]

As a mechanic of years, your feeler gauges are probably no where near the size they originally were. They are not designed to have that much force applied on them. They are meant to measure a gap by feeling drag against them, they are not a piece of shim stock.

your feeler gauges are probably no where near the size they originally were.

And there is a greater chance the feeler gages I use today are not the same gages I used 50 years ago or 25 years ago etc. I include the feeler gage, I am not so egotistic, conceited or self centered to exclude a tool that aids in reloading.

There is no shortage of tools and gages around here, one day I claimed I took a picture of my gages; the picture weighed 600 pounds. One day the 03 experts were talking about head space on the 03, stripping the bolt and then they broke into that routine about fixing all of the problems with a bucket of bolts. I did not make any friends that day but I did explain to them when checking clearance of the 03 all I needed was a feeler gage. The 03 rifle chamber length could have been checked daily from the day of manufacturer. PROBLEM? No one noticed.

For me there is measuring the chamber length in thousandth, for everyone else there is go-gage length, no go-gage length and there is field reject length; that is three lengths out of 9 possibilities.

F. Guffey