223 sized case ?

[rebs]

Hornady LNL AP press cannot get the shoulder bumped back far enough for the case to fit in the case gauge.

223 resized case will not go into a Lyman case gauge but will chamber in the rifle. Why is that ?
What am I doing wrong ?

 

[Uncle Ed]

If the case has a ding on its rim it will not drop into the gauge. Turn the case around base first and see if it enters the gauge. I keep a small fine file on my reloading bench for cases fired in semi-autos with damaged rims from the extractor.

Also case gauges can vary in diameter and many only check the shoulder location. And some case gauges like the JP Enterprise case gauges are cut to minimum SAAMI dimensions. And you "might" be dealing with brass spring back with range pickup brass fired in another chamber.

Welcome to the world of firearms that throw perfectly good brass away and make you go look for it. Then when you go to reload the cases you find out a herd of beavers were chewing on your case rims.

 

[rebs]

I turned the case around and the head rim goes in the gauge. I tried a brand new unfired round and it won't go in either so now I am thinking it is the gauge. Its a Lyman case gauge. My shooting buddy brought his Hornady case gauge over and the cases dropped right in.

 

[JFrank]

Your case should drop right in and plop, you may have a over spec chamber. Try a different comparator that measures closer to the Datum listed in your reloading manual

 

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

how much sticks out when setting in forward , and how deep does it go when you put it in backwards

ink the factory round and see where its hitting

lyman will warranty it , call em 860-632-2020

 

[rebs]

It is full length sized cases that won't go in the case gauge, but they do go right in the chamber of my rifle. I believe it's the case gauge not being right.

 

[DUSTY NOGGIN]

you are probably right be right about the gauge ( if the inked factory round wont sit flush in the gauge , if you ink it you will see why it doesnt seat


if the 223 chamber is a semi auto its likely to be larger than a case gauge, for ease of cycling ... so you cant really compare them against each other

 

[K22]

Couple of questions:

1. What type of firearm - bolt or auto?

2. Has the cases been fired only in that specific rifle?

3. Can the cases be "press fit" (modern pressure) into the case gauge?

4. Do the cases have a visual non- concentric bulge at the base near the rim?

5. How do you set up you sizing die to determine how much cam over?

 

[moorepower]

Am I the only person that hand loads, " close to 30 years" that does not own a case gauge? If you are resizing the round for "your" rifle, why the fuss? Use a dummy round or size a case and make sure it chambers, then start loading.

 

[JFrank]

Am I the only person that hand loads, " close to 30 years" that does not own a case gauge? If you are resizing the round for "your" rifle, why the fuss? Use a dummy round or size a case and make sure it chambers, then start loading.

Yep

 

[Bc'z]

Yep

Nope, there's 2 of us!

Am I the only person that hand loads, " close to 30 years" that does not own a case gauge? If you are resizing the round for "your" rifle, why the fuss? Use a dummy round or size a case and make sure it chambers, then start loading.

 

[Uncle Ed]

I turned the case around and the head rim goes in the gauge. I tried a brand new unfired round and it won't go in either so now I am thinking it is the gauge. Its a Lyman case gauge. My shooting buddy brought his Hornady case gauge over and the cases dropped right in.

Bad gauge, especially if a factory round will not drop into the Lyman gauge but will in your buddies gauge.

 

[rebs]

I took a small screw driver and checked the inside of the gauge and there was a burr or foreign piece that was keeping the case from going in. Now the gauge works fine. Thank you guys for all the replies

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Nope, there's 2 of us!

oh - more than 2. I hate useless "accessories" that business' turn out. Like computer desks and toilet roll covers.

 

[Uncle Ed]

I took a small screw driver and checked the inside of the gauge and there was a burr or foreign piece that was keeping the case from going in. Now the gauge works fine. Thank you guys for all the replies

If you had cleaned your glasses and used a flashlight first this posting would never have happened.

Don't get mad I just helped my wife cut the cats claws and had to put a pair of clip on magnifiers on my glasses so I could find the claws.

 

[Richard Coody]

Am I the only person that hand loads, " close to 30 years" that does not own a case gauge? If you are resizing the round for "your" rifle, why the fuss? Use a dummy round or size a case and make sure it chambers, then start loading.

SAAMI specs mean nothing to a reloader. I never use a storebought case gauge. My chamber is my case gauge.

Now that i think about it i do think i have one i bought many years.ago when i was a novice reloader.

Of.course i no longer reload for AR's either. Ammo is so cheap. Tried the.precision AR path but then Got tired of.dented necks and chewed up rims on that carefully prepared lapua brass. Much easier to get the accuracy out of a bolt gun anyway.

As for the .223. Lots of better rounds out there even for an AR.

 

[Bc'z]

While trying to come up with a load that would shoot good in wife's and my AR's I resized brass fired in hers would not chamber in mine.
Bought a small base die problem solved.

 

[K22]

Am I the only person that hand loads, " close to 30 years" that does not own a case gauge? If you are resizing the round for "your" rifle, why the fuss? Use a dummy round or size a case and make sure it chambers, then start loading.

There's nothing wrong with setting the full sizing die by using the old manual trial and error method of a dummy round - turning the die down a small amount until the optimum sizing is achieved for that specific rifle - meaning the ability to close the bolt with only slight resistance. Before the wide spread use of gauges this was the method used by knowledgeable reloaders to avoid over sizing cases. To do this properly however the firing pin assembly should be removed so you can more accurately feel the amount of bolt closure force. This method can be tedious but it does work.

No matter which method is used, case gauge or manual, the goal is to size only the amount necessary to achieve adequate chambering. Even if you use gauges to set the die for a .001 to .002" (bolt rifle) shoulder set back, it always good idea to verify the fit in the rifle with the initial set up.

Where the gauges come in handy is if you're loading for multiple rifles of the same caliber that require different amounts of sizing. It easier to adjust the amount of sizing using gauges in conjunction with Skip Shims or Competition Shell holders. Also as cases age hardened some adjustment to sizing may be necessary - gauges make this easy to check.

If you're a hunter going on an expensive hunting trip, a case gauge is a quick and easy method to verify that all loaded rounds you're taking on the trip will chamber without difficulty rather having to run them all through the rifle.

 

[moorepower]

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, my hunting trips have been on the cheap end!! I understand where you are coming from on a high dollar hunt. I just take a clean fired case from my rifle and run the sizer down to the shoulder where it is snug and if I want to full length size, I will turn it slightly and see how it chambers. Redneck, but it works. I segregate all my ammo to each gun, which is a pia, but again I feel it works. When loading for AR's I will always use a small base sizer when loading bulk ammo. I can also say that I have never had a case that I loaded not chamber in any of my growing collection of firearms, perhaps by luck. I have heard of removing the ejector but never the firing pin? My dummy rounds do NOT have a primer either.