New 223 Brass not passing a headspace gauge

[DaveBrokos]

Be careful guy's I quit buying Winchester brass because 4 to 5 round's per 100 were not passing a head space
gauge. Now I just bought 1000 lake city case's and they are just as bad. Just loaded 100 round's for
my AR and 4 would not seat in my head space gauge. Pretty Sad.

 

[fdshuster]

Dave: I gave up using head space gauges when I switched over to the original Stoney Point Chamber Over-all-length Gauge to measure & control the headspace dimension on my 223 chambers. Emphasis on "my" (chambers). Headspace gauges are one size fits all, and provided me with little useful information. I've chambered new Winchester & Lake City brass in my 223 bolt guns, and 3 AR-15 uppers, and never had a problem. Using the S.P. gauge, take an as-fired headspace dimension, adjust the Redding FL die for .002" ( bolt guns), or .003" less for the AR's and never have a concern again. Question? Will the new, unfired, unloaded brass (just the empty case) chamber? If it does, there is no problem. If the empty case chambers, but a loaded one will not, then something "happened" during the loading process. What about new factory ammo? It too is a new case, Does it chamber? If it sounds like I have little or no faith in headspace gauges, you are correct.

 

[DaveBrokos]

Thank's for the Info. I am aware of all that but I load for my brothers AR's And I am more then careful
when I am loading for other people. The point is new brass who ever makes it should should be more consistent and I am giving a head's up for people who don't bother to check things as closely as I do. I've seen a few AR's
come apart because of crap like this.

 

[fdshuster]

Dave: I don't want to sound like I'm beating a dead horse, but if you take headspace readings of the new, unfired brass using the S.P. (now Hornady) gauge you can get a true indication, and how much variation there may be. The case/cartridge headspace gauge has generous tolerences built into it, and controlling headspace can be more precise using the S.P./ Hornady gauge. I've used Winchester, & Lake City for the AR's and mainly Lapua with the bolt guns, and have never seen the need to throw away any brass. Factory brass is deliberately made on the small side so as to fit in every one of the chambers out there. Fire it in your chamber, adjust the FL sizer accordingly and you now have custom brass made for your chamber. If I did not already have many thousands of 223 Rem. brass, I would ask that you throw the unwanted, new brass in my direction, with shipping pre-paid.