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Redding case neck thickness gauge

Loudcherokee

Is anyone using this tool? I'm looking for a good option to measure case neck thickness before turning necks with the hornady case neck turning tool.

I considered Hornadys concentricity tool with their case neck thickness gauge add-on, but seem to find alot of negative reviews on this tool.

Also considering the RCBS case master gauge, as that will also measure runout on loaded rounds, as well as empty cases.

The redding neck thickness gauge has really got my eye though, but I cant seem to find any good reviews of it anywhere. There is one video on YouTube showing it in use, and the user put a digital dial gauge on it, and it looks to be a decent tool.


LC
 
I have one just like it but I believe it’s a Sinclair but almost identical except it’s just aluminum not green. Works great for my needs.
Wayne
 
I thought about the sinclair tool also, but some negative reviews on brownells shows that the pilot stop is undersized by several 1000ths leading to inaccurate readings.

I may just go with a ball mic setup in a stand. I was just thinking I could use one of the tools mentioned to measure the entire neck thickness rather than a few reference spots on the neck.

LC
 
If you have a K&M neck turner, you can put a dial indicator on it. The necks will have to be snug and possibly back off the cutter to get accurate readings.
K&M.jpg
 
I have the Redding neck thickness gauge and a ball micrometer and prefer the Redding gauge. With one twist of the wrist, you know the neck thickness variations of the case neck. And I find it helpful for sorting cases if you do not want to neck turn. And when checking neck runout after sizing I subtract the neck thickness variation from the amount of neck runout.

As an example with my .223/5.56 cases I use the cases with minimum neck thickness variations in my bolt action and the others as blasting ammo in my AR15. The readings with the Redding neck thickness gauge are not as accurate as a ball mic but more than good enough for factory rifles with SAAMI chambers.

So again you spin the case 360 degrees with the Redding gauge and you will know the uniformity of your necks. I have had Remington .223 cases with over .009 thickness variations and these are used in my AR15 carbine. The Redding gauge may not be good enough for benchrest shooters with custom barrels but more the good enough for off the shelf factory rifles.
 
Uncle Ed said:
I have the Redding neck thickness gauge and a ball micrometer and prefer the Redding gauge. With one twist of the wrist, you know the neck thickness variations of the case neck. And I find it helpful for sorting cases if you do not want to neck turn. And when checking neck runout after sizing I subtract the neck thickness variation from the amount of neck runout.

As an example with my .223/5.56 cases I use the cases with minimum neck thickness variations in my bolt action and the others as blasting ammo in my AR15. The readings with the Redding neck thickness gauge are not as accurate as a ball mic but more than good enough for factory rifles with SAAMI chambers.

So again you spin the case 360 degrees with the Redding gauge and you will know the uniformity of your necks. I have had Remington .223 cases with over .009 thickness variations and these are used in my AR15 carbine. The Redding gauge may not be good enough for benchrest shooters with custom barrels but more the good enough for off the shelf factory rifles.
Click to expand...

Great for sorting. I have one. Problem i had was once i saw the variation i had to do something about it. Turning brass does 2 things for you. More consistent neck tension and reduced runout.
 
Richard Coody said:
Great for sorting. I have one. Problem i had was once i saw the variation i had to do something about it. Turning brass does 2 things for you. More consistent neck tension and reduced runout.
Click to expand...

A ball mic is more accurate for neck turning and being able to measure the entire case neck.

The Redding bushing die FAQ tells you to use their expander if the neck thickness varies .002 or more. Meaning with a bushing die you do not want to push the neck thickness variations to the inside of the neck. So neck turning and bushing dies go hand in hand if you do not want to use the expander.

If you neck turn in a factory chamber the case neck will expand more when fired, and work the case neck more. If I do neck turn I only skim turn the necks to remove the high spots with minimum brass removal. And if you have quality uniform cases there is very little need to neck turn.

The U.S. Military considers ammunition with .003 or less runout to be match grade ammo. And the Army uses Lake City brass without neck turning. And neck turning works best in custom tight neck chambers with neck turned brass. And with factory chambers the more you reduce the case neck diameter with a bushing die the greater chance of inducing neck runout.

And from reading the OP post I would guess he does not shoot in benchrest competition. And I have both type neck thickness gauges and use the Redding gauge the majority of the time.
 
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My two cents.....the K&M ball micrometer. Works well for sorting new brass and for monitoring accurate cut when turning. I really like the beveled stem for measurements near the shoulder.
 
My plan is to use the Forster bushing bump die for my. 308. It's a factory barrel and chamber, so while I may not be required to neck-turn, I want to anyways for uniformity sake and to remove one more variable from the list. But prior to turning, I will either use the Lee collet die, or a sinclair expander mandrel to push all inconsistencies to the outside of the neck, then turn the necks. Going forward from that I will strictly use the bushing bump die.

I know some may look at this as unnecessary. I dont currently shoot any competiton, but would eventually like to. But truth is, I enjoy reloading almost more than shooting. All the little intricacies, nuances, etc give me something to do, and to focus on. Reloading is a calming therapy to me. I actually enjoy some of the things that most dont, like sorting brass, trimming to a uniform length, weighing each and every charge, chamfering and deburring, etc. To some that sounds crazy, but I quite like it. Go out to the shop, turn on some music, and get to work. Helps me relax, and forget all the outside stressors from work and such.

LC
 
A full length die supports the case body and neck during resizing and if the expander is removed the case will be as concentric as it ever will be. And it is possible for the expander if not centered or a bushing to induce neck runout. The more the bushing has to reduce the case neck diameter the more it can induce neck runout.

Tech Line & Tips (FAQs)
https://www.redding-reloading.com/tech-line-a-tips-faqs/146-concentricity-problems

If the neck wall thickness varies more than 0.002", it may be necessary to use a bushing a couple of thousandths smaller than your calculations indicate, and then use a size button in the die to determine the final inside neck diameter.

An interesting experiment also revealed that neck turning of brass that was intentionally sorted as non-uniform, showed little or no concentricity improvement when used in standard S.A.A.M.I. spec chambers. Conversely brass that was sorted and selected for uniformity remained uniform and concentric with or without a neck turning operation.

I have a .223 Forster bushing bump die and is a neck sizing die and a neck sizing die does not support the case body. And with a bushing die the more the neck is reduced in diameter the greater the neck runout will be.

Below are just some of the .223 dies I have tested and my Forster bushing bump die has the most neck runout followed by any standard neck die. And my Forster non-bushing full length die has the same or less runout than using a body die and Lee collet die.

pltdloo.jpg
 
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I have one from Sinclair.

I use it and like it for sorting cheaper brass into lots including finding factory brass to fit a minimum chamber as in a retired barrel.

IMHO using a dial indicator for measurements that need a micrometer is like using a caliper when a micrometer is called for. If I had no choice I might try custom arbors but I do have a choice so I don't. If that's all you have and can get then it's better than nothing but not much.

I do have a jig with a dial indicator that indicates to half a tenth for measuring case head expansion but that's a different thing and I have long since stopped thinking case head expansion to that level of precision tells me anything.

Bottom line go with the right tool for the job or don't bother.
 
cem said:
I have one from Sinclair.

I use it and like it for sorting cheaper brass into lots including finding factory brass to fit a minimum chamber as in a retired barrel.

IMHO using a dial indicator for measurements that need a micrometer is like using a caliper when a micrometer is called for. If I had no choice I might try custom arbors but I do have a choice so I don't. If that's all you have and can get then it's better than nothing but not much.

I do have a jig with a dial indicator that indicates to half a tenth for measuring case head expansion but that's a different thing and I have long since stopped thinking case head expansion to that level of precision tells me anything.

Bottom line go with the right tool for the job or don't bother.
Click to expand...

With either unit, I would actually opt for using the digital gauge rather than the dial indicator. Easier for me to read and I think faster.

LC
 
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