Sheridan Engineering Case Gages?
- Thread starter danny
- Start date
The Sheridan case gauge is one of the few case gauges that has the chamber throat and the case body diameter is closer to the minimum SAAMI diameter. The JP Enterprise case gauge is also cut to minimum SAAMI body diameter. Meaning if the resized case and your loaded ammunition fit in these gauges the ammunition will chamber in any rifle.
Sheridan Engineering Case Gage FAQ
What is the difference between your standard Ammunition Gauge, and other case gauges?
There are several functional differences between our gauge and others. It is a good idea to know these so you can decide which gauge best suits your needs. Our Ammunition Gauge is designed to include the chamber throat, so you can see whether the complete loaded round is within spec. Most other case gauges are designed to just measure the case. As a result most other gauges do not include the throat, but may include a simple check to see if your cases need to be trimmed.
Some case gauges are designed primarily to measure the case headspace and case trim length. In order to do this, they are cut with a larger diameter than normal. This is intentional, and allows cases to drop in, regardless of diameter. The downside of this is that they are not useful as a chamber checker. Problems that could cause a jam such as thick necks, oversized bases, case bulges, and bullet seating issues may not be caught by a case gauge, but can be identified with our gauge. The gauge manufacturer should state whether their case gauge is cut to a larger diameter or not.
Our gauges are designed to check against a tight SAAMI chamber so that what fits in the gauge, should work in any firing chamber. If you are not concerned about making ammunition that is within spec or is capable of working in any gun aside from the one you are loading it for, you may want to use a different tool or no tool at all.
Sheridan Engineering Case Gage FAQ
What is the difference between your standard Ammunition Gauge, and other case gauges?
There are several functional differences between our gauge and others. It is a good idea to know these so you can decide which gauge best suits your needs. Our Ammunition Gauge is designed to include the chamber throat, so you can see whether the complete loaded round is within spec. Most other case gauges are designed to just measure the case. As a result most other gauges do not include the throat, but may include a simple check to see if your cases need to be trimmed.
Some case gauges are designed primarily to measure the case headspace and case trim length. In order to do this, they are cut with a larger diameter than normal. This is intentional, and allows cases to drop in, regardless of diameter. The downside of this is that they are not useful as a chamber checker. Problems that could cause a jam such as thick necks, oversized bases, case bulges, and bullet seating issues may not be caught by a case gauge, but can be identified with our gauge. The gauge manufacturer should state whether their case gauge is cut to a larger diameter or not.
Our gauges are designed to check against a tight SAAMI chamber so that what fits in the gauge, should work in any firing chamber. If you are not concerned about making ammunition that is within spec or is capable of working in any gun aside from the one you are loading it for, you may want to use a different tool or no tool at all.
Jager
Gold $$ Contributor
What Uncle Ed said.
The Sheridan gage - particularly the slotted version, which allows you to visually see how a piece of brass, a dummy round, or a full-on loaded round fits in a SAAMI-minimum-spec chamber - is invaluable. Lets you troubleshoot any number of issues.
Highly recommended.
The Sheridan gage - particularly the slotted version, which allows you to visually see how a piece of brass, a dummy round, or a full-on loaded round fits in a SAAMI-minimum-spec chamber - is invaluable. Lets you troubleshoot any number of issues.
Highly recommended.
The solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
They're very popular over on 300blktalk.com where guys saw the end off 223 brass then form a new neck without turning the new neck to a consistent thickness or annealing anything.
I have yet to see a properly prepared piece of brass that didn't fit in a clean chamber.
They're very popular over on 300blktalk.com where guys saw the end off 223 brass then form a new neck without turning the new neck to a consistent thickness or annealing anything.
I have yet to see a properly prepared piece of brass that didn't fit in a clean chamber.
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danny
Silver $$ Contributor
You started this thread asking if anyone has used these gauges and I haven't, so I probably shouldn't have even responded.
I own a ball micrometer, a neck turner, a couple of calipers, and adjust my dies properly so I can say I absolutely have never used or needed a Sheridan case gauge.
Sorry you didn't like my answer.
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dellet
Gold $$ Contributor
It’s a great tool, that is totally un-necessary and belongs on a lot more people’s bench than care to admit.
I’ll right start off with making it clear this is not a measuring tool, it is a limit gauge. If it’s at least this small, it fits in the hole.
If it does not fit, it very well might fit in your chamber and you will probably need the tools you were hoping to avoid buying in the first place and learn how to use them.
For a new reloader or some one who loads bulk it has a lot of value. It’s the ever famous plunk test in a convenient carrying case. The slotted version gives a new loader a visible meaning to the measurements.
It became popular on the Blackout forum for a number of reasons. Timing was the big one. The cartridge came out right before Sandy Hook, so you had a new cartridge, no factory ammo and many new reloaders using a hodgepodge of components coming to the forum asking why won’t it fit? Sound familiar?
It became a way of quickly knowing if it was an ammo problem, assembly problem or component problem. Making it much easier to help others remotely and became a more or less a teaching aid.
Oddly enough we quickly started identifying ammo and barrel production problems. We had then what we will start to see again. A high number of backyard ammo manufacturers and machine shops turning into parts manufacturers. The tool became something to compare and prove or not, poorly manufactured ammo and more than a few tight chambered barrel runs.
It also helped identify dangerously out of spec published load data.
Besides just dropping in a formed piece brass or loaded round to see idea it fits, there are a couple other tricks.
Inserting a case backwards, is a quick and easy way to check for a need of a small base die.
Dropping a bullet into the gauge is a quick way for those limited to magazine length to know if the bullet can be loaded that long. If the tip pokes out the end of the gauge, it will jam at mag length.
Concentricity issues where a round drops tight until you spin the high spot to the slot.
Drop a bullet in, then a case on top. Measure to the top of the gauge and you can approximate a very close measurement of max loaded length. Generally enough to know if the length in the load data will work. Sometimes you look at it and there is a gap between the case neck and bullet base. Did you really want a round that has .100” free float between case neck and bore?
Mostly what it does is tell you real quickly you need to get the proper tools and learn how to use them.
A frustrating thing about the gauge is that a high number of failed cartridges, will chamber in a high number of guns, but it is a warning flag that probably shouldn’t be ignored.
A good tool, that does exactly what it says it will. If you’re new to hand loading I think it worth having at least one, if for no other reason Than learning why all those other measuring tools and numbers are important.
A Sheridan gauge, a sharpie and a photo has solved a lot of new guy’s problems.
Not a paid endorsement.
I’ll right start off with making it clear this is not a measuring tool, it is a limit gauge. If it’s at least this small, it fits in the hole.
If it does not fit, it very well might fit in your chamber and you will probably need the tools you were hoping to avoid buying in the first place and learn how to use them.
For a new reloader or some one who loads bulk it has a lot of value. It’s the ever famous plunk test in a convenient carrying case. The slotted version gives a new loader a visible meaning to the measurements.
It became popular on the Blackout forum for a number of reasons. Timing was the big one. The cartridge came out right before Sandy Hook, so you had a new cartridge, no factory ammo and many new reloaders using a hodgepodge of components coming to the forum asking why won’t it fit? Sound familiar?
It became a way of quickly knowing if it was an ammo problem, assembly problem or component problem. Making it much easier to help others remotely and became a more or less a teaching aid.
Oddly enough we quickly started identifying ammo and barrel production problems. We had then what we will start to see again. A high number of backyard ammo manufacturers and machine shops turning into parts manufacturers. The tool became something to compare and prove or not, poorly manufactured ammo and more than a few tight chambered barrel runs.
It also helped identify dangerously out of spec published load data.
Besides just dropping in a formed piece brass or loaded round to see idea it fits, there are a couple other tricks.
Inserting a case backwards, is a quick and easy way to check for a need of a small base die.
Dropping a bullet into the gauge is a quick way for those limited to magazine length to know if the bullet can be loaded that long. If the tip pokes out the end of the gauge, it will jam at mag length.
Concentricity issues where a round drops tight until you spin the high spot to the slot.
Drop a bullet in, then a case on top. Measure to the top of the gauge and you can approximate a very close measurement of max loaded length. Generally enough to know if the length in the load data will work. Sometimes you look at it and there is a gap between the case neck and bullet base. Did you really want a round that has .100” free float between case neck and bore?
Mostly what it does is tell you real quickly you need to get the proper tools and learn how to use them.
A frustrating thing about the gauge is that a high number of failed cartridges, will chamber in a high number of guns, but it is a warning flag that probably shouldn’t be ignored.
A good tool, that does exactly what it says it will. If you’re new to hand loading I think it worth having at least one, if for no other reason Than learning why all those other measuring tools and numbers are important.
A Sheridan gauge, a sharpie and a photo has solved a lot of new guy’s problems.
Not a paid endorsement.
DocBII
Gold $$ Contributor
Danny,
I purchased them in .223, .308, 6.8 SPC and 30-06, not the slotted ones. I use them to check brass fired out of semi-autos after it has been sized but before priming, powdering and seating a bullet. This allows me to cull or resize any cases before other operations.
I don't worry about COL, I size rounds to fit magazines or nominal COL, so I don't check them after loading. I use a chamber stub for bolt action rifles if I care to verify distance or jam to the lands.
Well worth having if used correctly and they appear well made. They would be nicer if they came in a storage tube instead of a plastic bag.
HTH,
DocBII
I purchased them in .223, .308, 6.8 SPC and 30-06, not the slotted ones. I use them to check brass fired out of semi-autos after it has been sized but before priming, powdering and seating a bullet. This allows me to cull or resize any cases before other operations.
I don't worry about COL, I size rounds to fit magazines or nominal COL, so I don't check them after loading. I use a chamber stub for bolt action rifles if I care to verify distance or jam to the lands.
Well worth having if used correctly and they appear well made. They would be nicer if they came in a storage tube instead of a plastic bag.
HTH,
DocBII
My case gauge is the chamber of my rifle. I have dedicated brass for each rifle.
If you load the same round for multiple rifles then it has merit. Just realize sizing to saami specs will negatively affect brass life.
If you load the same round for multiple rifles then it has merit. Just realize sizing to saami specs will negatively affect brass life.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
Did the lawyer say why? Did they happen to say what 'right' Sheridan had to make those instructions?
I'm also blown away that Sheridan called in their lawyer - what's with that?
I'm familiar with T's and C's for some software that say you can publish test results. Unless you signed something when you bought the gauge, AFAIK, there is no law that prohibits discussing what we do - thinking 1st Amendment.
I'm also blown away that Sheridan called in their lawyer - what's with that?
I'm familiar with T's and C's for some software that say you can publish test results. Unless you signed something when you bought the gauge, AFAIK, there is no law that prohibits discussing what we do - thinking 1st Amendment.
Below is a Dillon .308 case gauge with a fired and not resized Lake City 7.62 case in the gauge. The purpose of this photo is to show you the vast majority of case gauges do not check case body diameter. These type gauges only give you a ballpark idea of shoulder location for setting your die for shoulder bump.
I buy bulk once fired Lake City 7.62 and 5.56 brass that was fired in a multitude of different chambers. And I want to size the case back closer to minimum dimensions.
Below is the same Lake City fired case in a JP Enterprise gauge showing its smaller body diameter.
Bottom line, if you are reloading new brass fired in your rifle these type of gauges will tell you very little. And a Hornady cartridge case headspace gauge and a vernier caliper can be used to check shoulder location and case body diameter. Rifle chambers and resizing dies vary in size and nothing is written in stone. And case gauges can be a big help or no help at all.
I buy bulk once fired Lake City 7.62 and 5.56 brass that was fired in a multitude of different chambers. And I want to size the case back closer to minimum dimensions.
Below is the same Lake City fired case in a JP Enterprise gauge showing its smaller body diameter.
Bottom line, if you are reloading new brass fired in your rifle these type of gauges will tell you very little. And a Hornady cartridge case headspace gauge and a vernier caliper can be used to check shoulder location and case body diameter. Rifle chambers and resizing dies vary in size and nothing is written in stone. And case gauges can be a big help or no help at all.
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jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
From what you saw in the Sheridan, would it be possible it would 'pass' a case with the shoulder not bumped back far enough?
I recently got back some 223 brass that was +5 to + 11 on a case headspace gauge [like the RCBS precision mic or a Whidden case headspace gauge]. When I mentioned this to the processor, he said the cases passed a Sheridan case gauge.
I can say, they don't pass a Wilson case gauge.
I recently got back some 223 brass that was +5 to + 11 on a case headspace gauge [like the RCBS precision mic or a Whidden case headspace gauge]. When I mentioned this to the processor, he said the cases passed a Sheridan case gauge.
I can say, they don't pass a Wilson case gauge.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
FYI. From a site called 'Ius Mentis'
"US law is more strict. It forbids anyone from making, using or selling the invention, even when the use is strictly personal. Of course, since patent infringement lawsuits are very expensive, a private person is rarely if ever prosecuted for using the invention in his own home."
But, it includes "It is always permissible to use a patented invention for research purposes."
"US law is more strict. It forbids anyone from making, using or selling the invention, even when the use is strictly personal. Of course, since patent infringement lawsuits are very expensive, a private person is rarely if ever prosecuted for using the invention in his own home."
But, it includes "It is always permissible to use a patented invention for research purposes."
dellet
Gold $$ Contributor
What did you have to change to get your rounds to chamber, what was the Sheridan gauge missing?
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
Yeah. Completely agree he's being weird.
My take was that he's in denial that his gauges are not working. He threw in the patent to get back at you/gain 'control'.
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