What causes this?

[GeorgeG4]

Hey everyone. So I got my Lee precision classic turret press all set up with a Lymon M die and my Mr. bullet feeder, etc. for .223.

Everything seems to be working well, but I’ve noticed when I put my finished cartridge in my chamber gauge, it does not freely fall into the gauge. I have to finish pushing it into the gage. The cartridge is the correct length when in the gauge fully.
I have attached a picture to show what I am talking about. what could be causing it so I have to push on the back of the bullet ti get it fully seated in the chamber gauge?

 

[El Matador]

Are you crimping your cases when seating a bullet? I had an issue a while back with using too much crimping pressure. It caused the brass cases to collapse slightly right at the shoulder/body junction. The bulge was noticeable to the eye, but they all fed okay through my AR. I would recommend coloring one of your reloads completely with a black sharpie marker and then run it into your chamber gauge a few times. You'll be able to see right where the problem is.

 

[F Class John]

I’ve seen that happen from any of the following having a variance.

The crimp as stated above
Neck diameter is off or a donut pushed out at base of neck (not sure how much that’ll occur in 223)
Should bump is off even if overall length is good (not sure where you’re measuring)
Base diameter (you could try a small base die if that’s the problem)

ElMat above is correct, draw a few lines from rooter to footer on the brass with a sharpie and it will show you which of the above is your problem.

 

[GeorgeG4]

Are you crimping your cases when seating a bullet? I had an issue a while back with using too much crimping pressure. It caused the brass cases to collapse slightly right at the shoulder/body junction. The bulge was noticeable to the eye, but they all fed okay through my AR. I would recommend coloring one of your reloads completely with a black sharpie marker and then run it into your chamber gauge a few times. You'll be able to see right where the problem is.

Yes my final station seats and crimps.
Everything seems fine with the bullet, except for not dropping into the chamber gauge fully.
Just bugs me and would like to fix this if I can.

Good idea on coloring it black! I will do that.

Maybe a little less crimp?

 

[Bill Norris]

Have you tried turning the die down a tiny bit more into the press?

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

Your crimping a 223? Bet your over doing it causing the shoulder/body junction to expand out just a hair. You should be able to see this and also feel it. Hold the case head and run you thumb and pointer fingers up the case with a little pressure. Just to be sure where the problem is, take a sized case and see if it falls into the guage. Also take an expanded(with m-die) case and see if it will fall into the guage. If this works, run the expanded case into the seater but with out a bullet and test it. This procedure should get you to the problem. Or for a quick test, just back your seater die out a 1/4 turn and test.

I shoot across the course with a 223. Never ever crimped a 223.

Frank

 

[GeorgeG4]

Your crimping a 223? Bet your over doing it causing the shoulder/body junction to expand out just a hair. You should be able to see this and also feel it. Hold the case head and run you thumb and pointer fingers up the case with a little pressure. Just to be sure where the problem is, take a sized case and see if it falls into the guage. Also take an expanded(with m-die) case and see if it will fall into the guage. If this works, run the expanded case into the seater but with out a bullet and test it. This procedure should get you to the problem. Or for a quick test, just back your seater die out a 1/4 turn and test.

I shoot across the course with a 223. Never ever crimped a 223.

Frank

Thank you! I’ll test those theories.
I’ll report back.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Try taking a resized only case and drop it into the chamber checker. Does the case still hang up?

 

[bloc]

Your crimping a 223? Bet your over doing it causing the shoulder/body junction to expand out just a hair. You should be able to see this and also feel it. Hold the case head and run you thumb and pointer fingers up the case with a little pressure. Just to be sure where the problem is, take a sized case and see if it falls into the guage. Also take an expanded(with m-die) case and see if it will fall into the guage. If this works, run the expanded case into the seater but with out a bullet and test it. This procedure should get you to the problem. Or for a quick test, just back your seater die out a 1/4 turn and test.

I shoot across the course with a 223. Never ever crimped a 223.

Frank

This^^^^^^

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

FWIW. The best case gage you have is your rifle chamber. I suggest you remove the firing pin from your bolt, then run the cartridges into your chamber to see if they fit correctly. If not, adjust your dies accordingly. (Counterintuitively, I've had cases fit a gage, but not the chamber.)

 

[Bill Norris]

This^^^^^^

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

FWIW. The best case gage you have is your rifle chamber. I suggest you remove the firing pin from your bolt, then run the cartridges into your chamber to see if they fit correctly. If not, adjust your dies accordingly. (Counterintuitively, I've had cases fit a gage, but not the chamber.)

Absolutely, That's why I posted this above.

Have you tried turning the die down a tiny bit more into the press?

 

[Bill K]

Is your press ram adjusted to just touch the sizing die, when you run the fired case in ? Be sure you are sizing the entire case and not leaving some of the base untouched.
If you then can not get the sized case to drop into the case gauge, then you may need a small base die for the sizing of the brass. Is this brass some you picked up, or fired in a semi auto ? Remember, often those case really do need a small base die to set them back to specks.
But also be sure your seating and crimping of the bullet is not holding it up.

Just a couple things to check and more than likely one of them is your culprit.

 

[GeorgeG4]

Is your press ram adjusted to just touch the sizing die, when you run the fired case in ? Be sure you are sizing the entire case and not leaving some of the base untouched.
If you then can not get the sized case to drop into the case gauge, then you may need a small base die for the sizing of the brass. Is this brass some you picked up, or fired in a semi auto ? Remember, often those case really do need a small base die to set them back to specks.
But also be sure your seating and crimping of the bullet is not holding it up.

Just a couple things to check and more than likely one of them is your culprit.

I believe it has to do with my seating and crimping die.

I never had this issue until just recently when I added the seat/crimping die.

I’ll check it out and report back.

Thank you all

 

[Doom]

Well, first off I don't think the M die is a case sizing die. You need to size the case prior to using this die. The picture you posted looks like the base of the cartridge is not sized down enough to fit the gauge. If this isn't the problem then the taper on the mouth needs to be reduced in the seating die.

 

[GeorgeG4]

Well, first off I don't think the M die is a case sizing die. You need to size the case prior to using this die. The picture you posted looks like the base of the cartridge is not sized down enough to fit the gauge. If this isn't the problem then the taper on the mouth needs to be reduced in the seating die.

Thanks. I’ll look into it.

 

[Pres100]

My guess is the M-Die is causing your issue .... It will almost bell the mount of the case. I use the M-die for reloading lead cast so it opens the mouth enough to sea the lead bullet without shaving it. I don't really think it would be necessary for copper bullets unless you are having trouble seating flat based bullets and in that case, I would use the M-die sparingly, if at all.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

How about getting a case gage that matches your other equipment? Either one made from your chamber reamer so you can fix your die issue, getting an rcbs die, or whatever else you can do to match up your stuff. This of course depends on whether or not your sized case goes into the gage before you seat and crimp it- if so you know your problem

 

[Liven The Dream]

This Brass fired in your rifle before?
Not MG Brass ?
Why Crimp ? Shot AR’s for years in NRA Matches No crimp?
All ways used a Small Base Die !

Wish you the Best

 

[GeorgeG4]

This Brass fired in your rifle before?
Not MG Brass ?
Why Crimp ? Shot AR’s for years in NRA Matches No crimp?
All ways used a Small Base Die !

Wish you the Best

I have had no issues until now.
I used to use a seat die in one station and crimp in the next station. I used all the dies that came with my lee classic turret press.

I then added a Mr. bullet feeder to my press, For this to work, I needed to remove my bullet. seating die. so I had to get a bullet seating and crimping die all in one. This goes into my last Station versus two separate stations.
I was then having issues because the bullets would not stay on the brass to advance them to the next station so I contacted the company and they directed me to the Lyman M die to put in station one to solve this problem.

I have a separate turret head that has my resizing and depriming die in it so it’s easily to switch between Tourette’s.

What is a small bass die?

 

[Pres100]

SB die works the brass down lower for any bulges toward the head of the case

 

[Pres100]

I have had no issues until now.
I used to use a seat die in one station and crimp in the next station. I used all the dies that came with my lee classic turret press.

I then added a Mr. bullet feeder to my press, For this to work, I needed to remove my bullet. seating die. so I had to get a bullet seating and crimping die all in one. This goes into my last Station versus two separate stations.
I was then having issues because the bullets would not stay on the brass to advance them to the next station so I contacted the company and they directed me to the Lyman M die to put in station one to solve this problem.

I have a separate turret head that has my resizing and depriming die in it so it’s easily to switch between Tourette’s.

What is a small bass die?

My guess is that your over expanding the mouths with the M Die... Try backing it down some