Anybody ever fond FC brass to be too short?

[Redhat]

I was prepping some mixed .223 brass yesterday and prior to sizing I must have found 30 FC cases that measured below 1.750...I'm talking 1.743 and the shortest was 1.739. All were headstamped "FC".

Is this common?

 

[loadedround]

I shoot quite a bit of once fired FC cases in my Colt HBar and never found the Federal cases to be out of spec(too short)

 

[ranger335v]

"Anybody ever fond FC brass to be too short? "

I've found a few cases from most makers to be shorter than reloading manual "trim to" lengths but I've never found any to be too short, what ever that is.

 

[243winxb]

prior to sizing

Full Length Resize them first before taking a trim measurement.

 

[gdcpony]

I have even after sizing. An FC is one I see it in allot. Never caused any problems for me. After another firing and sizing they are at minimum and normal after that.

 

[Redhat]

243winxb,

I did that on the first batch, but many were still too short.

 

[243winxb]

After FLRS 1.760" is maximum. Trim to length is 1.750" Trim to length for RCBS X die is 1.740" You did say

prior to sizing

Then i guess they are to short.

 

[dakotasin]

much of my fc 223 is shorter than the trim-to lengths in the manuals. i load it and shoot it anyway.

 

[Marc257]

I've seen the same thing. I keep all of that brass seperate, and load it all together.

 

[weshootalot]

last fall, 2 guys were burning up their barrels at the range, new 7mm rem,both. I Asked to have the brass.....120 total (man bet they hurt next morning). Last week, winter cabin fever, dug it out , quick light clean, lube & resize, inspect & measure. 40 feds,20 were .005 to .010 under trim length (most were .005-.006, 4 or 5 pushing .010) All others were long,( need to trim) or in the OK range. Win And Rem ,OK or need to trim. Must be the inspector was hung over or had a hot date that night!

 

[JimKirk]

Shorter brass really hurts nothing. You may lose a little neck tension, a little ability to hold the bullet straighter, but nothing else. If your brass headspaces off the mouth, then that is another story.

Unless you crimp, there should be no problems at all. I would sort it out and keep it together.

A really short neck cartridge like the 357 SIG would be an example where short brass would be a problem because there is so little neck to work with already, it needs all the neck it can get to hold the bullet.

Jimmy K