Who else uses a case gage and what do you do with the failures?

[hanno]

I have a single stage press (Rockchucker) so my reloading procedure is slow - normally 100 to 150 each session. I've recently started using a case gage to check each round. The ones that pass are shot in my 1911s. The ones that fail are saved for shooting in my S&W Model 625.

Just wondering who else uses a case gage to check each round and what you do with the rejects?

 

[rcmodel]

I use one strictly for .223 AR-15 ammo. Just because.
The last one that didn't pass was many moons ago.

Why are you getting so many reject .45 ACP rounds?

rc

 

[fguffey]

On 1911s and Rugers 9mm and 45 I use a barrel because I shoot ammo not gages, a gage can reject a cartridge that will fly through on of the pistols, but I have a Ruger that likes store bought ammo or hand loads that it thinks are store bought, for that one I use a RCBS carbide sizer as a crimp die, I crimp/size the cases 1/3 the length of the case, cases loaded in this manner fly flawlessly through all of the 45ACP I shoot.

F. Guffey

 

[243winxb]

No Gauge, use barrels. Loaded rejects (don't remember any its been so long) go back in to the FLRS die(not recommended) if nothing else will fix it. Most times an adjustment of the taper crimp dies is all thats needed. The bulged ones caused by starting the bullet crooked, get the flrs die. A Lyman 200 gr.bevel base bullet makes for straight line seating and great accuracy.

 

[hanno]

I use a Lee factory crimp die as the final step and I have noticed that most of the rounds that fail the gage (a Dillon) are WWB cases. Yes, I have used the 1911 barrel as a gage but it just seemed handier to have a gage on the reloading bench instead of taking down a 1911 each time I reload.

EDIT: Well, I just checked every "failure" with the barrel from my Dan Wesson PM7. Every single one passed. Maybe I should just retire the Dillon gage.

 

[30Cal]

I just gage the first and last ones out of the batch.

 

[Blind Bat]

My XD9 hates my reloads. I get one to five FTEs per 100 rounds. The failure rate for factory ammo runs around 1 in 2000. My theory is that the XD9 has a super tight almost match grade chamber. I bought a Dillon gage to check out the situation. Sure enough about 1 in 10 rounds with (mostly range collected WWB brass) with a slight Glock bulge even when using a Lee FCD and setting the sizing die as low as it will go.

My CZ seems to eat them just fine but there is a lot more play in its chamber. I use the bulged cases for practice ammo in my CZ.

Interestingly, I've noticed that I get lower SD/ES numbers from my reloads on the XD. It's my theory that Springfield realized they (meaning HS Produkt) have really tight barrel tolerances and decided to start marking all of their XD-M barrels as "match" grade. I bet the regular XD's have the same tolerances. Just a guess on my part.

I just ordered an EGW undersized sizing die to see fixes my brass issues.

 

[Esoterix]

I use L.E. Wilson gages for several reasons. If you are going to shoot the rounds through only one pistol, the barrel route will work fine. IF NOT, then the gauges will work every time for any buddies barrel. I like to shoot my rounds in my friends guns as well as my own so the gauges is the real test! I have both the L.E. Wilson "Case Length Gages" and the "Pistol Max Gages" to check the brass and the loaded rounds for SAAMI specs. For those that don't chamber, then you have to full length re-size the brass and possible trim. (New brass much more likely, otherwise brass that has been shot with "HOT Loads" may grow slighty enough to require trimming especially on match grade guns.)

Just one question for everybody, why is it that Dillon and L.E. Wilson spell it "gage" and others spell it "gauge" ? Sorry, just had to ask seeing I lived in England four years and this spelling thing cost me a year or more in public schools. I could of been done in 10 or 11 years otherwise.

 

[243winxb]

Gage Or Gauge

My choice would be Gauge. Wilson and Dillon just want to act cool.

 

[jmorris]

I case gauge every round that I shoot in competition. The ones that don't pass feed fine through machineguns if it's only a rim defect. If it's anything else it gets pulled apart.

 

[skipsan]

I case gage every .45 acp round with a Dillon gage. I normally see about 2 per 100 that wont pass the gage.

My failures fall into categories:

(1) inadequate taper crimp--don't know how it happens but it does. Easy to
fix. Recrimp and regage go

(2) extractor burr on the case rim--a couple of swipes of the rim on emory
cloth and its normally fixed.

(3) inadequate belling of the case--causes lead or copper plate sliver to be
wiped down the side of the case. Remove with finger nail--recase gage
and go. Had a nasty jam on an expensive 1911 caused by this. Thought
I was never gonna get that darn thing apart.

(4) lead bullet lube wiped down the side of case--remove with finger nail,
regage, and go

I use the ammo in several different 1911s, so using a barrel may not cover everything. Of those that wont gage, maybe 1 in 20 can't be "repaired" without pulling down and starting over.

 

[Walkalong]

I gauge all my sized 9MM brass now that I have an EMP with a SAMMI minimum chamber. I toss the few rejects in the scap bucket. I do not gauge the loaded rounds, and have had no problems. If your brass passes the gauge, your loaded rounds should.............should, pass the gauge. If they don't look at load technique or bullet diameter.

 

[ambidextrous1]

I've been gauging my .45 and 9mm reloads, primarily to catch "range pickup" brass that sometimes doesn't resize completely. I had some high primer problems for a while, and checked primer seating as part of the gauging routine.

The primer problem has gone away, with refinements in equipment and technique, and I'm thinking about changing to gauging a sample from each reloading session, instead of checking 100% of the ammo.

In the rare event of a really bad gauging failure, I pull the bullet, toss the powder and re-use the case (and hopefully, the bullet). Marginal gauge failures (maybe 1 or 2 %) are identified with Sharpie marks on the base, and fired first when at the range, with better than 90% success.

 

[rfwobbly]

I use a Midway cartridge gauge to spot troublesome 9mm rounds. I shoot IPSC and had the unfortunate problem of having 2 gun jams in a single stage due to reloading Luger brass that had been stretched by previous "9 major" loads. (I use some pick-up brass.) Since IPSC is a timed event, having one gun jam is bad enough, but having 2... and not being able to trust any of my ammo... ruined my "fun day" at the range.

So now, every competition cartridge gets inspected with a gauge. If it won't slide in of its own weight, then it doesn't get taken to the match. I've had no more FTF's on the line since I started that process. I've missed a lot of targets, but that's another issue!