Enlarged Case Heads???

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Sagetown

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Being new at handling the 5.56mm Military Crimped Brass, (after resizing , cleaning, and reaming the Primer Pockets), I've ended up with a handful of this brass that wouldn't fit into the LEE Auto Primer's Base Holder. :uhoh:

Is this the result of me not getting a completed resizing, or a swelled case head? I can't tell any difference in looking at them. Guess I'll measure the Case Heads, and see where the problem is. Thought I'd get some pointers from you guys first. ;)

Thanks Sage :)
 
Check to see if the rims are bent from the ejector/extractor thingy that pulls the rim to extract the case from the chamber:rolleyes:. That has happened to me before with some mil brass .
 
Also see if a new cartridge will fit into your Auto Prime shell holder. Just to make sure you are using the right one.
 
Shell holders will vary in size, depending on how new the cutter was when they were made. If you have a shell holder that is at absolute minimum specifications, then any brass that might have an extractor groove or rim that is slightly larger isn't going to fit.

I keep several shell holders in each caliber just for this reason. They also vary in height, and that can affect headspacing when sizing bottleneck cartridges. I dedicate one shell holder for sizing in each caliber.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Dean Williams said:
Also see if a new cartridge will fit into your Auto Prime shell holder. Just to make sure you are using the right one.
Click to expand...

1. In reference to Bullseye308 the Rims do show signs of extraction, but none are bent.

2. As to Dean's suggestion, all my new brass, Remington, Winchester, and Hornady fit perfectly.

3. At ReloaderFred's statement - "Shell holders will vary in size" - I dug around in my cabinet and found another {Shell Holder}, and sitting here trying these stubborn cases in it, I'm finding some slide right in and out, and a few go in and out with a slight "click".

So, I take it that I can go ahead an re-load these cases without any worries, right? :)

Sage
 
My bet is they will load just fine. You might try loading a couple of the tight ones and see if they extract ok from your rifle. It's more an extractor groove/rim issue than case head expansion issue.

It takes an awful lot of pressure to swell a case head. When you consider the millions of rounds that are manufactured each year, there are going to be some that are at the outside limit of the specifications, due to tooling wear. When the extractor groove/rim cutting tool gets worn, it doesn't cut as deeply, but still may be within the parameters for that caliber. They change the cutter, and the next batch will be at the opposite end of the spectrum, but still within specifications.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Ben Shepherd: Get out ther calipers there boss. If they're oversize, toss 'em. Not worth the headache.
Click to expand...

Well; they've already been primed now, but I measured them anyway, and they fall just within the required dimensions of .378". Hmmm.

hf1.jpg
 
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Keep in mind that if a casehead swelled enough to keep it from fitting a shell holder, the primer pocket would be so loose the primer would likely fall out.

What you have is a tight Lee shell holder and some upper-end spec cases.

If it is a persistant problem, I would not be above taking a Dremel polishing point to the shell holder lips and loosening it up a tad so it fits everything.

rcmodel
 
rcmodel said:
Keep in mind that if a casehead swelled enough to keep it from fitting a shell holder, the primer pocket would be so loose the primer would likely fall out.
What you have is a tight Lee shell holder and some upper-end spec cases.

If it is a persistant problem, I would not be above taking a Dremel polishing point to the shell holder lips and loosening it up a tad so it fits everything.

rcmodel
Click to expand...

Thanks for that POINTER rcmodel.

When I found the other shell holder accepted those brass, the polish idea came to mind, and I did that some with the LEE's case holder until the cases began to fit. :D
 
Sagetown, the case head can upset (swell) when heavy loads are used, when sizing , the shell holder prevents the first .125 plus the radius in the opening of the die from being sized meaning the shell holder deck height is .125 unless some misguided person has ground the shell holder and or die. Shell holders serve a purpose and because of difference in design or dimensions, some can be used for different purposes.

I do not alter shell holders, if a group of cases do not fit a shell holder I crush the cases.

F. Guffey
 
He has a problem with a priming tool shell holder, so altering the inside lip will not hurt a single thing.

rc
 
:)Thanks Fguffey:
The brass being free, I hated not giving it a try to salvage it. So collecting all the pro's and con's on this matter is very helpful. As it stands, I'll probably be seeing more of this type brass and it'll be easier to determine what I should do with it.

Sage
 
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