Is this 06’ brass good for another load?

[Peakbagger46]

I’m at five firings now out of my Sako and have been partially FL sizing each loading. Load is fast but still under max in the Nosler book.

Is that little bit of a ring showing in the brass a bad sign, or just where the sizing die stops during loading?

I tried feeling for a catch inside the brass with a bent paper clip and couldn’t feel anything.

Should I go for one more loading (making six firings including factory), or toss the brass?

 

[Peakbagger46]

 

[Peakbagger46]

 

[cheygriz]

That "ring" looks like it was caused by incomplete sizing. If the primer pockets are still tight, bend a paperclip and "feel" the inside to see if there is a thin spot.

 

[Bwana John]

Build a scratch tool (I use old bike spokes)

~6" long, bent 90 degrees at the end, with a 1/4" long sharpened point.

Use the point to feel the inside 360 degrees of the case where the ring is forming on the outside to see if case is stretching, if nothing is felt inside the case is good to go.

If you feel a ring forming at all with scratch tool discard the case.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Sorry, just edited my first post to note that I did feel the inside of the case.

Primer pockets were still tight upon last loading.

 

[Bwana John]

Double tap... Fat fingers and tiny keyboards strike again.

 

[Slamfire]

Sorry, just edited my first post to note that I did feel the inside of the case.

Primer pockets were still tight upon last loading.

Its good. I will recommend setting the shoulders back no more than 0.003" and use a cartridge headspace gage in setting the sizing die.



Case head separation is primarily due to sizing the case too much. It is then driven forward by the firing pin blow, the case neck, shoulders stick to the chamber during combustion, and then, the side walls have to stretch to fill the space between case head and bolt face. Resulting in problems such as this:



If properly sized, the lifetime of a case is determined by primer pocket expansion, brass flaws: case neck splits and case body splits.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Like said, load that brass, nothing wrong with it. The partial sizing is causing that ring. I don't bother partial sizing with a full length sizing die. Sure it was done before neck sizing dies were available but now...

BTW, Lee make a great neck sizing die and they don't cost a lot either.
https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=Lee+30-06+neck+sizing+die&userItemsPerPage=48most

 

[Charlie98]

When in doubt, section one or two. The wire probe usually is a good enough check tool, but when I first got into the M1a .308 reloading game, I sectioned a few of my brass so I could see with my own eyes what was going on, and what I was seeing with the probe.

 

[Walkalong]

Looks like an expansion ring. It shows up where the fat part of the case walls near the web thin down and meet the thinner case walls higher up. that juncture can be abrupt sometimes, while other times it is a long taper and is less likely to show an expansion ring. ("Expansion ring". Just made that up, or maybe I heard/read it somewhere.) Anyway, it expanded more where it is thin above the web and filled the chamber (Maybe a fat chamber) The sizer doesn't touch it below that because it did not expand, and of course it isn't supposed to. (The solid case head that is.)

If you have felt inside the case and there is no sign of a rut starting, that is all it is and no reason to be concerned.

A .35 Remington case with the same line. Inside it is perfect.

 

[Walkalong]

When in doubt, section one or two. The wire probe usually is a good enough check tool, but when I first got into the M1a .308 reloading game, I sectioned a few of my brass so I could see with my own eyes what was going on, and what I was seeing with the probe.

This is a great way to learn what you are feeling actually is in there, and makes it easier to judge cases without opening them up.

 

[JimKirk]

If properly sized, the lifetime of a case is determined by primer pocket expansion, brass flaws: case neck splits and case body splits

Key word "properly sized" .... meaning to fit the chamber of the gun it is to be fired in ... not sized to fit a gauge or some drawing unless either just happen match your chamber .... which they may or may not do....

 

[Slamfire]

Key word "properly sized" .... meaning to fit the chamber of the gun it is to be fired in ... not sized to fit a gauge or some drawing unless either just happen match your chamber .... which they may or may not do....

I agree. I have used chamber gages to verify the headspace on all of the rifles I can gage, and I use my cartridge headspace gages accordingly. For a post WW2 rifle, one that has not been abused, has not had parts swapped off, never had one that was out of head space. But, I don't own them all! Now, military rifles, M1903's, Garands, Carbines, those shipped by the CMP have been gaged. There are plenty of used military rifles which have not been gaged, and, who knows? I look for matching serial numbers, where possible.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Thanks again guys. I’m loading them up right now.

 

[Bbear]

If you haven't, you might run the through the annealing process. Constant resizing will work-harden the case leading to neck splits. 5-6 reloads could have some rather hard cases.