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Nu2U

Nu2U

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I've been reloading .45acp for about 7 months. I have had excellent results from the beginning, but occasionally, I'll find a round that won't chamber in my gauge. I check all the cases after sizing with this same gauge. I think this occurs in the bullet seating die, but I'm not sure. If I load 100 rounds, I always have 2 like this. It won't go "plunck" in the gauge.
Just looking for your wisdom. I don't know if it is my technique, my brass, or my bullets. Maybe it's just par for the course. Bullets are Missouri Bullet Co. Brass is combination of factory 1X and range brass. Your thoughts please! DSCN2197.JPG DSCN2196.JPG
 
Are those pictures "loaded" rounds?

Would need to see the whole cartridge and what the bullet seating looks like.

What exact bullet and what is you COAL??

Forget the gage, plunk them in your barrel out of the gun.
 
MBC .45 Button, .452 diameter, 185 grain SWC, Overall length is 1.178"
 
I always have 1 or 2 out of a hundred do that. Almost every time it’s caused by an ejection burr on the rim. Very rarely it’s because the rim is too wide. Never because the case is too long, but that's always a possibility. If it will snap into the gauge with finger pressure, I consider it good to go.
 
Nu2U said:
MBC .45 Button, .452 diameter, 185 grain SWC, Overall length is 1.178"
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Thanks.
Cannibul said:
In the second picture it appears there could be a burr on the rim.
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To rule out brass as culprit for failing the gauge, you can check only resized brass in the gauge.

If some of the resized brass fail, I would check brass for damage and check to make sure I was full length resizing the brass.

If all the resized brass pass the gauge but some fail after loaded with bullet, then I would adjust OAL and taper crimp. If that doesn't work, it may be that your gauge is made to SAAMI minimum specs to work with .451" sized bullets instead of .452" sized lead bullets. If that's the case, as others posted, you would need to use the barrel as your gauge.
 
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I had a "case gauge" for my 45 ACP, but I soon put it away somewhere and now use the barrels of my guns as "gauges". I had some ammo that would not gauge correctly in the Wilson tool, but chambered fine, and shot accurately...
 
I just loaded another batch of 50 rounds this afternoon. I slowed down my process, and was much more careful with the bullet on top of the case. Before, I think the bullet was not square and plumb with the case when I ran it up into the die. I think I may have been seating the bullets cockeyed just a little, because this last batch ALL fit the gauge properly. I think this may be a case of user error. Thanks to everyone who has replied with their advice.:)
 
I still recommend you plunk test the loaded rounds in the barrel. It doesn't matter if it fist or don't fits a gage.

With a LSWC just a tiny thousandth a inch difference may make a difference of fitting or not. You also want to be sure the taper "crimp" is removing any flair you put on the case. A fraction of to much of the driving band above the case mouth will give you fits!

When the barrel is turned over the round should fall right out.It doesn't take much for it to chamber or not.
 
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The rim on that agulia brass looks a little chewed up. It could be a burr keeping it from plunking in the gauge. Agulia brass is also a little thicker than most other domestic headstamps.

Not to sound rude, but I have never understood why people pay for pistol gauges. I could see where a rifle gauge would come in handy. Every handgun comes free with it's own gauge custom fit to that exact firearm- Your barrel and chamber.
 
Your own guns chamber is your best gauge....
In the 2nd pic, that rim does look like its marred, and so won't plunk due to that.
 
Nu2U said:
I think I may have been seating the bullets cockeyed just a little, because this last batch ALL fit the gauge properly.
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Most excellent! I would suggest, as already posted, that next time you gauge all the sized cases and then gauge them again after loading. That will tell you for sure if it was some of the cases, or something in the load procedure.
 
^^^^ A little time invested up front some times yields good results. I have usually found at least in my experiences the cases have burrs and such that prevent them from going into battery if the taper is removed enough when seating the bullet. I am more concerned about bullet depth and it not hitting the rifiling so I use the barrel as my standard for finished rounds YMMV
 
Using the barrel you wouldn't catch a case that had a problem with the rim.

DSC02128.jpg


So you "plunk" test all your ammunition then every now and then have a "mystery" malfunction because everything plunked then the unknown problem was found as the case tried to enter the breech face.

DSC02130.jpg


That said I never messed with case gauges much until I started shooting competitively?
 
Nu2U said:
I just loaded another batch of 50 rounds this afternoon. I slowed down my process, and was much more careful with the bullet on top of the case. Before, I think the bullet was not square and plumb with the case when I ran it up into the die. I think I may have been seating the bullets cockeyed just a little, because this last batch ALL fit the gauge properly. I think this may be a case of user error. Thanks to everyone who has replied with their advice.:)
Click to expand...
Yup I get a few of those. Won't plunk in a gauge, but drop in a barrel just fine, and chamber when fired without a hitch. I use an old RIA barrel for my gauge now.
 
A bunch of cases that won't fit my 9MM Wilson gauge will drop into many 9MM chambers with no problem. Problem is when you get a tight chamber. So these days I gauge all of my 9MM brass after sizing, and if it doesn't drop fee of its own weight, I scrap it. My EMP has a SAMMI minimum chamber, and I am sure there are others out there as well. I don't bother with .45 ACP, but I probably should. Might just get off my duff and order a Wilson gauge for .45 ACP.
 
I guess it boils down to how "perfect" you need your handloads to be. I'm an average shooter and my 45 ACP pistols prolly would shoot 1 to 1 1/2 MOA, but my eyes prolly wouldn't. So the barrels of the gun I'm making ammo for become the "gauge" for that load, both my 3, 9mms and my 2, 45 ACPs.

I got a case gauge for my 30-06 reloads for my Garand and had 4 weeks of fits trying to get the ammo to fit the gauge. I was new to Garand shooting so if a round didn't fit the gauge it wasn't shot. I tried everything I could think of even buying a new Redding sizing die. I measured everything I could on the brass and couldn't find why a round wouldn't fit, it stood mebbe .008"-.010" tall, and occasionally twice that much. After examining a case with my opti-visor, 4x, (I used HXP and Hornady brass) I discovered a sight bend in the rim. I filed a few and shazam, they fit the gauge. It seems the bolt was hitting the case rim just right as the round was ejected and the rim was bent .008" and did not allow the case to "seat" in the gauge. I asked about this on a Garand forum and the best answer I got was; "Will the round chamber in your gun?". Tried it, yep they fit and shot just as accurately as ones with a straight rim. I put my case gauges away...
 
For me the gauge isn't about "perfect", it's about function in all chambers. For ammo I want to squirrel away I would want it to fit any chamber. Since I got the EMP, I have a SAMMI minimum chamber in 9MM to deal with and I have no choice but to gauge sized brass for 9MM. It won't hurt a thing to do it for .45 ACP. It won't be more perfect, or shoot better, it will just fit more chambers out there.

Same for rainy day .223, I use a Sheridan gauge vs a Wilson to check the actual loaded ammo.
 
A big +1 to what Walkalong posted!! There's no guarantee that the rounds you load today, that you plan on "storing for a while", will fit the chamber of the gun you'll eventually shoot them in! Heck, I know guys that change guns faster than their underwear, so using a gauge is a worthwhile activity to help reduce any future issues!!
 
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