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New .40 model-- the '.40 XL' !


shred

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When you make gauges, you discover there's a much wider variety of bullets and pistols out there than you can imagine.

Over the past year or so we've seen ammunition made with coated and lead bullets that exceed the SAAMI .401" maximum diameter one way or another (coating thickness variance, out of roundness, slightly misaligned loading dies, mold parting lines, heavy crimps, and so on) and yet the shooters report the ammunition fits and fires fine and to please make them a gauge that it will fit into, so we went ahead and made a new gauge--

Announcing the ".40XL" 100-round case gauge. Same chamber-reamed chamber, but the bullet area is enlarged and designed for lead and coated bullets .401" and larger in diameter, loaded over SAAMI length or not.

If you are loading ammunition with bullets that don't quite fit into the .40 or .40L gauge, or are tired of giving ammo a light push to seat it in the gauge, the 40XL is the gauge for you (make sure that slightly-oversize-bullet ammunition fits in your pistol properly before ordering however)

Since .401" bullets are the SAAMI maximum spec and this gauge is larger than that, we still recommend the .40 gauge for regular-length SAAMI ammunition and the 40L gauge for shooters using jacketed or plated bullets .401" or smaller at over-SAAMI lengths.

Think of them as the .40, 40-Long and .40 Long+Wide.

Available at your favorite dealers probably by the time you read this if they are on the ball. If your favorite dealer doesn't carry Shockbottle products, slap them upside the head and tell them you are the customer and the customer is always right and you say they should.

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great I just received my 40L case gauge yesterday and my 200g Bayou round nose bullets aren't going in all the way. I am using a GRx push thru die and then a Lee Factory crimp die to finish. Could my bullet need the new XL gauge? if so where can I order one and does anyone want a new 40L at a slight discount?

Edit: Wanted to add that i have the 9x19 and it is great when loading for my CZ

Edited by clawson2011
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The quick way to tell if it's bullets or cases that are the sticking point are to drop some ammo in the gauge brass-first. If they go in ok backwards then it's the bullet.

Send a mail to sales@shockbottle.com and we'll work on trading that out if you can't find somebody locally.

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I have had a 40L for several months... Gauged about 4,000 rounds by now... I've gotten accustomed to evaluating the height of the brass sticking above the top of the 40L gauge to determine useable/match ammo. Most will sit flush with the gause with some pressure.

Got my 40xl yesterday... Gauged a couple hundred rounds and found most all of my rounds to "plunk" in the new 40xl gauge. A few were slightly tight... a couple seemed to be fairly tight, so I put these in the "practice" box. The new 40xl gauge is a much better predictor of good ammunition (for me).

I'm using Bayou 180gr TCG bullets. These are grooveless .401 bullets.

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  • 2 years later...

We're not making the 40L anymore, and the program changed a little but drop an e-mail to sales@shockbottle.com and they can get you the details. 

 

Same for people that somehow got the wrong caliber gauge for X-mas.

 

 

 

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