.45 won't case gauge backwards

[bbbean]

I am finding a fairly large percentage (10-15%) of my .45 ACP brass will load and run just fine, but it won't case gauge backwards - that is to say that the rim is either slightly out of round or just a little bit larger than my case gauge. The rounds that fit this description will case gauge otherwise, and run in the gun without incident.

For now, I'm sorting the "almost perfect" rounds into the practice only bin, but I'm curious whether they should be going into the "throwaway brass" bin. Do the rims spread out over several firings, or is this just the brass that made it past QC?

What would you do? Use one more time and pitch, or keep reloading them and use them for practice ammo?

[atbarr]

I am finding a fairly large percentage (10-15%) of my .45 ACP brass will load and run just fine

What am I missing here?

You say "They run just fine".

I say, just shoot them.

A.T.

[ben b.]

They won't case gauge backwards? I'm almost positive they won't chamber and fire if backwards either. Totally unacceptable. Send that crap to me for disposal.

Seriously, if they case gauge normally, and the case gauge is stricter than your barrel, I wouldn't waste time trying to case gauge them backwards.

My EGW gauges are a lot more conservative than my barrels. Nearly every reject will fire fine in practice, and I never have troubles with gauged ammo in matches, but if I just try running un-gauged ammo a problem surfaces.

But I can't get ammo to go in the gauges backward.

[planenut]

I've only loaded a little over 300 but have found a few that don't quite go all the way into the case gage. They stop with about 1/8 inch to go. It seems like there is a rough spot at the rim possibly from the extractor or else it is slightly out of round. I have not tried to fire them. Is this what you are referring to?

[bbbean]

I've only loaded a little over 300 but have found a few that don't quite go all the way into the case gage. They stop with about 1/8 inch to go. It seems like there is a rough spot at the rim possibly from the extractor or else it is slightly out of round. I have not tried to fire them. Is this what you are referring to?

I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.

[njl]

I know what you're talking about and have seen many of the same thing with various used brass and factory ammo. I even had Dillon replace my gage. I think their gage dimensions are a bit too conservative/optimistic.

[TerryO]

I am finding a fairly large percentage (10-15%) of my .45 ACP brass will load and run just fine, but it won't case gauge backwards - that is to say that the rim is either slightly out of round or just a little bit larger than my case gauge. The rounds that fit this description will case gauge otherwise, and run in the gun without incident.

For now, I'm sorting the "almost perfect" rounds into the practice only bin, but I'm curious whether they should be going into the "throwaway brass" bin. Do the rims spread out over several firings, or is this just the brass that made it past QC?

What would you do? Use one more time and pitch, or keep reloading them and use them for practice ammo?

I'm really curious what's the purpose of trying to case guage the rounds backwards?

[Cy Soto]

I'm really curious what's the purpose of trying to case guage the rounds backwards?

This lets you know if the rim is out of spec. After a few loads the rim will begin to deform slightly where it is being pulled by the extractor. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If they fit the case gauge right-side-in, in my book, they are "good to go".

[HoMiE]

I've experienced it when case gauging and round won't sit flush. Push it in backwards just a little and it must roll rim just enough so that if you try and gauge it again it will sit flush. Like others have said, if it doesn't gauge first time, it goes into practice bin.

[A63111]

My Wilson gauge is very tight compared to the Dillon. Could be a gauge thing or as others have said could be small nicks. You may have to barrel gauge for your gun, but if it runs shoot it.

[bbbean]

FWIW:

[waynes_world_45]

I've only loaded a little over 300 but have found a few that don't quite go all the way into the case gage. They stop with about 1/8 inch to go. It seems like there is a rough spot at the rim possibly from the extractor or else it is slightly out of round. I have not tried to fire them. Is this what you are referring to?

That happens to me...sometimes,,,,, I think case lube builds up in the case gauge...when a round wont drop all the way, I run a cleaning brush through the gauge and then re-drop...99% of the time it drops in completely...a second no-go gets thrown in the practice bucket

Edited December 2, 2010 by waynes_world_45

[Bob DuBois]

The slide breech face beats 45 brass, which spreads the the rim. Pick up one of the push through dies to resize the rim. A U die will help size the brass closer to the extractor groove.

You could use the brass that won't gauge at the rim for practice and keep the good ones for matches.

[bbbean]

The slide breech face beats 45 brass, which spreads the the rim. Pick up one of the push through dies to resize the rim. A U die will help size the brass closer to the extractor groove.

You could use the brass that won't gauge at the rim for practice and keep the good ones for matches.

If you re-size the rim, aren't you setting yourself up for extractor problems? The extra material has to go somewhere, doesn't it?

BB

[Bear23]

SB brass will not routinely fit all the way in a dillon gauge. sometimes federal doesn't as well. they have all run fine in my guns.

[Emerson]

The rim on the .45 ACP cases typically "peen" and become larger in diameter as they are loaded several times. This is very very common and shouldn't be a problem if your extractor isn't too tight.

[Dillon b]

almost none of my .45 loads will case gauge backwards in my wilson case gauge but always feed fine. come to think of it i have a bunch of factory rounds that do the same thing. I wouldnt worry about it

[njl]

It makes you wonder about the validity of the gauge though when even factory ammo won't gauge.

And why is this more of an issue with .45acp than with 9mm? I've had no such problems with my Dillon 9mm gauge.

[superdude]

fyi, SAAMI specs show a case head diameter on the 45 ACP of .4760. the rim diameter spec is larger at .480.

case guaging a 45 ACP backwards has questionable utility since it doesn't really tell you anything useful about how the round will function in a pistol. in simple terms, it seems like a pointless exercise. the 45 ACP is not considered a true rimless case and therefore you shouldn't expect it to case gauge backwards. it probably tells you more about your case gauge than about your ammo.

[njl]

If a round goes into the gauge, but stops just short of the rim going in, you don't really know where the problem is. If it also won't go in backwards, then it could just be that the rim is just too big for the gauge. If it goes in backwards, then you know you have a problem elsewhere, probably closer to the mouth end.

[bbbean]

If a round goes into the gauge, but stops just short of the rim going in, you don't really know where the problem is. If it also won't go in backwards, then it could just be that the rim is just too big for the gauge. If it goes in backwards, then you know you have a problem elsewhere, probably closer to the mouth end.

Bingo. I only try to backwards gauge the rounds that don't gauge completely the first time. If they gauge backwards, then I look for problems with the rim, a crimp problem, or a buildup of lube/lead/moly/whatever in the gauge. If they don't, the rim is out of spec.

[njl]

Trouble is, if they don't go backwards, you don't know that you don't have other problems...just that the rim is definitely a problem (for the gauge anyway...they'll probably still shoot fine).