DO OR DON'T SIZE FINISHED BULLETS

[SAMMY63]

I just started shooting a CZ and after reading the forum, i noticed that there was some discussion about checking the size of the finish bullet in a sizing gauge.

Is this really necessary?

If it is necessary were can I get a case gauge?

thanks.

[KyroWebs]

I'm assuming you mean checking all your reloads in a case guage or chamber checking your rounds after reloading. While not absolutely necessary, I'd be willing to bet that most of us go through this step(especially the guys who finish within the top 10 of their division)....especially with our match ammo before a big match.

With that said, yea it's necessary if you are concerned with how you will do. There is nothing worse than having ammo issues at a match that could have been avoided if you just spend 20 minutes with a case guage the night/week before a match. They are inexpensive and give you a bit of insurance that you won't have any problems in the future.

Brian has several calibers in his store here.

Edited August 4, 2011 by KyroWebs

[bgary]

....especially with our match ammo before a big match.

Yup. It is easy and painless and a good mindless thing to do in front of the TV. Any round that doesn't "plonk" into the gauge and then fall freely back out goes into the practice-ammo bucket.

[DWFAN]

I just use the barrel of the gun the round is going to be shot out of.

[twodownzero]

CZs have short chambers. Definitely check yours! My friend tried firing one of my handloads in his CZ and got it locked up hard. The round he loaded into his gun was well with SAAMI spec, and yet it wouldn't fit in the CZ's chamber.

[DWFAN]

CZs have short chambers. Definitely check yours! My friend tried firing one of my handloads in his CZ and got it locked up hard. The round he loaded into his gun was well with SAAMI spec, and yet it wouldn't fit in the CZ's chamber.

^^ This ^^

I bought a reamer from brownells, did both my CZ's and now they'll run the same loads my 1911's will. (not to mention my Dan Wesson PM-9's had obnoxiously tight chambers too). Well worth the money to be able to run longer ammo and any bullet out of the CZ's.

[CZinSC]

Case gauges are good but sometimes they don't tell the whole picture. When I was loading MG 124JHP for my CZ SP01, I used a case gauge on the finished bullet, no issues. Dropped it in the barrel, and it was an issue. For that specific bullet and OAL, the ogive of the bullet was reaching the rifling, where it was just barely short enough in the Dillon Case gauge to drop cleanly in and out. In that situation, a case gauge was no help. Just something to consider. FWIW, hasn't been an issue with the FMJ due to the different shape/profile of the ogive.

[oak hill]

Or starting shooting a Glock, then you can use up all the seconds

[JeffWard]

My M&P 9mm had a very tight, picky chamber, and I had the chamber-check every round. My new M&P 40 Pro is much more forgiving... After reading all the nightmares about shooting 40 Cal "glocked" and bulged brass... Maybe I've gotten lucky, but I've only had 1 in 400 40 Cal rounds not chamber-check, where I'd have 2-3/100 with the 9mm NOT drop free.

Just take all your finished rounds and drop them freely into the chamber, check for length with your thumb, visually inspect the primer at the same time, and dump it out. If it dumps out freely, you're GTG.

Jeff

[UW Mitch]

And just to be VERY VERY clear - make sure you're going your chamber check with the barrel OUT of the gun!

My gunsmith told me "you don't have to check all of your ammo, just the ammo that you expect to work in the gun"

~Mitch