Dillon case gage question

[fsbk366]

With the Dillon case gage, how do you know if a round is to long? Is it the overall length of the entire gage, or is it when the bullet starts to raise in the gage? I have a couple hundred rounds made up that raise in the case gage so that they are perfectly flush with the top. Should I be expecting problems?

I do have a set of calipers, but doubt it's accuracy.

[Unregistered]

I don't think a gauge can determine length problems. That is just dependent on your particular chamber/barrel. That, and a good pair of calipers, would be the only way to check OAL.

[dillon]

What caliber?

[fsbk366]

9mm

[Babaganoosh]

I believe the case gauge is 1.169 in length. So if the bullet sticks out the front you are def loading out of spec. However some guns like STI's like a longer round.

If the rounds sticks out the back it is too wide for sure. Possibly too long but that part I've never had happen so I can't answer that.

[Sarge]

Remove the barrel from your gun to determine OAL. Well, that and check that they fit in your mags. Once I use these two things to determine just how long I can load a round then I use the case gauge to make sure they will chamber. First make sure you know that anything that passes the gauge will pass the barrel test. Using the gauge is easier than pulling barrels so I use it to check every round I load.

[Unregistered]

One reason I say to not use the gauge (or rely on it) for OAL is that with other gauges, for example DAA's golden gauge with 20 pockets, it is deliberate manufactured shorter so that that stuck rounds can be easily extracted. Since the gauge would give only a rough estimate for OAL (fit vs not) rather than a detailed measurement, use chamber or calipers.

I use calipers for 5/6 per 100 I do, and gauge check every one.

[Tactica]

With the Dillon case gage, how do you know if a round is to long?

The gauge is better used for ensuring the round will chamber reliably in my opinion. It is good for ensuring there no obstructions on the round or that it's diameter is not too large for a SAAMI standard breach. However, a better gauge for this concern would be to remove your barrel and drop in breach.

Is it the overall length of the entire gage, or is it when the bullet starts to raise in the gage?

The Dillon case gauge is machined to the minimum chamber and maximum case length SAAMI specs. If your reload fits into the case gauge correctly, your reload should meet case dimension specs. That said, if you are taking the time to reload, SAAMI specs may not be what you want for your gun if you are looking for an optimized load for your firearm.

I have a couple hundred rounds made up that raise in the case gage so that they are perfectly flush with the top. Should I be expecting problems?

As others have said, pull your barrel. Drop in the round for a breach check. There is some amount of 'free space' before the bullet reaches the rifling of the barrel. All good reloading manuals that I've read discuss this topic. Optimizing your round by eliminating most (not all) of this free space can improve the accuracy of your rounds down range. This is one of many ways to improve reloaded round performance over purchased rounds when used in your firearm.

NOTE: just because the round fits well in the breach and you've eliminated most of the free space, it doesn't mean the custom round will feed well. Each aspect of operation should be looked at independently for function testing.

I do have a set of calipers, but doubt it's accuracy.

Then throw them away and purchase new. There's no sense in measuring with an inaccurate tool. Quality calipers and beam scale for example are worth the investment if you are reloading. Don't cut corners on the tools. When used correctly, accurate measurements from quality tools can avoid undesirable results at the range.

Cheers,

Rob

[fsbk366]

The bullets fall easily into and out of the case gage. When I hold the case gage in the air and drop in a round, the bottom of the shell is recessed slightly from the top. When I put the gage on a flat surface, the tip of the bullet just barely touches the table and pushes the entire round up so that the bottom of the shell is flush with the top of the case gage. Simply put, the round is exactly the length of the cage gage when measured from the outside.

The calipers I have are analog. They aren't zeroed properly and it is difficult to make out the thousandths place accurately. So I am guessing my rounds are somewhere between 1.165 and 1.170. Maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know. I am still very new to reloading.

I've got my first action pistol match tomorrow and am hoping to avoid excessive failures.

[Tactica]

The bullets fall easily into and out of the case gage. When I hold the case gage in the air and drop in a round, the bottom of the shell is recessed slightly from the top. When I put the gage on a flat surface, the tip of the bullet just barely touches the table and pushes the entire round up so that the bottom of the shell is flush with the top of the case gage. Simply put, the round is exactly the length of the cage gage when measured from the outside.

The calipers I have are analog. They aren't zeroed properly and it is difficult to make out the thousandths place accurately. So I am guessing my rounds are somewhere between 1.165 and 1.170. Maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know. I am still very new to reloading.

I've got my first action pistol match tomorrow and am hoping to avoid excessive failures.

My suggestion:

1) make three rounds with no primer and no powder (case and bullet only)

2) confirm firearm and mag empty

3) load up dummy rounds in confirmed empty mag

4) insert mag with dummy rounds and cycle slide, when letting go, make sure it goes into battery

5) look at all 3 ejected rounds for any type of damage on the bullet like its running into the rifling

Assuming all went well, you should be OK... for your OAL dimensions.

If you want to do belt and suspenders... go to range real quick and run 20 rounds or so through the firearm carefully. Function check and make sure all is working properly. Inspect spent cases and primers. Make sure the gun is zero'd... etc.

Good luck on the match,

Rob

[sroe3]

My 9mm Dillon case gauge culls about 10% due to failure to drop in cleanly. Nearly all the culls will fail to drop in the XD but will chamber fine in my FNP. Double check your culled rounds with your barrel(s) so you're not taking them apart for no reason. To echo everyone above...don't gauge for length, use calipers. Depending on bullet shape I load 1.110 to 1.125 because XD's tend to need them short.

[fsbk366]

I ended up buying a nice set of calipers on the way home from work on Friday. Those bullets were mostly between 1.171 and 1.172. I ran them all through the bullet seating die and they came out at about 1.155. I took 150 of them to an action pistol match Saturday and did not have a single failure.

Now I am confused. What is this case gauge actually testing if it isn't overall length? Is it looking for rounds out of shape? If so, wouldn't the case sizing die fix that at the beginning?

[Bob DuBois]

Case gauge checks the case close to the extractor groove and the rim. Sometimes the rim will spread on multi fired brass from the slide hitting it and the rim won't chamber in the gauge.

Some sizing dies may not size close enough to the extractor groove and the round will not chamber in the gauge or click when you push it in the gauge. Check the adjustment on the sizer or replace the die.

Use rounds that won't chamber for practice and use the rounds that fall all the way into and out of the gauge for competition.

Do some testing on OAL to find which length your pistol prefers, I like 1.150 for my Trojan in 9mm but each pistol will perform better with some testing and bullet design comes into play also. OAL may vary with bullet design. A heavy bullet with a wide nose might seat deeper than a narrow 115 gn design.

When doing a new set up always check the first ten or so rounds in your magazine as well as measuring with a caliper to be sure they will run in your pistol and OAL is consistant.

[Flatland Shooter]

What is this case gauge actually testing if it isn't overall length? Is it looking for rounds out of shape? If so, wouldn't the case sizing die fix that at the beginning?

The case guage will verify the round will fit into the chamber. In the old days we would pull the barrel and drop check each round. In an unsupported barrel, there was still a small area of the round not checked. Rarely caused failure, but on a bad day it could.

Most brass will be properly prepared by the sizing die, but what about damages that occur to the round later in the reloading process?

If you ever have a ding on the mouth of a piece of brass that made it all the way through your progressive press, you might see where the case has sort of folded under. The fold over often occurs after the brass is resized and during the seating stage. Visual examination of the round can quickly cull it out.

But due to the high number of rounds were are trying to reload, someone much smarter than me came up with the case gauge. The case guage checks the full diameter of the finished round and will reject any rounds that are out of round, have defects on the rim, or rounds that the case mouth are damaged.

But even then, if your taper crimp die is set to where it resizes some damaged rounds, those rounds may make it past the chamber gauge. For major matches, I hand check every finished round with the chamber gauge, then visually check each round for fold overs or cracks in the brass. At the start of a reloading run I use a calipher to check the OAL and also do a random OAL check through out the run.

Like someone said earlier, all rounds that pass the chamber gauge will run in their gun, but for the Major Matches, I like to take quality control to the next level. That next level also includes chrono testing.

Bill

[fsbk366]

Well, I wish I had paid more attention to you guys. Ran my second ever Action Pistol match at a local range last weekend. Got half way through my 3rd and final stage of the day when my gun jammed. Could not drop the mag, pull the slide back, or pull the trigger. Had to be smacked loose, then had to have a metal rod rammed up the barrel to pop out the stuck round. For what ever reason, that piece of brass was thicker at the base.

No damage to people or guns, so not horrible. Just embarrassing. I went home and checked every single other round I've made so far, and all fell effortlessly into the case guage. I brought home the offending round and confirmed that it did not fit into the gauge. So had I done what I was supposed to do, I would have known long before pulling the trigger. Lesson learned, I will check every round in the future.

[Sarge]

Lesson learned, I will check every round in the future.

Good plan!

[Braxton1]

If you really want to do it right (but expensive), save up and get one of the 50-holers from EGW (www.egw-guns.com). That thing is the cat's meow, in that you can check 50 rounds at a time instead of just one. They're a little pricey, but owning them has actually caused me to start checking every round that I do in 40 S&W and 38 Super. I am trying to find one in 45 ACP and 9mm, but they're back-ordered.

I despise the physical act of dropping one round in, feeling over the primer, and then dropping that one round out. Repetitious stuff like that drives me insane.

[Rob Boudrie]

It would be nice of Dillon would make a 40S&W LONG case gauge, with the overall length being the max typically used by SxI or Para widebodies (1.20) rather than the SAAMI length. The current Dillon 40 gauges are great for checking sizing but, for those shooting the most common limited division 40 platforms, are not that useful for confirming overall length.

[bbbean]

It would be nice of Dillon would make a 40S&W LONG case gauge, with the overall length being the max typically used by SxI or Para widebodies (1.20) rather than the SAAMI length. The current Dillon 40 gauges are great for checking sizing but, for those shooting the most common limited division 40 platforms, are not that useful for confirming overall length.

+1!

[Csiedmond1]

It would be nice of Dillon would make a 40S&W LONG case gauge, with the overall length being the max typically used by SxI or Para widebodies (1.20) rather than the SAAMI length. The current Dillon 40 gauges are great for checking sizing but, for those shooting the most common limited division 40 platforms, are not that useful for confirming overall length.

That would be a liability to the company!