Help the New Guy -- 550/.223/Sizing Issues

[RDA]

There is already lots of good advice but I'll add one more thing. Check your case gauge to ensure there isn't something stuck inside. I have seen a small piece of tumbling media stuck in a gauge which would cause "no-go" results on perfectly good ammo.

[bigedp51]

GettoPhilosopher

Forget the chamber type case gauge and buy a Hornady Cartridge Case Headspace gauge and calibrate the gauge.

Below a Colt Field Gauge for a AR15 rifle and its 1.4736

Below, the Field gauge is in the Hornady gauge and has been adjusted to read true headspace. The vernier calipers can only read in .0005ths so it indicates .0001 off scale. (big deal)

Fired case from my chamber.

Resized case with .003 shoulder bump.

New unfired Federal M193 ammo

A un-resized case or a case with a ding/dent extractor damaged rim will not "drop into the case gauge. A small fine file and magnifying glass will fix this problem.

Steve RA is almost as smart and good looking as I am, and as he stated in his postings just disassemble the die and toss it into a vibratory tumbler with walnut media and it will clean and polish your dies. (also removes the rust)

To calibrate your Hornady case gauge loosen the set screw between the silver and red bodies and use feeler gauges to create a gap between the red and silver body halves. My gauge was reading .011 short of actual headspace gauge length so that size feeler gauge was used as the spacer between the body halves.

Edited February 1, 2014 by bigedp51