Cartridge gage for tight chamber?

[GregJ]

Working up loads on my new 1050, I am checking rounds with the Barstow barrel from my 9mm 1911, as well as a Wilson cartridge gage, and a Shockbottle.  Problem is rounds that fail the chamber check or Wilson gage check, drop right in the Shockbottle.  I dont think they make different version for 9mm.  So which cartridge gage measures on the tighter side?  EGW says they use actual chamber reamers and minimum SAAMI specs, as does DAA. But I really like my 45ACP Shockbottle, and how easy it is to check rounds. But so far the 9mm SB does not appear to be what i need.

[dons]

I also have a Barsto 9mm 1911 barrel (in a Kimber).  It is tighter than my other 9mm barrels, mostly in the chamber leade.  Rounds that easily fit in a CZ75, Glock 17, and Browning HP, and my EGW case gauge will not fully seat in the Barsto.  I find the hangup is usually the bullet diameter right in front of the case mouth.  I used a marker to determine where the issue is.  I solved it by seating the bullet deeper: Luckily for me the Kimber will feed ammo shorter than the norm, some shorter than 1.000". YMMV.

[GregJ]

That is exactly what mine is doing, bullet rubs just before case mouth. As you stated found it by marking the bullet. Crimp is not heavy. Will try seating a little shorter, seating now at 1.125. Thanks!!

Edited January 8, 2017 by GregJ

[Yeti]

Another option is to have the barrel leade extended modestly on that barrel.  This will facilitate more uniform reload use & feeding, if you own multiple pistols in 9mm.  It may help with 147gr bullet choices too.

 

 

[rooster]

Same thing with me, cases would pass gauge, but not fit in Barsto 9 mm barrel.  Drove me nuts until I determined it was Bullet profile.  MG's, PD's, blue bullets, sns bullets would not fit the Barsto.  About the only thing that would was MG fmj.  I contacted Barsto and they told me that their chambers were cut to minimum sammi specs and that any good commercial Bullet would fit.  So I went and got some of my factory ammo and sure enough ever one of them all jhp's fit.  I also had a EGW case gauge same thing some jhp's would fit others no.  It was because they were loaded too long so it was either load shorter, or throat Barsto longer, which I did.  Took only a couple of turns and know everything fits.  And they say accuracy is not affected.  I don't use the EGW gauge anymore, but the Hondo works fine.

[Sarge]

Yeah, it's not a gauge issue. Hundos are great and plenty tight.

[MemphisMechanic]

Particularly for action pistol uses...

I'd have the chamber throated a few ten-thousandths to ensure reliable feeding. I've never had that cause accuracy degradation, and I like "Glock loose" chambers that swallow any around that gauges successfully.

Edited January 8, 2017 by MemphisMechanic

[haiedras]

you said swallow...heh heh heh....:D

But +1, way easier to ream your stuff so you have more flexibility in your reloading recipes. 

[TANFARM]

I got one of the EGW 6 hole gauges .........it's tight......compared to my Hondo and single gauge.........

[rooster]

EGW, is I think is the most precise.  They use Clymer reamers instead of boring bars, and they also check max oal.  The trick to all this is to know what you can get away with when a round doesn't fit your gauge. With a stock glock barrel you can get away with a lot, but with a match barrel not so much.

[Bkreutz]

9 hours ago, rooster said:

EGW, is I think is the most precise.  They use Clymer reamers instead of boring bars, and they also check max oal.  The trick to all this is to know what you can get away with when a round doesn't fit your gauge. With a stock glock barrel you can get away with a lot, but with a match barrel not so much.

Agreed, I use a Hundo supermatch, if the round sits proud of being flush and I can't get my fingernail into the extractor groove, it will work. If I can hook the round, I pull it out and run it through a gutted Lee Crimp Die that I have mounted in my old Lee press, if it fails the fingernail test a second time it gets broken down and the brass goes into the recycling bucket. I have maybe one failure every 500 rounds or so.

[theWacoKid]

On 1/8/2017 at 9:39 AM, GregJ said:

Working up loads on my new 1050, I am checking rounds with the Barstow barrel from my 9mm 1911, as well as a Wilson cartridge gage, and a Shockbottle.  Problem is rounds that fail the chamber check or Wilson gage check, drop right in the Shockbottle.  I dont think they make different version for 9mm.  So which cartridge gage measures on the tighter side?  EGW says they use actual chamber reamers and minimum SAAMI specs, as does DAA. But I really like my 45ACP Shockbottle, and how easy it is to check rounds. But so far the 9mm SB does not appear to be what i need.

I have a 20 round DAA golden gauge.  It's super tight.  I'll sell it for a very fair price.

[dauntedfuture]

could it be that its an OAL length issue vs a case dimension issue.  If your lead or throat in your pistol is very short, then yes, your going to have an issue.  If its a short throat gun then a tighter chamber gauge might not help. 

[GregJ]

9 hours ago, dauntedfuture said:

could it be that its an OAL length issue vs a case dimension issue.  If your lead or throat in your pistol is very short, then yes, your going to have an issue.  If its a short throat gun then a tighter chamber gauge might not help. 

It was indeed an OAL issue. After seating the 124 Zeros to 1.100 they dropped right into the Wilson and EGW gages, as well as my chamber.