Take the Poll - Average Case Gauge Failures per 100 rounds

[Fullauto_Shooter]

My first attempt at a Poll, so bear with me please while I figure it out. I've been averaging about 3 Case Gauge Failures per 100 rounds loaded for quite some time. I use mostly range pickup brass and use RCBS dies (Full Length Sizer and Seater/Taper Crimp Die).

Most of my failures appear to be caused by bulged cases that don't get fully resized. Thinking about going to an EGW U-Die to see if this will correct the problem. Also thinking about getting a Lee FCD for the final station and just using the RCBS die to seat the bullet. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Doug

Edited June 4, 2008 by Fullauto_Shooter

[jasmap]

With my U-Die I never have case gauge failures. I have had failures with another brand sizing die though.

[DonT]

I guess I'm fortunate that I have never had a case sizing problem with over 10,000 rds of .40 through my Edge.

I have never gauged a single round. I use only nickel brass (not that it would make any difference). All my brass is "glocked" from the police range.

I started loading with regular Dillon dies and they have always worked fine.

I am very finicky (anal) about my brass though. I know how many times each has been fired/loaded. And only use one headstamp at a time until they are retired (about 10 firings)

[Chris Keen]

Buy the Lee FCD & the EGW "U" die and you'll never have to ask this question again. Both dies are somewhere around $20 each so it's not gonna break your bankroll, as they last forever.

I have loaded well over 40 K rounds with mine.

[boz1911]

U-DIE cured all that chamber check failure crap.......except for major matches I never chamber check anymore

[JThompson]

I don't case gage anymore unless it's for a major. I've had one that didn't go in the pipe in maybe 10,000 rounds.

[Jack Suber]

I Casepro all of our Super, 40, and 9mm brass so I really haven't had any problems with brass not case-guaging. I still case guage, though. Just to be sure and to make sure I have no high primers... High primers also show up when I streak the loaded rounds (already in ammo boxes) with a permanent marker.

[dajarrel]

In .40, the only gauging failures I have had is when using mixed brass. There are a few companies out there, like S&B in my case, who's brass just doesn't work as well as others in my 650. Therefore I get a couple of no-pass occasionally. That being said, for matches, i usually, in my case, use all Winchester brass if for nothing more than uniformity in my reloads. However, when I use them, it is a very rare occurrence that one fails to pass the gauge test.

dj

[Jack Suber]

BTW....I only case-guage for major matches. That seems to be the only time murphy and the brass gremlins show up for me...

[bkeeler]

Using EGW U-die and havent had any failures.

BK

[RangerJoe]

Using EGW U-die and havent had any failures.

BK

+1

[dansy]

30k of 40SW cannot say I didn't have any at all, but then again I never used new brass (in 40SW) I purchase 10k of used brass had many failures on the first time around haven't had one since.....in other word I got rid of the bad pieces on the first reload it was also my very first attempt to reload

I used an FCD and resize my brass after every reload with a U-die in a 650 press...

Edited June 5, 2008 by dansy

[HSMITH]

I use a Case-Pro on my 40, and a U-die. Won't touch an FCD with a 10 foot pole. VERY rare to have a case gauge failure in 40, even with mixed brass. 2 or 3 per thousand is all I see and 9 out of 10 will be operator error. Same in Super. 9Major I have up to 2 per hundred, but don't use the Case-Pro for it yet as I don't have dies and the failures are almost always dings in the brass down around the rim and extractor groove.

[00bullitt]

I used to use the U-die but have returned to the Dillon. The Dillon is a much smoother die and gives me much better feel on my 650. I can feel brass in my sizer and know if it won't case gauage and remove it at that time. I did not like the U die because I could not get it low enough in my 650 toolhead for my liking without modification. It would also hang cases a good bit. I have not had any failures with the Dillon in several thousand rounds. But I do occasionally get the bulged beyond resizing piece I cull before it gets to the primer seat/powder drop station.

All my toolheads have a Dillon sizer. I usually buy the Lee Deluxe die set that comes with their seat die and FCD. I keep the Lee sizing die as a spare and then just buy the sizing die seperately from Dillon.

My suggestion is to replace your RCBS with either the U-Die from EGW or a Dillon. I also recommend the FCD. Your RCBS seater should be just fine.

[03k64]

After getting my U-die, I've had one round out of about 3500 that was iffy. Passed the case guage but was just a bit tight when I chamber checked it. It probably would have cycled fine, but I pulled it anyway.

[LPatterson]

I've got an EGW U die & a Lee FCD and a recent check of 500 rounds had at least 50 that would not drop into and out of a Midway case gauge. 2 were from split cases caused during bullet seating, the remainder were burrs on the case rim from mutiple extraction/ejection cycles.

I don't normally case gauge but this batch were snug going into a Para mag and I discovered the Precision Delta's I just switched to are slightly pointier (made up word) than the Armscor I was using and the seating die works on the ogive and not overall length.

For me the little extra time to gauge match ammo will be time well spent as those 2 split cases could have ruined a local match.

[grandbagger]

using U die from egw no failure to gauge so far but i only check and gauge for major matches.

[Intel6]

In three years of shooting I have never used a case guage. I only load once fired brass and don't pick it up since I have plenty of it. I use an only RCBS die (marked 10mm since there was no .40S&W when it was made) and a FCD to finish the round. I have had no problems in my Edge for 2.5 years and now I am having no problems with ammo in my 6" STI so I don't plan on doing any case guaging any time soon.

Neal in AZ

[Jman]

Maybe 1 out of 100 or so. Thats using both a U die and a FCD. 90% of the sticky ones are Winchester...???

I use EGW's 4 in 1 case gauge. My FCD is set lightly to remove the bell and has a consistent feel doing so. Any more

resistance is my "stop sign" for closer inspection. Many devoted handloaders are convinced the U die is overkill and is harsh

on the brass. Maybe, but I'm not a metallurgist. I think they're the greatest thing since paved sidewalks. The FCD is fine but

it's a 1/2 turn (or less) away from being a problem. Moderation is paramount there IMO.

Jim M

[Brian Gonsalves]

Buy the Lee FCD & the EGW "U" die and you'll never have to ask this question again. Both dies are somewhere around $20 each so it's not gonna break your bankroll, as they last forever.

I have loaded well over 40 K rounds with mine.

+1 Same here!

[racerba]

I voted zero, but that would not be fair. A better statement would be less than 1 per 100. I might get a failure out of a few hundred rounds or so. Before I got the FCD, I would get around 3-5 failure per 100.

[wooddog]

I have to say that almost all of my .38 super brass will fail to go the entire way into a dillon case die check. I use dillon size dies. They are all a bit bulged, so I run all of them through my case pro first and then they all check out good.

[Matt Wheeler]

I get 2-3 per 100. I use the u die and the FCD but the chamber in my BarSto 40 is really tight. Even factory ammo is not exactly ratteling around in there. The 2-3 that fail my chamber are fine in my friends stock STI barrel so it is not a faulire of the dies or brass in my case. Range pick up brass and MTG 165 FMJ's at 1.185. The leade is pretty big in the Barsto but the chamber is near min dimnesions.

Matt

[TheBlackSheep]

Yea, Im going with everyone else a U-die and no problems, I would drive me nuts if i had 5+ per 100 bad. I will say mine is more like 2-3 per K

[pjb45]

I got an EGW in station two and LFC in the last. I have a Nowlin barrel which are known to be a bit tight and a Kart which is even snugger.

I load all the range brass I pick up. No failures to feed in over 30,000 rounds loaded so far.