Case length gauges

[Leo]

As you know from my posts, I dont use any chamber gauges. Consider this about your statement though: what if you get a new gun? Say you load up a couple thousand 45acp to fit the tighest chamber you have. One day, a new 1911 follows you home from the LGS and it's chamber happens to be tighter than any of your prior owned weapons. Now what?

I know you load a lot of rifle, and this for the most part doesn't pertain to you, just speaking theoretically here.

If a firearm or a replacement barrel follows me home and the chamber is tighter than SAMMI spec, I will rent or buy a proper sized finish reamer and open the chamber to proper specifications. I out grew having to hand select ammo that would fit each chamber a long time ago.

 

[Broom_jm]

As you know from my posts, I dont use any chamber gauges. Consider this about your statement though: what if you get a new gun? Say you load up a couple thousand 45acp to fit the tighest chamber you have. One day, a new 1911 follows you home from the LGS and it's chamber happens to be tighter than any of your prior owned weapons. Now what?

I know you load a lot of rifle, and this for the most part doesn't pertain to you, just speaking theoretically here.

In the interest of full disclosure, I resize semi-auto pistol ammo so that it runs clean. The 9mm rounds I reload work well in all 3 of the handguns my family and I shoot, as well as my son's carbine. I suppose it's possible I could find another 9mm where the chamber is too tight to work with the ammo I load, but that would be an anomaly.

 

[bstewrat3]

I do not own any case length gauges, because unless they were made with the same reamer my chambers were they are really telling me nothing.

 

[Bang-bang]

In 20 years of reloading I've never used a case gauge, always just used the chamber of whatever I was loading for.

I feel the case gauge is just faster/easier to use compared to the using chamber.

 

[Broom_jm]

I feel the case gauge is just faster/easier to use compared to the using chamber.

Just out of curiosity, how much reloading do you do for rifle cartridges, outside of 223/5.56?

 

[Bang-bang]

Just out of curiosity, how much reloading do you do for rifle cartridges, outside of 223/5.56?

I'm still a rookie I havent done ANY outside of 223/5.56.

 

[ckcollins2003]

I have recently seen several folks recommending case length gauges to new reloaders. It started me wondering just how many folks use a case length gauge to check their loaded rounds.

I started reloading 25 years ago and have never bought a single case length gauge. I have always used the gauge that matters most to me; the chamber of the rifle or pistol from which I'm shooting my reloaded rounds.

Thoughts?

Same as you, sir. Never seen the need for a case length gauge when every chamber is different.

 

[Broom_jm]

I'm still a rookie I havent done ANY outside of 223/5.56.

This qualifies your earlier comment. You'll find that if you start working with bottle-necked cartridges that are loaded in something other than a semi-automatic rifle, the opportunity to use the chamber of your firearm as a gauge is just as fast and easy. It's even more accurate, since you're fitting brass to the very chamber it will be fired from, instead of squeezing it down enough that it will fit an ANY gun, so-chambered.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I feel the case gauge is just faster/easier to use compared to the using chamber.

So its to much trouble to make sure it fits in multiple chambers where one might be on the tight side? Don't know about you ,but it only takes me a minute to pull multiple barrels.

I'm still a rookie I havent done ANY outside of 223/5.56.

Uhuh, well get back to me in a few years when you're loading multiple calibers, or loading for a .223 bolt gun and an AR

 

[kludge]

Do Lee case trimmers count as gauges?

If not then I answered truthfully. The only things I use to gauge my cartridges are calipers and the chambers of my guns.

 

[Broom_jm]

Do Lee case trimmers count as gauges?

If not then I answered truthfully. The only things I use to gauge my cartridges are calipers and the chambers of my guns.

Despite the monicker (Lee case length gage and shellholder) I'm not sure it's accurate to call their trimmer a "gauge". Although, if you were to use their simple system to check case length on every piece of brass, only trimming those that need it, I guess that really is a type of gauge, right? If that's true, then I have a case length gauge for at least half a dozen different cartridges.

 

[jonny4523]

For me, this is a no brainer. I case gauge every single round I produce. I've learned the hard way the reciprocation of not doing this in the middle of matches. Whether it's a previous glock round that wouldn't size correctly, a split case, or a .380 that snuck through. I usually catch 1-3 bad rounds / 1000 that I load. I have never had an issue during a match since I've started this practice. I do gauge both pistol and rifle, every single round, every time, no questions.

 

[Broom_jm]

Do you have any guns with which you do not compete, like an old lever-action, where you aren't concerned with how quickly and reliably they cycle?

What some guys with hunting rifles do is to simply cycle every round they load (or buy) through their gun before going out in the woods. Once again, they use the chamber of their rifle to tell them if there is a problem.

I could see how checking every round could make sense in a match situation, where timed performance counts. Even with careful reloading practices, it's certainly possible that one or two out of thousands of rounds will not chamber properly.

 

[Gluemanz28]

I use the case gauge when I am setting up my press, and to randomly check cases (every 100 cases).

Case gages are manufactured to SAAMI spec's so they offer great benefits for the reloader. If you load to a specific chamber of gun then you might be restricted to only using that round in that gun. I don't like to have restrictions on what rounds can only go through certain guns. (Competition ammo I would load specific to the gun)
We have to be ready for when the Zombies come don't we?


My neighbor and I reload together and we try to stay within the specs of all the guns in that caliber so that we can share mags and ammo if needed.


If you have loaded ammo for 100 years and haven't felt the need for a case gauge then that is ok by me but for me and my circle of friends we use them in case we need to band together.

 

[Broom_jm]

I use the case gauge when I am setting up my press, and to randomly check cases (every 100 cases).

Case gages are manufactured to SAAMI spec's so they offer great benefits for the reloader. If you load to a specific chamber of gun then you might be restricted to only using that round in that gun. I don't like to have restrictions on what rounds can only go through certain guns. (Competition ammo I would load specific to the gun)
We have to be ready for when the Zombies come don't we?


My neighbor and I reload together and we try to stay within the specs of all the guns in that caliber so that we can share mags and ammo if needed.


If you have loaded ammo for 100 years and haven't felt the need for a case gauge then that is ok by me but for me and my circle of friends we use them in case we need to band together.

If you full-length resize brass for semi-auto pistol or rifle cases, then use a book load with exact components, with bullets seated to the recommended OAL, odds are about 99.5% that ammo will run in any gun so-chambered.

There would be virtually no need for a case length gauge, when loading as above. For the record, that is exactly how I load 9mm ammo, so it runs in all four of the 9mm guns my family and I own. My 6.5JDJ ammo gets loaded to fit the chamber...and a case length gauge would be expensive and pointless, since it's one of three rounds I load for that don't have SAAMI specs.

 

[Kart29]

What are you calling a case gage? Is it a GO-NOGO gage for overall case dimensions or does it inspect only certain features. Is it just a functional gage or does it give a direct measurement of certain features?

I use a little ring gage to check headspace of the cartridge before and after sizing just to see how much I am sizing the case in an effort to get my die adjusted properly. Does that count as using a case gage?

 

[Broom_jm]

I guess I was referring to the Wilson Case Length Gauge.

Hey look, a dead heat...22-22-22.

 

[red_zr24x4]

If you full-length resize brass for semi-auto pistol or rifle cases, then use a book load with exact components, with bullets seated to the recommended OAL, odds are about 99.5% that ammo will run in any gun so-chambered.

There would be virtually no need for a case length gauge, when loading as above. For the record, that is exactly how I load 9mm ammo, so it runs in all four of the 9mm guns my family and I own. My 6.5JDJ ammo gets loaded to fit the chamber...and a case length gauge would be expensive and pointless, since it's one of three rounds I load for that don't have SAAMI specs.

This is what I do, load to book specs. If I'm using the same bullet weight but different brand I will try it in multiple chambers to check for function and load away. The only time I don't load to book length is for my bolt gun and that ammo is only for my bolt gun. I FL size everything else.

 

[gm652]

I check everyone just for the fun of it.

 

[XtremeVel]

If you full-length resize brass for semi-auto pistol or rifle cases, then use a book load with exact components, with bullets seated to the recommended OAL, odds are about 99.5% that ammo will run in any gun so-chambered.

There would be virtually no need for a case length gauge, when loading as above. For the record, that is exactly how I load 9mm ammo, so it runs in all four of the 9mm guns my family and I own. My 6.5JDJ ammo gets loaded to fit the chamber...and a case length gauge would be expensive and pointless, since it's one of three rounds I load for that don't have SAAMI specs.

Would I be correct in assuming you primarily shoot at a private range and also mostly only pick up brass that went through one of your chambers ? Much chance you could get some brass mixed into yours from a gun with a chamber with questionable support ?

Curious as to how much you would guess that percentage would change for the reloader who commonly frequents a public range and picks up brass from many other shooters... I ask this because I often times shoot at a public range and many times come home with several hundred casings where the shooter didn't want them. It only took a couple times getting bulged brass mixed into my can that I easily justified spending the $15.00 for the gauge. My wife and son both know if offered brass, it only goes into the can if it drops about 80% of the way into the gauge...

I fully understand I could always tote one of my tighter barrels to the range.... I could always tote my calipers to the range also.. But given a choice of a 15.00 tool or a set of $150.00 B & S calipers, I leave the calipers at home.

I think there might be a misconception on those who justify having the gauge... I do not randomly check every so many rounds... I use the gauge at the range like mentioned... I have on a few occasions loaned it out to help troubleshoot not going into battery issues... I very seldom use it at the bench... I only use it at the bench only when I know something just didn't feel right, which would be in the sizing or the crimping step...

Being I've defended my justification for using the gauge and to be fair, I will disclose (1) circumstance I learned first hand where I would have to admit the gauge wouldn't be worth $.05 in scrap metal.... A few years ago I was shooting a favorite 9mm load using Missouri's 125 gr small ball... The ogive was quite a bit more blunt than your typical 124gr NATO RN jacketed... I had a load for the Glocks, a FN, and a few more platforms that I really liked so I spent the winter loading quite a few for the following spring/summer... I added a XD the the mix, and even though the gauge said everything was fine, the ogive would embed into the rifling about .060 before the gun would go into battery...