Loading 223 and WTH did I do now?!??!

[teddy12b]

so I've resized a piece of brass and have been dropping it in the chamber and compared to a XM193 round it stops about a 1/4" more and isn't going in all the way. Only ran this through the sizing die and stopped there.

 

[BGDave]

I'm guessing you have got ahold of some 5.56 that was fired through a MG. They have generous sized chambers.

I see a small base die in your future.

Now, having said that. I have found myself in this very predicament. You can take the new small base die and carefully drill out the neck part to a minimum size that will just allow the neck of the case, with seated bullet, to pass untouched. Then resize all loaded cases. The die will now be useless for normal sizing use.

Or, and this is the easiest, set this batch aside for the rifle that will function with them.

 

[JHB]

I'm guessing you have got ahold of some 5.56 that was fired through a MG. They have generous sized chambers.

I see a small base die in your future.

Now, having said that. I have found myself in this very predicament. You can take the new small base die and carefully drill out the neck part to a minimum size that will just allow the neck of the case, with seated bullet, to pass untouched. Then resize all loaded cases. The die will now be useless for normal sizing use.

Or, and this is the easiest, set this batch aside for the rifle that will function with them.

There is you answer.

 

[Hookeye]

Maybe OAL, since he's crimped they might not slide back in chambering.

Coworker had this problem, he didn't run his brass all the way into sizing die. Progressive. Had to pull lots.

 

[2in1evtime]

I have had some issues with heavier brass not sizing correctly, another reason i went to small base in 223,308,and 30 06

 

[2in1evtime]

also would suggest you mic the diameter of your cases from base to shoulder and see if you don't have a bulge at the base!

 

[bigedp51]

If you are using range pickup brass fired in another chamber then brass spring back after sizing might be your problem. Meaning cartridge headspace or case body diameter can cause the chambering problem.

Also if the die is not adjusted down far enough the shoulder location can end up further forward and the case longer than the chamber headspace.

Case gauges vary in diameter and most only check the amount of shoulder bump and are close to max SAAMI chamber diameter. Below you can see the red JP Enterprise gauge is smaller in diameter and closer to SAAMI minimum diameter. I buy bulk once fired Lake City brass and size the cases the first time with a small base die. I then drop the sized case into the JP Enterprise gauge to check the case diameter. And if it drops all the way into the gauge I then know the case will chamber in any rifle.

And all the case below were double checked in each gauge and fit the same. Meaning the case on the right does "NOT" have a ding in the case rim holding it up further.

Below another example using a fired case and a Dillon and JP Enterprise gauges. Below the "FIRED" case is dropped into the larger diameter Dillon case gauge.

Below the same "FIRED" case in the JP Enterprise gauge and showing its smaller diameter. And again if the resized case drops all the way into this gauge the case will chamber in any rifle as far as the diameter is concerned.

Below I'm using a Hornady cartridge case headspace gauge to measure the "FIRED" case headspace length and then set my resizing die for .003 shoulder bump. So I'm using the JP Enterprise gauges to make sure the die is reducing the case diameter enough and using the Hornady gauge to set a more accurate shoulder bump. And again I'm using once fired Lake City brass and I'm making sure the case will chamber in any rifle I reload for. In a semi-auto rifle the case diameter after sizing should be .003 to .005 smaller than its fired diameter. this allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

Below three different type Forster full length dies, so remember chambers and dies vary in size and brass will spring back after sizing different amounts. Most of the time if the case is fired in "YOUR" rifle a standard die should size the case enough if adjusted properly. But nothing is written in stone.............

 

[teddy12b]

Would this die fix my problems? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018128118?pid=205445

 

[JHB]

That should do it.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I'm guessing you have got ahold of some 5.56 that was fired through a MG. They have generous sized chambers.

I see a small base die in your future.

Now, having said that. I have found myself in this very predicament. You can take the new small base die and carefully drill out the neck part to a minimum size that will just allow the neck of the case, with seated bullet, to pass untouched. Then resize all loaded cases. The die will now be useless for normal sizing use.

Or, and this is the easiest, set this batch aside for the rifle that will function with them.

What!!!!! Why would one do that??????? Never mind....

Pull the bullets OP... Or shoot them in a firearm they will chamber in...

 

[teddy12b]

any drilling. afe to say I could remove the decanting part and resize all the loaded rounds "in theory". I know there isn't a safety manual thatd say to do it, but just wanted to see if that'd work without any drilling.

 

[JHB]

The die also sizes the neck down smaller so when you pull the expander button through the neck it brings the inside of the neck to size with a bit of tension to hold the bullet. Without drilling the die out the case with a bullet seated will lock up inside the die. Look at bigedp51 diagram it shows the neck being sized in the die along with the body.

 

[teddy12b]

Gotcha, thanks for all the helps everyone and I'll update once the new die arrives. I always thought the full length sizing die was supposed to dummy proof each round, but apparently I still have more to learn.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Would this die fix my problems? https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018128118?pid=205445

Yes, and don't run loaded ammo into a sizer die.....

 

[Clay Pigeon]

BigED,
Did you know that Dillon rifle case gauges are for length only, they dont check for being to "Fat"

 

[VERT]

OP I am curious. What brand of dies are you using? You mentioned a Lee Crimp Die.

400 rounds. Just keep them and shoot them in the Colt. No harm, No foul.

 

[teddy12b]

OP I am curious. What brand of dies are you using? You mentioned a Lee Crimp Die.

400 rounds. Just keep them and shoot them in the Colt. No harm, No foul.

The dies are redding 80111 series "A".

Yeah I think I'll just run those rounds in the Colt. I'm just not going to be making any more of those until I get the new die and have everything dialed in. Oddly enough, had I used the Colt as the chamber gauge from the beginning I might not have noticed the problem. At this point in addition to the new die, I also have the wilson case length and headspace gauges for about all the calibers I typically reload for.

 

[Hohn]

What VERT said^^. Which dies are you using in your Dillon? The Lee seater doesn't crimp (at least in the four-die set), they suggest the Factory Crimp die as a separate step. I think maybe the seater in a 3-die setup might have crimp built in?

I'd suggest you try just a sized case in your chamber to see if it's the case or the bullet seating. Sounds to me like the case is the issue, as a bullet jammed in rifling usually won't require mortaring unless you have a massive crimp or such.

Case guages to me aren't that helpful because they only tell you about your ammo relative to some standard. Unless you know where your chamber is relative to that standard, you can't really be sure about your ammo in YOUR chamber.

The chamber of a given rifle is the only guage that really matters. If you are trying to load for multiple guns and such, then by all means use a case guage.

 

[Hohn]

GREAT POST, BigedP51. I personally have yet to find a need for a small base die, but that's because my 5.56 NATO chamber is generous enough that standard sizing leaves plenty of space.

 

[BGDave]

What!!!!! Why would one do that??????? Never mind....

Pull the bullets OP... Or shoot them in a firearm they will chamber in...

I'm alway a little reluctant to offer advice out of the ordinary. In my case I had several hundred surplus M2 ball intended for a Garand- which I'm fond of. Garands no like lumpy ammo.

Said ammo had seen some rough handling and de-linking. I have since loaned this modified die out twice with good results.

It's not a perfect solution, but it is good enough for blasting ammo.