95 replies to this topic

[Nimitz]

Ok , still very new to shooting in general - 6 months, and USPSA - 5 months although this is no excuse . Just one more thing I had to learn the hard way. A coworker of mine reloads for me and several others but I don't want to start a discussion about that .. at today's match on 2 different stages my G34 jammed with a rd chambered which I could not clear . I could not get the gun slide to budge . Needless to say those stages did not go well. After unjamming the gun for the second time someone asked me if I had a case gauge ... "uh, no ...". They let me borrow theirs and both rds did not fit. At that point they suggested I check every rd left I planned to use in the final 2 stages which I did and I found one more rd which may have been suspect. What's the lesson here? Every Rd needs to go through a case gauge the night before when preloading my mags -painful but valuable lesson, and the case gauge is already on order ...

[redwoods]

Most shooters only case guage for major matches. If you use the proper reloading equipment you should be able to get by without any bulging of the cases.
Find out what if you buddy does anything to account for glock bulged cases. If not, he should look into it.

Randy

[The_Vigilante]

Time to start thinking about reloading your own!! If one of his reloads blows up your gun and causes injury to you or any bystanders both you and your buddy are going to be in a lot of hot water but I'm sure you know that.

[Neomet]

I case gauge every single round that go through my guns. I have caught more than one split case or other issue and it really lets me look at primer depth. I use a 20 round case gauge from DAA and it doesn't take much time at all.

[a matt]

I learned the hard way. Now major or local match if its going into my mags it's first going into my gauge. I find 1 out of 5 to 7 hundred rounds will have an issue.

[nj mike]

why not just use your barrel till you get a case gauge.field stip the gun and drop the rounds in the barrel

[nj mike]

that field strip

[bobmysterious]

I drop check.

Every. Single. Round.

Can't remember that last time my ammo acted up on me in a match.

[Roland]

When I was starting to reload I bought an EGW 4 caliber chamber checker from Dawson Precision. For about $20 you can't go wrong especially if you reload or shoot reloads of different calibers.

[Sarge]

Using the barrel works but is a pain to use on a regular basis. What I like to do is use the barrel to work up my max oal and sort of proof the gauge. Once I know that anything that will pass the gauge will pass the barrel I'm happy.

I gauge every round I reload. I do it right out off the press before it goes into the storage bin. I don't have ammo problems. I like this since if I have a problem at the range or in a match I can rule one possibility out immediately.

It amazes me how many guys will have problems at a match and if you ask them if they gauged the ammo they say"no".

[45 Raven]

I guess I go to a lot more trouble than almost anyone when loading ammo for matches.
1. Size and deprime in a single stage press using an EGW modified die that sizes bottom of case more fully than standard die
2. Clean the sized and deprimed cases in a sonic cleaner, then rinse, first with tap water, then distilled water. Air dry. These become the feedstock for all ammo reloading
3. Reload on Dillon 550, following all normal procedures
4. Individually wipe down each loaded round with rag dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol, checking for correctly seated primers and cracks, dents, or other flaws in the case and bullet
5. Case gauge check every single loaded round
6. Place loaded ammunition in labeled box

Time consuming, but my Dillon 550 press is always clean because of all the stuff I do before reloading on it, all my ammo gets checked very closely, I enjoy reloading, and I have plenty of available time because I am retired after 42 years of employment!

Different strokes for different folks, I guess!

[SV-COP]

That sucks for you Amigo and I'm sorry to hear it! At first I case gauged every single round. That got old pretty fast and I started to check only my match ammo. It has worked (for 40 S&W) flawlessly for nearly 2 years.

A lee U-die is your friend

For Supercomp Match ammo, I only use Atlanta Arms and Ammo. It has always been flawless and make PF without a problem...

[frag316]

I had the same thing happen at the Illinois Sectional last year. I check before every major match now.

[theycallmeingot]

sounds like your buddy needs to use a lee factory crimp die on his glocked 9mm brass. i had exactly one round do this to me before i dropped the doh on one. never had another problem. money well spent.

with the factory crimp die, i don't gage any of my ammo anymore. there really is no way or reason any of them wouldn't fit.

EDIT: speeling

Edited by theycallmeingot, 12 May 2012 - 08:30 PM.

[Poppa Bear]

I do not gauge mine, but that is because my sizing die is my gauge. If the case makes it past the sizing die without being damaged, then I know from experience that is will fit my gauge and therefor fit in the chamber.

This next week I plan to pick up a custom 2011. I will be chamber checking and gauging that one for a while until I either discover that all rounds that make it past the sizing die are good to go, or discover that the gauge is to loose and I need to find a tighter one that matches my chamber. A friend discovered that with his gauges. One was tighter than the other and rounds that passed the one gauge but not the other sometimes did not chamber, but everything that passed the tighter of the two always chambered.

[Sarge]

I do not gauge mine, but that is because my sizing die is my gauge. If the case makes it past the sizing die without being damaged, then I know from experience that is will fit my gauge and therefor fit in the chamber.

The only flaw I see with this is that a case gauge will also catch a split case.

[Poppa Bear]

I do not gauge mine, but that is because my sizing die is my gauge. If the case makes it past the sizing die without being damaged, then I know from experience that is will fit my gauge and therefor fit in the chamber.

The only flaw I see with this is that a case gauge will also catch a split case.

True, but but because I use a LCT as a press I also handle all cases going in and all finished product on the way into the 100 count ammo boxes I use.

[theycallmeingot]

i wonder if a split case that as been crimped in the lee factory crimp die would still pass the case gage? could be bad.

i inspect each and every case before it goes into the loader, and each and every round before it goes into the 100rd box. i feel the potential to miss a split case is very low, and the possibility of a bulged case is nonexistent.

[Nimitz]

thx all & yes I have started to get ready to reload myself. He is AD military & will PCS eventtually leaving me with nothing so i need to get prepared ... this just sped up that process.


Ok, so what is "glock bulged cases'?

[theycallmeingot]

There is a sticky on the subject in general reloading on here. sorry, im not sure how to copy a link on my phone.

EDIT: back at the computer now. here's the link.

http://www.brianenos...howtopic=133957

Edited by theycallmeingot, 13 May 2012 - 07:20 PM.

[cellguy030]

thx all & yes I have started to get ready to reload myself. He is AD military & will PCS eventtually leaving me with nothing so i need to get prepared ... this just sped up that process.


Ok, so what is "glock bulged cases'?

glocks are known for loose chambers which allow the brass to bulge when the round is fired. I have been reloading for about a year and between my lee pro 1000 and now my dillon 550 i have not had any issues with this brass but some do.

[feederic]

I had some ammo that came out of a CAMDEX that locked my gun up pretty tight. Now I chamber check EVERY round.

[Seeker]

i wonder if a split case that as been crimped in the lee factory crimp die would still pass the case gage? could be bad.

i inspect each and every case before it goes into the loader, and each and every round before it goes into the 100rd box. i feel the potential to miss a split case is very low, and the possibility of a bulged case is nonexistent.

In my personal experience, a .45 with a split case that was processed with a Lee FCD will fail the case gauge.

[theycallmeingot]

i wonder if a split case that as been crimped in the lee factory crimp die would still pass the case gage? could be bad.

i inspect each and every case before it goes into the loader, and each and every round before it goes into the 100rd box. i feel the potential to miss a split case is very low, and the possibility of a bulged case is nonexistent.

In my personal experience, a .45 with a split case that was processed with a Lee FCD will fail the case gauge.

cool, thanks. that's +1 for case gauging.

[caspian guy]

I case gauge every round that goes into my gun for any match.