Recent content by Innovative

gifbohane . . . . There are a lot of handloaders experiencing that exact symptom, especially with the 9mm and 40 S&W. Most of the time, it is a case width problem - not a headspace problem. You should always use a drop gauge to make sure ALL of your completed handloads will fit inside by...

I built a RELOADING website that took about 15 years (in my spare time). It has over 150 pages, and it is loaded with pictures and articles on reloading for rifle and pistol. It also shows a few custom guns and some of my invented (and patented) handloading tools and shooting related...

alfsauve . . . . One of my customers recently had the exact same problem that you described, and it also happened with his S&W 686 (6" barrel). My pictures (below) show a much better view of what you experienced. Hornady will test your ammo and tell you the pressure is "within...

otisrush . . . . . Throat erosion depends on several things. I've chambered several rifle barrels and monitored throat erosion. I found that the first 50 rounds can move the throat forward quite a lot. Depending on exactly "where" you measure the bullet contact surface, it can be as much as...

It looks like some of you guys should look into annealing . . . . . That and consider "measuring" the clearance your handloads have in your particular chamber - at the shoulder.

It's designed for handloaders . . . . The Digital Headspace Gauge is designed specifically for handloaders (not for the barrel swapper). There are over 2,400 shooters now using it to accurately measure chamber clearance for setting their die height. Good luck trying to make one of these...

There is a better way . . . . Take a look at the Digital Headspace Gauge. You can avoid a bunch of complicated techniques by finding just one dimension (shoulder clearance). That's exactly what this tool displays after comparing one of your fired cases to your first resized case. In...

Hummer70 ........ Any reasonable chamber pressure will always form your cases to represent your chamber size perfectly, unless your 30-30 (a rimmed case) has a headspace problem (referring to the way your barrel was installed). The problem you describer happens when your case is not...

JGalt ..... Assuming that your chamber is somewhere within specifications and your gauge is correctly made .... you're good to go. Your handloads fit in your gauge. However, exactly how do they fit in your chamber? .

Consider Measuring .... Case gauges are very useful - assuming your chamber (and the gauge) are both within specifications. At least you know for sure that your handloads will fit in the gauge. However, it's always best to measure how YOUR handloads fit in YOUR particular chamber. .

rcmodel ....... +1

Take a look at this before you get over confident .... Over-doing the crimp can definitely cause a problem. However, here's a good article that shows why the .40 Cal. has more than it's share of case resizing problems. Handloading the .40 Caliber A case gauge is a very handy tool for...

Schwing ...... Wrap your copper mesh around a worn-out bore brush, and you'll have far more pressure scrubbing against the bore. This is an old trick that removes a lead build up quite well.

Armymutt ...... Full length resizing is the way to go. Even benchrest shooters prefer FL resizing, so why neck resize? if you set your die height accurately, you can usually reduce excessive chamber clearance by about 80%. AND You should not be able to "feel" your handloads chamber . ...

Kernel ...... I use Bondex Wood Bleach. It contains oxalic acid, and the directions are on the can. I've used it for over 20 years - with no problems.