Case won't fit in shell holder?

[herkyguy]

Loading .380 this morning and one case (tulammo - range pickup) won't even fit in the shell holder

.

It's not exceeding the .374 my Hornady book says is the width. It's almost too small, so I can't figure why it won't fit. I don't see any burrs or damage and it's been fired, so something loaded and cycled it.



It's the only tulammo case I have and I'll just toss it, but how could it be so out of specs yet still chamber in a gun?

 

[Blue68f100]

What does the case head say ? 9mm

 

[jwrowland77]

What does the case head say ? 9mm

It doesn't. It says Tulammo. .380 ACP

 

[ljnowell]

Extractor groove depth and rim thickness in spec? I get Winchester brass in. 38 special that won't fit a shell holder frequently. I just trash them as it's so plentiful.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Get a different shell holder!

 

[Jim Watson]

For one case?

It was obviously in external spec to chamber and fire, but sometimes the cheap makers get sloppy with things like extractor grooves.

 

[Flashcube]

Had this problem with an antique Lyman press using J-type shell holders. Most brass fit fine, but one in ten was a tight fit or a no-go at all.

Got so pissed off with it one morning I made a j-type to RCBS adaptor on my lunch break at work. Access to a lathe and milling machine = happiness.

 

[rodregier]

The web of the case (in the extractor groove) can be expanded beyond spec too.
That will prevent it from entering the shell-holder.

I run into this with some fired mil-spec brass on occasion.

 

[fguffey]

A builder of wildcats said he was having problems with shell holders when forming cases. He asked me to bring my forming dies and the other shell holder? I brought a small gasket cutting hammer, I used the hammer to drive the cases into the shell holder. The cases he was having trouble with came in sets of 20, I explained to him the cases were hammered with heavy overloads.

the case heads at the groove were expanded .007" and expanded .014" in front of the web. I did not believe 40 cases out of 240 was a big loss.

F. Guffey

 

[CZ9shooter]

I've had this happen with 38 special brass. Most of the cases from a once fired (by me) box of Winchester ammo. Either the rim was too wide, or too thick. I fought with them for a while, then chucked them.

 

[LAGS]

I had a very similar problem while loading some .308 Win. last night.
The cases were not fitting into the shell holder , and they were brand new cases.
I found the issue was the shell holder.
I guess over the years, the press camming over durring sizing and the shell holder being dropped a bunch of times on the concrete floor over 40 years, had Smushed down the front edge of the lips where the shell slips in.
I had another shell holder that was newer, so it wasnt an issue.
But I took my stone and De- Burred the lips and now the first shell holder is back working fine, but still may go into retirement.

 

[herkyguy]

It's a newer shell holder and it's the first time I'd seen this. The rim was out of spec after looking at it again. It measures .046" whereas most other .380 brass rims are right around .040" at the rim. Hornady volume 9 says .045". So it's just over.

 

[Sunray]

Another reason not to use range brass. However, a .380's case head diameter is .374" diameter. .365" at the case mouth.
A Russian made Tula case not being to SAAMI spec shouldn't be a surprise though.

 

[moxie]

I've encountered the problem with a few .223 cases. Just wouldn't fit in the Lee Autoprime shell holder and some wouldn't fit the regular press shellholder. But just a very few over time. I toss them if at all balky.

 

[Grumulkin]

I've had the same problem; I don't rember with which cartridge. I think 308 or 243. In any case (notice the pun), it was very few and nothing to get excited about.

 

[1SOW]

What kind of Herky guy? Slick, Gunship (105mm cases won't fit either), Refueler, Combat Talon? Other?
oorah.

 

[herkyguy]

What kind of Herky guy? Slick, Gunship (105mm cases won't fit either), Refueler, Combat Talon? Other?

oorah.

The meanest and toughest of them all..... US Coast Guard.

I could use the 105, but my superiors would never trust me with it. If. I'd be picking too many fights.

 

[Toprudder]

It is my opinion that some shellholders are just not held to the level of quality they should be.

I have a Lee shellholder for 38spl that some casings have a hard time fitting. On the other hand, I have a Hornady shell holder that always works fine. The offending casings always pass the case gage test just fine.

 

[Potatohead]

I run into a lot of tight fitters with 223.

 

[spitballer]

Interesting this subject comes up, I very recently had same issue with Nosler cases fitting a Lee shellholder. In past I've had problems with extractor nicking cases, and that I could understand, but this time it almost seemed the case rims were too wide. I couldn't recall there being problem the first time they were loaded so I thought maybe they had flattened out a bit with firing. But they were within Hornady specs also! Strange! May be some kind of build-up or debris somewhere, I'm still looking into this.

 

[Toprudder]

To add to what I mentioned earlier, it may also be that one shellholder is made to fit several calibers - one size sorta fits all.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Rim thickness or diameter not in spec. I get that from time to time on 38 Special. Not 357 Mag, though. At least not yet.

 

[homatok]

It can also be from a warped/bent rim!

 

[PistolPete45]

Shell holders are not exactly all equal either I have a mix of holders and if I run into a few that do not fit , if I have a different brand of holder in the drawer most of the time that fixed the problem .

 

[Dave P]

My experience says too hot loads expand the extractor groove beyond spec. Like hot 10mm ammo. If it does not fit the case holder, it gets trashed.