I'm running across shells that fit very tightly.
I have no ideal what press and or die you are using, again, purchasing dies is like ordering coffee, de-caff, half-calf, mocha, regular, cream and sugar, and the most misunderstood words spoken when ordering coffee, "I want coffee' just coffee, black, no I do not want cream or sugar, I just want coffee" Dies are like that, I use dies, just plain -O dies, I do not want a bushing or collet, nothing cute or fancy, I want a plain-O die with as few parts as I can get.
I do not have just one set of dies for one chamber, I have enough dies that afford me the luxury of comparing one against the other and that would include different brand. I would not think of grinding a die and or a shell holder, rational: GRINDING EITHER OR BOTH IS NEVER NECESSARY. But I am neither vain or hard headed, as I have said forever, I size cases for different purposes, different purposes? Short chambers, long chambers and for chambers with head space issues by adding to the length of the case from the head of the case to the shoulder with techniques and or methods that do not include guesstimates like "a tad" or a 1/4 turn without a degree wheel.
Then there is the unknown zone, a reloader sizes a case, afterwords the reloader does not know if the press sized the case or if the case won because of resistance to sizing, so the only solution, grind something off, I would hate to be that hard headed.
Consumer oriented, yes purchase a head space gage, one more time, I can make a go-gage, or turn a go-gage into a gage that checks head space. in thousands from go to infinity, that would be beyond a practical .016 thousands, but that I find unnecessary, I have a press, die and shell holder that is adjustable with the incline plane "THREADS" 14 per inch, that gives me 71 (71.0071429) options per turn,
Wankerjake, you ask a question about sizing and the relation between sizing and reducing the length of the case, the limit of sizing is determined by the distance between the deck of the shell holder and shoulder inside the die, I have a shop press, depending on the bottle jack capacity I could put 20 tons (40,000 lbs) of pressure on a die and shell holder without reducing the length of the case, I have arbor pressed set up for dies and shell holders, the limit of pressure depends on the length of the handle, still I could crush the die but there would not be an advantage to sizing with that much effort.
Effort when sizing and case resistance to sizing, again, when the resistance to sizing exceeds the ability of the press, die and shell holder to size the press deflects, flexes spreads, or yields to the effort, not a problem but with a few exceptions few have the ability, understanding, tools and skill to set up a dial indicator, strain gage or deflection gage to measure the required effort (or wasted effort) used when sizing,
Hard headed, resistance to change or making it complicated. Manufactures measure the cases ability to resist sizing, If full length sizing is accomplished when the die hits the top of the shell holder with the ram up and jammed, cammed or crammed up and or over AND the case resistance to sizing exceeds the ability of the of the press to size the die is not touching the shell holder meaning THERE IS A GAP! There are a few of us that know a gap can be measured, to determine a gap can be found with a light but no way to measure the width of the light beam escaping between the die and shell h9older, BUT there is the companion tool to the press, the feeler gage, if there is a gap that allows light to to pass through the gap can be measured in thousands, again I would hate to be so hard headed I would not include the feeler gage as a tool that serves a purpose when reloading.
Without the feeler gage I would be like most other reloaders, I would not have a clue if the case is being sized or if the case is whipping my press, I would not know what to expect when making guesstimates of a turn, when forming cases I make adjustments in thousands.
Again" GRINDING!? Anything accomplished by grinding I can accomplish with a feeler gage, shorten the case as much as .017 thousands under a go-gage length chamber or add to the length of the case from the head of the case it's shoulder an infant amount or a more practical .016 thousands, I started with a feeler gage THEN I found a press etc..
F. Guffey
