Dented Shoulders

[Larryect]

I want to start reloading for .223 Remington.

I have not reloaded for rifle before. How critical is a dent in the shoulder area? After resizing the dent is still there but the cartridge easily slips into a cartridge check gauge. It seems to me it should just fire form back out.

Advice?

Thanks



.

 

[LAH]

If it's just a small dent and your loads aren't redline, don't worry with them. They'll come out when the hammer drops.........Creeker

 

[Clark]

On expensive or high effort brass, I will like with oil canning on the shoulder.

But I have 10,000 pieces of .223 brass, and see no reason to tolerate ANY trouble.

 

[Larryect]

I'm not sure what caused the dents. Either when they were ejected or maybe stepped on on a rocky ground. I don't have 10K of them. What kind of trouble could it cause?

Thanks for the replies.

.

 

[LAH]

Larry if they are just small dents they will cause no trouble. If they are creased like someone hit them with an axe or punched them with a flat tip screw driver I'd throw them away.

But if the dents are only extraction dents they will come out when fired. The only problem is with small dents is they may decrease the powder cap. and raise pressure. And that's an awful small "may" especially if the dent is small. JMHO.........Creeker

 

[Dave P]

It is very easy to cause dents in necks while resizing - Too much lube does that.

Dave

 

[Larryect]

I would describe it as a small sharp dent. I don't believe it is significant enough to increase pressure and I will be loading at the low end of the recomended charge. The dents were there before resizing.


.

 

[armoredman]

Sharp dent may cause failure - life is too short to shoot bad brass.

 

[Shoney]

Larryect: I started loading in 1960, and have loaded lots of shoulder dented cases. LAH gave you good straignt information.

The only thing I would add is: After resizing those dented cases, (NO primer, powder, or bullet), try them in your weapon. I would wager all will chamber, but if one doesn't, toss it.

EDIT ADDED: Dents are OK, gouges in the brass which make the dent are to be tossed.

 

[Larryect]

Thanks. I do have a Forester (sp?) cartridge check gauge. After having a slightly bulged case cause the only jam I have ever had in my Sig, I check all reloads for chamber sizing in a check gauge. I understand the concern on gouging.

I think what I will do for now is set aside all suspect brass.


.

 

[Seismic Sam]

Neck dents

are cause by low viscosity resizing oil flowing into the neck area as the cartridge is being resized, having nowhere else to go, and collecting in pocket which leaves a dent.

If you switch to RCBS/Imperial die wax, you'll never have that trouble again. It's literally the slickest thing since snot on a doorknob, and a lot less disgusting.