Plunk test barrel or case gauge

[wiiawiwb]

I've been recently reading about Glock case bulge. I will start to reload 10mm for my Glock 40. In the past, I've been using my revolver's cylinder (45 Colt) or the Glock 17 barrel.

To satisfy the "plunk test", should I get a case gauge for every caliber I reload and use that or is the barrel plunk test sufficient?

 

[Duvel]

Think case gauge for SAAMI chamber 'fit'.

Barrel plunk for OAL compatibility with your chamber.

 

[nettlle]

The plunk test has always worked for me.

 

[Reefinmike]

I've never seen the point in case gauges, each firearm you buy comes with a free one- the chamber- the only one that really matters unless you plan on shooting your reloads through other people's guns. If you have multiple guns per caliber then load your ammo so it plunks in the tightest chamber.

Slotted case gauges seem nice but all you need is a loaded round, a sharpie and your gun to find the source of chambering issues.

 

[Shootshellz]

Lyman's case gauges offer both SAMMI chamber fit and OAL length. If it fits in the gauge you are good to go. Plus you don't have to futz around with field stripping and reassembling your pistol. A no-brainer for case gauges, IMHO, especially since they are reasonably priced.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO there is no reason to buy a case gauge for checking your handgun ammo. Like said above, the ammo will be shot in your gun so use your barrel to check it.

 

[Shootshellz]

IMHO there is no reason not to buy a case gauge; especially if you load for more than one pistol in each caliber. The time saved in convenience not having to field strip/reassemble your pistol is well worth the modest expense for a gauge. Live it up!

 

[PO2Hammer]

I think the cartridge gauge has value. The chamber of an auto pistol is pretty sloppy compared to a gauge, so you can build sub-standard ammo that will plunk in your chamber just fine. A gauge will catch crooked bullets, bad rims and other problems that a plunk check would have passed.
Yup, you still have to check that the OAL is OK with your barrel, but that's about all that it tells you.

 

[GBExpat]

Hanging on the front of my bench shelves by their links I have a spare 1911 .45acp barrel and a spare TT-33 9mm barrel for Plunk Test use. They both work very well as my gauges ... no need for me to disassemble any 9x19 or .45acp handguns for reloads dimension testing.

Whenever I reload 7.62x25 (rarely) I grab a spare CZ52 barrel to perform The Test.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Lyman's case gauges offer both SAMMI chamber fit and OAL length. If it fits in the gauge you are good to go. Plus you don't have to futz around with field stripping and reassembling your pistol. A no-brainer for case gauges, IMHO, especially since they are reasonably priced.

An addendum to this: Lyman PISTOL gauges test chamber fit, their Rifle gauges only test length and headspace.

For cartridge diameter testing, the easiest/handiest tool I have found is their Ammo Checker:
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/case-prep/ammochecker.php

 

[bob4]

I bought one for a 9mm once. Now it mostly sits.

 

[JimKirk]

If I had multiple guns using the same cartridge ... then a case gauge would be helpful ... otherwise I only use my gun barrel for the gauge ... that is what it has to fit no matter what the gauges say ... unless the gun chamber is defective ...

 

[higgite]

Lyman's case gauges offer both SAMMI chamber fit and OAL length. If it fits in the gauge you are good to go. Plus you don't have to futz around with field stripping and reassembling your pistol. A no-brainer for case gauges, IMHO, especially since they are reasonably priced.

This ^^^, except Lyman pistol cartridge gauges do not gauge chamber fit. They are called Pistol Max Cartridge Gauges and are reamed to SAAMI maximum cartridge dimensions, not chamber dimensions. True that a cartridge that passes the Lyman gauge should fit any pistol, but on the other hand, I have Wilson Pistol Max Gauges (same concept as the Lyman gauge) and have found that some cartridges that failed the Pistol Max Gauge actually passed the plunk test in all of my pistols. After discovering that, I bought a Dillon Handgun Case Gage, which is cut to SAAMI minimum chamber dimensions. If a round passes that gauge, it will fit any chamber that is cut to SAAMI specs.

Now the only time I bother to strip my pistols for a plunk test is when I get a brand or style of bullet that I haven’t used before. Then I plunk test a dummy round to determine max COL for my shortest pistol chamber. ymmv

 

[ATLDave]

I use case gauges because:

1. I don't have to disassemble my pistol(s) every time I want to load some ammo;
2. The case gauges will generally be tighter than the barrel chamber; sometimes a piece of ammo will chamber easily in one orientation, but not in another - a case gauge will identify that trouble more reliably;
3. I have more than one gun in some calibers; and
4. They're more ergonomic/faster to use than a barrel when you're checking in volume.

Do you HAVE to have them? No. But I like them and think they are superior to plunk-testing for my purposes.

 

[joem1945]

I use case max length case gauges when I set up my press to make sure they chamber. Easier them geting the gun and perhaps dismantling it for plunk test. I've had to make a couplew of case gauges that nobody makes, ie. 9mm largo and 7.62X54R. Still need to make one for 11.75 Danish.

 

[Gearhead Jim]

"I use case gauges because:

1. I don't have to disassemble my pistol(s) every time I want to load some ammo;
2. The case gauges will generally be tighter than the barrel chamber; sometimes a piece of ammo will chamber easily in one orientation, but not in another - a case gauge will identify that trouble more reliably;
3. I have more than one gun in some calibers; and
4. They're more ergonomic/faster to use than a barrel when you're checking in volume.

Do you HAVE to have them? No. But I like them and think they are superior to plunk-testing for my purposes."



Best Answer.

Cartridge gauges can be cut to different standards, at least for pistols:
My L.E. Wilson gauges are "Max Cartridge", and any round that is outside the SAAMI dimensions for that cartridge won't plunk.
My Dillon gauges are "Minimum Chamber", which is looser because the chamber should always be a bit bigger than the cartridge that fits into it.

Every 200 rds on my Dillon 650, I pull 5 loaded rds and check several parameters, I plunk-test them in the Wilson gauge and if one won't fit then I try to see if there is a problem with the machine. If it will still plunk in the Dillon gauge, then that's good enough for me and I don't worry about it.

This method has helped me load something like 10,000 rds of 9mm and .380 for a variety of Brownings, S&W's, Glocks, Berettas, etc without ever having one that wouldn't chamber because of being oversize. Therefore, I don't feel the need to plunk test each cartridge.

But for my duty/carry ammo, I use the Wilson gauge on factory ammo and find a few that don't plunk, those get saved for practice and the good ones get carried in the gun.

 

[sellersm]

I use various gauges for certain calibers in some of my 'problem' guns. Since many of my loads are for both autos and revolvers, I use the gauge(s) as it's just simpler.

For my 357sig loads, I've found the gauge to be especially helpful when setting up the dies and ensuring things haven't "shifted".

Each to his own, what makes life easier for me and my situation may not work best for you...

As to brands, I use them all: Lyman, L.E. Wilson, EGW, Dillon...

 

[Toprudder]

It has been my opinion that the case gauges don't simulate the leade and rifling of an actual firearm. The whole purpose of the plunk test in the gun's barrel is to determine if a bullet is seated too long for a given firearm. The purpose of the case gauge is to see if the brass meets the SAAMI criteria.

I will have to go back and look at my case gauges again. I will try seating a bullet longer than I know will plunk in one of my guns and see it it still fits the case gauge. I'll be willing to bet that it still fits.

Once I have plunked a given bullet in my gun(s), I don't bother plunking anymore. But, I do run all my reloads through the case gauge as standard procedure.

 

[wiiawiwb]

Toprudder...I've read your reply twice and am confused. It's sounds like you do both.

When you reload you do the plunk test in your gun's barrel and you also put the reloaded round into the case gauge? Just want to be sure I understand. Thanks.

 

[LeonCarr]

I have Wilson case gauges for every cartridge I load and as mentioned it is nice to be able to plunk test ammo without having to disassemble your firearm. I do plunk test at first to make sure the OAL works in the particular firearm or firearms, and then every round I load is dropped in the case gauge. I even do this to factory ammo issued by my agency before qualifications and MANY times I have caught factory ammo that did not pass the case gauge.

IMO/IME they do help ensure reliability and help you load better ammunition.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[ATLDave]

I think he's saying that, when he loads a new bullet profile, he checks to make sure there aren't problems with the bullet engaging the rifling before it's all the way in the chamber. For guns with short throats, this can be an issue that may not be picked up with a case gauge. But you only need to check it when first setting up your COAL, and if you have a gun with a "normal" throat, you may not ever need to fool with it.

 

[Reloadron]

Plunk test barrel or case gauge

I am going to say plunk test for the most part since my concern is will my hand loads chamber and shoot in my specific gun. If I just want all my loads to meet SAAMI specification, then a good case gauge based on a SAAMI chamber but other than that? Plunk Test. I did notice the plunk test does not tell me if what I load will shoot in all of my guns in a specific caliber, only the gun/barrel I test in.

Ron

 

[Toprudder]

Toprudder...I've read your reply twice and am confused. It's sounds like you do both.

When you reload you do the plunk test in your gun's barrel and you also put the reloaded round into the case gauge? Just want to be sure I understand. Thanks.

What ATLDave said.

When I get a new bullet profile I have never loaded, I will plunk test it in my barrel(s) to determine what the max OAL will be to fit in any of my guns of that caliber. Once I have that information, I don't have to plunk in my barrel(s) anymore. I use the case gauge to check my loaded rounds as I make them.

Basically the same thing happens when I buy a new gun, I will plunk the bullets once to make sure my existing OAL data will work in the new gun. After that, just the case gauge checks as I reload.

 

[Toprudder]

Ok, just as I suspected.

I loaded an RMR 230 Hardcore Match bullet into a 45acp case - seated way long.



Then I dropped it into a case gauge.


This case gauge will tell me that the brass case will fit a chamber, and whether or not the bullet is inside the SAAMI max COL spec (bullet protrudes from end of case gauge) but it tells me nothing about whether a bullet will safely plunk in any given barrel.

The reason I picked that bullet is because, due to its profile, it must be seated very short compared to other bullets - I have one .45 that the bullet will touch the lands at about 1.218", so I seat them at 1.200" routinely.

This is a Lyman case gauge. However, I also checked my Dillon and Wilson case gauges (380 and 9mm) and the .355 bullets will drop straight through them, so they are no different than the Lyman in that respect.

 

[Smitty79]

I use a Hundo 100 to gauge. Much faster and straight to box.