Stupid question of the day: .223 rims won't enter case gauge?

[1KPerDay]

I just got done sizing (and resizing some after checking) and gauging a few hundred 5.56 cases. About 20 won't enter fully into my Wilson .223 case gauge... the rims in some cases are nicked or otherwise obviously damaged, but some have no obvious visual or tactile imperfections. Some enter partway but not fully.

Should I scrap them? Or is 1 or 2 thousandths going to matter as far as rim diameter?

 

[rcmodel]

Max rim dia is .378".

Measure them with your caliper.

On the other hand, they must have worked the first time or you wouldn't be reloading them.

rc

 

[rodregier]

I find the gages are more stringent than the bolt faces :-(

The rims get bent on ejection against the receiver, deforming them.

Really annoying in Garands with .30-06.

 

[45lcshooter]

+1^^^^^^ if you have something metal on your bench, tap the bottom of the case on it to bend it back where it goes. I get smooshed rims on most of my semi auto casings, and that's all I do is tap them.

 

[1KPerDay]

On the other hand, they must have worked the first time or you wouldn't be reloading them.

rc

That was my thought. but I also may have yanked them out of spec during sizing or something...

I'll mic them and see. Thanks fellers

 

[GLOOB]

I find the gages are more stringent than the bolt faces

This. As long as the case can still hold a primer, I'm sure the rim isn't really too big. I've read of people enlarging the rim area of their Wilson gauges for this very reason.

 

[Nikdfish]

For rim & base size issues w/.223 or formed 300blk I have had some success with the Lee "bulge buster" kit and the external portion of the Lee 380 acp FCD (the part with the carbide sizing ring). It could probably used with resize kit. It is not a perfect fix but it does help with quite a few.

Nick

 

[gamestalker]

I usually use a very thin lapping stone to touch up the rim area when they won't slide in all the way. It's mostly cases that have been nicked or other wise damaged during extraction. But I do make sure that it wasn't a pressure issue that maybe caused a swollen case head before deciding to reload it again.

GS

 

[1KPerDay]

Yeah, the case heads are definitely not swollen. It's just the very edge of the rim... I may look into having my gauge mouth opened slightly.

 

[RainDodger]

Sometimes I end up with a bunch of those cases that accumulate in a bowl... when I get enough of them, I chuck them up (lightly) in my drill press and as they're rotating, I barely touch a fine file to the case rim.

Trues them right up.

 

[jr_roosa]

I put them in the gauge backwards with a turning motion and that usually pushes the high spot down.

I feel the gauge is the best tool for this simply because it is already in my hand. The files and stones are better solutions, but the gauge fixes 90% of the problem cases.

J.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Smash it into that gage with a hammer! lolz