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HiBC · October 10, 2013, 02:17 AM

OK,I am not there,and I do not know all things.I will try.

Are your dies and shellholders the same brand,and,are you sure you have the correct shellholder?They work as a team.It is one place a tolerance error could occur.

Are you checking loaded rounds,or sized brass?If loaded rounds,there are some bullet seating topics.For now,lets just talk about sized brass.

Just to be sure you understand how the gage works,no dis intended,there is the top surface of the gage,(the gage overall length),and there is a shallow groove ground across it.The case head should be between these two.

Is there any friction on the diameter?The case should fully enter to rest the shoulder of the case on the shoulder of the gage.If the diameter is dragging,if the gage scuffs magic marker off the case,you may have some brass that is overly expanded.High pressure can do that,and the 5.56/.223 will sure expand at high pressure.I would expect fairly loose primer pockets if this occurred.Your resizing die only sizes the case down to close to the shellholder.Try turning your brass around and seeing if it will just start into the gage.

You could have a worn out sizing die.Gritty,unclean brass can cut them pretty fast.That would cause an oversize diameter.

Are you getting just a little bump-over feel on the lever at the top of the stroke?That would tell me all the slack is out of the system and you are sizing it as short as it will go.

Die out of tolerance? Shellholder out of tolerance? Bushing gage out of tolerance?Every once in a while,a bad part escapes from a manufacturer.

A work-around idea.Measure,with calipers,how much your brass sticks up high.You can measure the gage,then measure over the brass in the gage.

Lets say you are .003 high.

Redding makes a series of competition shellholders in + and - heights.If you got a -.004 or -.005 shellholder,that should fix you up.

But,it seems weird and you should not have to do that.

That's abnout all I've got,for now.

October 10, 2013, 02:17 AM	#39
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	OK,I am not there,and I do not know all things.I will try. Are your dies and shellholders the same brand,and,are you sure you have the correct shellholder?They work as a team.It is one place a tolerance error could occur. Are you checking loaded rounds,or sized brass?If loaded rounds,there are some bullet seating topics.For now,lets just talk about sized brass. Just to be sure you understand how the gage works,no dis intended,there is the top surface of the gage,(the gage overall length),and there is a shallow groove ground across it.The case head should be between these two. Is there any friction on the diameter?The case should fully enter to rest the shoulder of the case on the shoulder of the gage.If the diameter is dragging,if the gage scuffs magic marker off the case,you may have some brass that is overly expanded.High pressure can do that,and the 5.56/.223 will sure expand at high pressure.I would expect fairly loose primer pockets if this occurred.Your resizing die only sizes the case down to close to the shellholder.Try turning your brass around and seeing if it will just start into the gage. You could have a worn out sizing die.Gritty,unclean brass can cut them pretty fast.That would cause an oversize diameter. Are you getting just a little bump-over feel on the lever at the top of the stroke?That would tell me all the slack is out of the system and you are sizing it as short as it will go. Die out of tolerance? Shellholder out of tolerance? Bushing gage out of tolerance?Every once in a while,a bad part escapes from a manufacturer. A work-around idea.Measure,with calipers,how much your brass sticks up high.You can measure the gage,then measure over the brass in the gage. Lets say you are .003 high. Redding makes a series of competition shellholders in + and - heights.If you got a -.004 or -.005 shellholder,that should fix you up. But,it seems weird and you should not have to do that. That's abnout all I've got,for now. Last edited by HiBC; October 10, 2013 at 02:28 AM.