Garand brass gaging issue.

Kayser · October 8, 2011, 11:57 PM

I noticed a weird phenomenon when running once-fired (Garand) brass through a Wilson gage after resizing. Basically, about 15% of the cases would fail to plop all the way in to the gage. They would protrude so much that it couldn't just be a case of true "no go".

At first I thought that maybe the necks were getting a little bent past the shoulder from extraction, causing them to sort of get wedged partways down in the gage. But I figured that after running through the resizing die that probably was unlikely. Some further investigation turned up that the rims themselves were getting dinged up enough that they would get caught on the lip of the gage. Little nicks and burrs. So I tried some light filing on the rims that had this problem and voila, they plop right into the gage.

Is this normal for the Garand? Also, is a little light filing kosher? We're talking just a teeny tiny bit. No real dimensional change on the rim.

maggys drawers · October 9, 2011, 11:01 AM

Garand extraction/ejection can be a little "vigorous" on brass. I think it was because spent brass was never meant to be reloaded, so no reason to care about it's condition.

A little kiss with a file won't hurt anything, done it a few times myself.

Slamfire · October 9, 2011, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Is this normal for the Garand? Also, is a little light filing kosher? We're talking just a teeny tiny bit. No real dimensional change on the rim.

This has happened to me on Garands and M1a's. Taking a bit off the rim to verify shoulder set back would be perfectly acceptable to me. Getting the case headspace correct, that is a couple of thousandth's below the chamber size, is more safety critical than a little bit of rim.

Assuming that the case lacking that little bit of rim does not cause extraction problems. Which it can. I had issues with 284 Win brass sized to fit the 7.5 Swiss rifle. My cases would fall off the bolt face because the 284 rim was smaller than the 7.5 Swiss and the extractor could not hold it.

If you look at these 300 creedmoor cases, the rim is well out of the pressure containing section of the brass. Weakening/thinning that area would be a no-no.

JR_Roosa · October 9, 2011, 11:19 PM

Spin the case around and put it in the gauge backwards with a twisting motion and it will smoosh the little high spots flush and then you'll hav no problem getting it to plop in all the way.

J.

F. Guffey · October 10, 2011, 10:11 AM

Ding when chambering or extracting, The extractor/extractor case groove hook up is fast, real fast, if the extractor is not clean and not allowed to jump the extractor groove, it will 'ding;' the rim, so I would make sure the extractor was free to move when the bolt goes forward.

Dings are not normal.

F. Guffey

mrawesome22 · October 10, 2011, 11:14 AM

You should be sizing the brass to your chamber, not to some one size fits all gauge.

October 8, 2011, 11:57 PM	#1
Kayser Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Illinois :( Posts: 550	Garand brass gaging issue. I noticed a weird phenomenon when running once-fired (Garand) brass through a Wilson gage after resizing. Basically, about 15% of the cases would fail to plop all the way in to the gage. They would protrude so much that it couldn't just be a case of true "no go". At first I thought that maybe the necks were getting a little bent past the shoulder from extraction, causing them to sort of get wedged partways down in the gage. But I figured that after running through the resizing die that probably was unlikely. Some further investigation turned up that the rims themselves were getting dinged up enough that they would get caught on the lip of the gage. Little nicks and burrs. So I tried some light filing on the rims that had this problem and voila, they plop right into the gage. Is this normal for the Garand? Also, is a little light filing kosher? We're talking just a teeny tiny bit. No real dimensional change on the rim. __________________ ----------------- Box Of Truth Afficionado!

October 9, 2011, 11:01 AM	#2
maggys drawers Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2006 Posts: 178	Garand extraction/ejection can be a little "vigorous" on brass. I think it was because spent brass was never meant to be reloaded, so no reason to care about it's condition. A little kiss with a file won't hurt anything, done it a few times myself.

October 9, 2011, 11:19 PM	#4
JR_Roosa Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2009 Posts: 130	Spin the case around and put it in the gauge backwards with a twisting motion and it will smoosh the little high spots flush and then you'll hav no problem getting it to plop in all the way. J.

October 10, 2011, 10:11 AM	#5
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	Ding when chambering or extracting, The extractor/extractor case groove hook up is fast, real fast, if the extractor is not clean and not allowed to jump the extractor groove, it will 'ding;' the rim, so I would make sure the extractor was free to move when the bolt goes forward. Dings are not normal. F. Guffey

October 10, 2011, 11:14 AM	#6
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	You should be sizing the brass to your chamber, not to some one size fits all gauge.