Handgun cases and OAL

[BJung]

Will sorting cases by headstamp and then by case length improve accuracy? Would this be more important that case weight and volume?

I shot a series of testloads and found a load that prints the best from the rest. I didn't follow up with a retest to confirm the load. Instead. I took the most common case length in a batch with the same headstamp and will later shoot a series of 8-10 shots per load and increase the crimp per group. Has anyone done a test like this before? What were your results?

[Aguila Blanca]

Are you a competitive bullseye shooter?

If not, I wouldn't worry about case length.

[44 AMP]

Will sorting cases by headstamp and then by case length improve accuracy? Would this be more important that case weight and volume?

A) anything that increases uniformity has the potential to increase accuracy.

B) Will it matter, and how much??
It depends on what gun, and what caliber you are using, and what you want to get, out of what you have.

With the common semi auto pistol rounds, slight differences in length will not affect the taper crimp much, if any, and when fed from the magazine, most designs will "headspace" too short cases on the extractor. And then there is the thing that, with most common service class semis, the sights and the barrel on separate parts which move in relation to each other.

Now, if you are reloading revolver rounds, case length matters for a roll crimp. When you need to use a roll crimp, case length uniformity is a key factor.

[Mike / Tx]

I have several calibers of revolvers which I hunt with. Most have small bead target type front sights with a V notch rear. This allows me to get a much better sight picture as well as precisely place a shot.

That said, almost all of my brass is Starline, and I run it in batches of 50 - 100 depending on the caliber. I do not weight sort, but I do trim right from the get go if for no other reason to square the mouths and make them all the same length. This allows me to get very consistent crimps. I usually check the batch once I run through them all and address any that might need a touch up.

Will it make you a star competitor? Meh who knows, but in 40 plus years of doing it, I personally haven't found a reason not to, and I've shot plenty of groups showing it helps, if nothing else, to get the consistent crimp.

[glider]

If I am trying to get the tightest groups possible just to see how accurate a handgun can be I trim cases, weigh bullets, weigh every powder drop, and use all the same headstamps! I want every round to be as close to identical as possible! As a practical matter I don't do all that very often. I like for a 1911 to be able to shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards, that's good enough for me. It wouldn't be for a bullseye shooter which I am not!

[44 AMP]

I like for a 1911 to be able to shoot 2 1/2 inch groups at 25 yards, that's good enough for me.

I would point out that using a .45, a 2 and a half inch group can be one hole. I've done it.

[RC20]

It seems to make a difference in the 41 magnum. I don't know about semi auto rounds. I had far more RP so I have winowed out the old WW cases.

I loaded 9mm for a while and store bought was as accurate as my loads and low cost.

If you are shooting for gun, I would not worry. If you want serious accuracy, then its worth the possibility and if you really want consistency, buy Starline or a top brass and keep it. It just depends on how much you are willing to pay.

My 45 Long Colt (yea I know, two of my old loading books say long colt) no range pickup for that so I got Starline loaded in 45 LC and then bought a 100 more cases.

[44 AMP]

My handgun collection includes semi autos, revolvers and single shots. Calibers I shoot in handguns that I reload for are .22 Hornet, .221 Fireball,.222 Rem, .30-30 Win, .32ACP, .380ACP, 9mm Luger, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .357AMP, .44 Mag, .44AMP, .45ACP, .45 Colt (and I like to call it Long Colt ), .45 Win Mag and .45-70 govt.

The rifle calibers are in single shot pistols where crimp is not an issue.

I check all brass for length, to be sure none are overlong, and sort the over short ones into their own batches, and adjust dies for them, when loading them.

[BJung]

Thanks for your posted replies. Everyone has different handloading standards with each standard respected. Most recently, I read a few threads that alluded to accuracy and case length. I thought about the few cases I was crimping and some were harder on the press handle than the first case I set the crimp to. Then, I would just press out the flare. In all cases my test sample of 6-8 rounds per charge weight in a string were made and I was looking for the best group. In most cases I found a load that could print 1" at 25 yards and that was good enough for me. At best I want to be able to hit clay pigeons a few times with one cylinder or one magazine of rounds. The rest, very close. That is fun to me. Otherwise, like glider, I want the best loads possible, thanks to the efforts of Bullseye shooters and benchrest shooters with their high handloading standards which I adopt.

[Unclenick]

If your cases are mixed headstamps or, sometimes, even the same headstamp but different lots, you can find some with thicker walls near the mouth than others. This will also affect the feel of a crimp. But in revolvers, I find that inconsistent throat diameters are more often responsible for accuracy issues than inconsistent loading practices. Revolvers commonly need to be checked for three things that can influence accuracy, particularly with lead bullets:

1) Throats consistent in diameter and at least 0.001" over groove diameter.
2) Timing: The chambers lock into position, and they are aligned with the bore when it does.
3) There is no bore constriction or, at least, almost none where the barrel screws into the frame.

I've had sub-inch 50-yard groups from revolvers that ticked all those points. In a good illustration, my Ruger Redhawk will do that (1.5X scope off bags) while the identical model purchased by a friend would barely stay on a 10" paper plate at half the distance. We sent that one back to Ruger with an accuracy complaint, and they returned it with a note that they had reamed the cylinders. At that point, it would shoot close to an inch at 25 yards, which shrank closer to what my copy will do after a good trigger job made it much easier to hold through the release of the shot without disturbance.

[Nathan]

I think you need to test it and publish your results. My hypothesis says no, but you gotta do the testing