neck sizing only?

[42769vette]

im just curious here. i know they say you have to full length size a semi auto if you plan to use the mag, but is neck sizing only worth a try? if i decide to this will be for my garand and i figure worst case senario i just single feed it.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

If you single feed them, you can necksize. Give it a shot, the worst that can happen is they won't feed reliably...and you have some bullets to pull.

[Unclenick]

There is a potential hazard in trying to feed an improperly sized round in the Garand or any other auto-loader in that the potential for an out-of-battery slamfire is increased. That can damage the gun. Don't play around with that on purpose, please. Just accept you will be using single-loading, and before you let the bolt go forward, toss the round partway into the chamber so it is any easy push home for the bolt.

[ForneyRider]

just because I am hard headed.

I put a bullet in an empty case that was neck-sized (Lee collet) and tried to chamber it in my AR.

Had a hell of a time trying to get the bolt pulled back.

I've heard, on these forum sights, of guys using RCBS X-die with .223.

[SwampYankee]

When I first started reloading .223 for my AR, I had a lot of problems with cases getting jammed in the chamber. I always test a few cases before I reload them. I had to disassemble the entire gun and whack the bolt with a dowel to eject each of these tight cases.

I was using an RCBS Small Base .223 die but was not adjusting it properly. When the decapping rod finally bent so bad it was useless (the rod, not the pin), RCBS sent me a new one but it needed to be positioned slightly differently in order to fully resize the brass (I got a bunch of jams with that at first). The new rod was the kind that took headed pins, the old rod did not.

Just recently I bought a brand new RCBS Small Base Decapping/Resizing Die (Just that die, no seater) and it works WAY better than the original one I have from the 1990's. Don't know why, it just does. Have not had a single jam and the sizing is a much smoother operation.

I wouldn't pay the extra money for an X-die. A brand new SB is only $30.

[Slamfire]

if i decide to this will be for my garand and i figure worst case senario i just single feed it.

The Garand has a free floating firing pin which is tapping the primer during bolt closure. You do not want any delay to lug engagement, just in case the round slamfires.

In my opinion, only full length sized rounds are appropriate for a Garand.

[dahermit]

Tried this with my Garand. It made the loaded 8-round clips too difficult to insert in the magazine well. Inasmuch as I was involved in Service Rifle competition at the time and did not want any problems while competing, I stopped neck sizing and went back to full-Length resizing for the Garand.

[42769vette]

thanks for the info. full length it is.

[darkgael]

I wondered at the general acceptance that neck sizing would not work for semi-autos. I did and am still doing an experiment with two semi autos - a Colt AR15 Match HBar and a FiveSeven pistol. Using once fired brass, I have neck sized the cases, loaded, and shot them again. I started with the Colt AR a number of years ago. I cannot tell you how many rounds I have fired that were neck sized. Many. Honestly - there has never been a single problem with the Colt and once fired neck sized cases.
I recently started with the little 5.7X28 case. There has not been any issue with cases that have been neck sized a single time. Because of the delayed blowback in the FiveSeven, the necks get worked a lot as do the shoulders. I had some cracks in shoulders and one separation of the neck in a set of cases that had been neck sized multiple times. Stay with single sizing and it's OK.
Pete

[Slamfire]

I started with the Colt AR a number of years ago. I cannot tell you how many rounds I have fired that were neck sized. Many. Honestly - there has never been a single problem with the Colt and once fired neck sized cases.

Go to enough highpower matches and you will see AR's being disassembled on the firing line. The poor owner stands aside as the Match Director uses his boots to kick the charging handle to get the "unfired" or "fired" brass out of the chamber.

If the brass stays, the owner leaves.

All due to reloads. Some problems are due to blown primers and there are problems due to insufficiently sized brass.

[T. O'Heir]

"...worth a try?..." It'll give you no end of feeding issues.

[Big Ugly Tall Texan]

You can't think of an issue that hasn't been beaten to death and this one is no exception.

Thou shalt full-length resize when handloading for semi-auto rifles.