Posted By: DStroud
FL sizing .223 - 11/08/15 04:11 PM
This question is mainly directed at Chad but I thought I would put it out here just in case it may help someone else.
I am once again processing a large quantity of .223 ammo mainly for 3 Gun. I cleaned and decapped about 10,000 pieces and now I am running it thru a Hornady swager ( new one that runs on the press)to remove primer pocket crimps. I did a few hundred on the swager then sized and primed just to make sure I had it set correctly and all worked fine.
Now to the question and this is not a new issue to me just that I have once again tried to solve it but thought there has to be an easier solution.
When I run my brass thru the Hornady L-N-L progressive using a Redding FL die set to bottom out on my plate in the machine 80-90% of my brass measures out with good headspace. But there is always some portion of brass that the headspace is .003 to .008 too long. Well in a bolt gun that is OK as you have the camming action to force it closed in most instances. AR's are a whole different animal and we all know the fun of a locked up action.
MY solution has been to check each and every piece(slow process) and sort out the longer ones and resize in a single stage press using a SB die I bought but never use except for this. OH and before you say just put the SB die it in the Progressive I have put 3 different SB and standard dies in there and all do about the same...infact the SB die makes is worse as it seems to push more brass into the shoulder area as it squeezes the lower portion of the brass smaller( my theory).
My assumption is the flex in the progressive on the more fatigued brass allows this. One interesting thing I noted today was after I sorted out the longer one I installed the SB die in the Forster press bottomed out and it took out about 1/2 the excessive length so I swapped over to the RC press and with a light cam-over It took all to a .004 set back off 0 on the tool.
Since there are folks such as Chad thet process tons of this stuff my question is how do you size to get ALL brass set back to minimum on every piece running progressive presses. Hoping there is a simple easy solution that I am just overlooking or have not considered.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
PS just noticed I put this in the Firearms instead of reloading. I am OK with either(same folks) but if the Mods want to move thats fine too
I am once again processing a large quantity of .223 ammo mainly for 3 Gun. I cleaned and decapped about 10,000 pieces and now I am running it thru a Hornady swager ( new one that runs on the press)to remove primer pocket crimps. I did a few hundred on the swager then sized and primed just to make sure I had it set correctly and all worked fine.
Now to the question and this is not a new issue to me just that I have once again tried to solve it but thought there has to be an easier solution.
When I run my brass thru the Hornady L-N-L progressive using a Redding FL die set to bottom out on my plate in the machine 80-90% of my brass measures out with good headspace. But there is always some portion of brass that the headspace is .003 to .008 too long. Well in a bolt gun that is OK as you have the camming action to force it closed in most instances. AR's are a whole different animal and we all know the fun of a locked up action.
MY solution has been to check each and every piece(slow process) and sort out the longer ones and resize in a single stage press using a SB die I bought but never use except for this. OH and before you say just put the SB die it in the Progressive I have put 3 different SB and standard dies in there and all do about the same...infact the SB die makes is worse as it seems to push more brass into the shoulder area as it squeezes the lower portion of the brass smaller( my theory).
My assumption is the flex in the progressive on the more fatigued brass allows this. One interesting thing I noted today was after I sorted out the longer one I installed the SB die in the Forster press bottomed out and it took out about 1/2 the excessive length so I swapped over to the RC press and with a light cam-over It took all to a .004 set back off 0 on the tool.
Since there are folks such as Chad thet process tons of this stuff my question is how do you size to get ALL brass set back to minimum on every piece running progressive presses. Hoping there is a simple easy solution that I am just overlooking or have not considered.
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
PS just noticed I put this in the Firearms instead of reloading. I am OK with either(same folks) but if the Mods want to move thats fine too