Not to sold on Small base reloading dies.

[HUTCH 7.62]

What kind of brass are you resizing? I have heard MG brass is supposedly tougher to resize since MG chambers are a tad larger at the base to ensure proper ejection.

All my Brass I’m using is IMI or Lake City Brass

[divingin]

Hutch; you need to run a piece of brass into your sizing die, then take a look at the shell holder to die position.

When you size brass, it exerts force of the press frame; despite die to shellholder contact when empty, often the press will deform enough that when sizing, there is a considerable gap due to press stretch (meaning the die is not fully sizing the brass.)

Insufficient lube or grossly oversized brass will exacerbate this problem.

[divingin]

Hutch; you need to run a piece of brass into your sizing die, then take a look at the shell holder to die position.

When you size brass, it exerts force of the press frame; despite die to shellholder contact when empty, often the press will deform enough that when sizing, there is a considerable gap due to press stretch (meaning the die is not fully sizing the brass.)

Insufficient lube or grossly oversized brass will exacerbate this problem.

[HUTCH 7.62]

Hutch; you need to run a piece of brass into your sizing die, then take a look at the shell holder to die position.

When you size brass, it exerts force of the press frame; despite die to shellholder contact when empty, often the press will deform enough that when sizing, there is a considerable gap due to press stretch (meaning the die is not fully sizing the brass.)

Insufficient lube or grossly oversized brass will exacerbate this problem.

[fguffey]

When you size brass, it exerts force of the press frame; despite die to shellholder contact when empty, often the press will deform enough that when sizing, there is a considerable gap due to press stretch (meaning the die is not fully sizing the brass.)

It is impossible to sell a reloader on the ideal the case has an ability to resist sizing. In the old days the reloader struggled until he learned the case had an ability to resist sizing. today reloaders just make this stuff up.

Starting over: The reloaders should adjust the die down to make contact with the shell holder; a good number is 1/4 turn; for those that understand 14 threads per inch the 1/4 turn is 'about' .017".

If after lowering the die .017" below contact with the shell holder the reloaders notices a gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder he should recognize the gap is a results of the cases ability to resist sizing.

In the old days the reloader would lower the die an additional 1/4 turn or an additional .017". For those that keep up the 1/2 turn or additional .017 would equal .034".

And then there was and still is the most difficult thing a reloaders has to keep up with when adjusting the die to, below or above the shell holder; FULL LENGH SIZING does not mean full length sizing after the reloaders has acquired experience.

Many years ago I started measuring the length of the chamber from the datum/shoulder to the bolt face. It was about that time I discovered it was not necessary to full length size cases with long chambers. There are times the reloaders can off set the length of the chamber with the length of the case from the shoulder of the case to the case head.

I have one chamber that allows me to add .014" to the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head; adding .014" to the length of the case give me .002" clearance.

And I always ask "where did the .002" come from"? And no one knows.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

I purchased brass from an iron and metal yard that purchased brass from an arsenal. I though the brass looked magnificent, I sorted the brass into groups of 20 and started loading and firing. After a few rounds I was advised the brass was defective meaning in the process of manufacturing they took a few short cuts.

that did not bother me because even then I did not need another box of brass because I had enough to finish out my life with enough left over for the grandkids. I moved the brass from one drawer to a drawer identified as collectable. My experience with the brass tells me the perceived problem did not effect all of the brass.

And then there is the 'what if?' thing. If the brass was defective for the reasons they claim sizing/reducing the diameter of the case head would have been a bad ideal. They claimed the case heads were worked hardened; under one condition the case heads could have failed.

And then there could have been the other problem as in case heads that were annealed. On the first firing the primer pockets could have opened up, the case heads could have increased in diameter, the flash holes could have increased in diameter and the case head thickness could have decreased from the bottom of the cup above the web and case head.



None of that bad stuff happened to the cases I purchased at a bargain; again, I did not need the cases.

F. Guffey

Point? I do not mess with case heads, I apply the leaver policy, I purchased the cases, load and fire them and apply the leaver policy to the case heads.


With those case heads it is like nothing before and then suddenly without warning the rifle is rendered scrap.

[LynnJr]

Hutch
When you size your brass with a small base die the shoulder moves forward more than it does in a regular full length die. The reason it gets longer is you are sizing the base more so the brass has to go somewhere and it naturally follows the path of least resistance and moves forward.
This means the shoulder will contact the die sooner and most reloaders will feel that and stop adjusting to soon.
As you keep adjusting the shoulder will start to move rearward and the extra brass will show up in the neck.
One poster here doesn't believe the shoulder can be bumped rearward so ask him why the necks get longer and he can answer the question.
Never put a feeler gage between the shell holder and the casehead unless you want banana shaped brass which you don't.

[17+1]

[kcstott]

belted mag is also a different animal when it comes to full length sizing.

[hundy]

This video has helped me greatly. I use a small base die and set it on the press as seen in this video. I hope this helps. Good luck.

https://youtu.be/XkjIx4CPCfk