Problem with 223 reloads

[tackdriver]

This has got me stumped. I just started using a small base die for reloading my 223. Out of 200, at least half become jammed in the chamber so bad I have to bang the butt of my AR on the ground to pull them out

I can NOT for the life of me figure out what the problem is. I do not have this problem with manufactured ammo or ammo that I've loaded with my FL die. I have checked the dimensions (shoulder, neck, base. length and body )of the brass with a caliper and the jamming brass comes out just the same as the non jamming. I blackend the outside of a cartridge and bullet to see if I could see what area of the round was jamming, and nothing showed. I also reduced the amount of crimp thinking I was overcrimping... no luck still.

My chamber and bolt are clean and I am at my wits end...

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what can be going on with either the brass or the AR??

[huckberry668]

Probably the shoulder is not bumped down enough. Use a comparator to measure the shoulder to base length. Basically it's too long for the chamber of your rifle.

[huckberry668]

Oh don't bang the butt stock. Remove the upper by taking the take down pins out. Use a flat head screw driver to pry the bolt carrier open. It's safer and wont damage your gun.

[tackdriver]

Thx HB. Im afraid I dont know what a comparator is though.??Is this a case gauge? I've never used one if that's what it is. I swear, everything looks and measures pretty much the same between the jammers and the non j's and that's what's driving me nuts.

I guess I shouldnt have said "Banged" the buttstock, Lets just say I lovingly tap it on the ground,,,, with extreme prejudice!

When the round is jammed, everything locks up and I cannot open the upper. I have used the screwdriver method thru the mag holder before to chuck out the round, but the ground is more handy!

[Bongos]

question, do you trim your brass?

[Fyathyrio]

Thx HB. Im afraid I dont know what a comparator is though.??

Where in SD? I have one, it'll only take a couple minutes to check. Just need stuff that fits, stuff that doesn't, and some of your favorite store bought stuff for comparison if handy.

[ireload]

A case gauge would come in handy.

[SuperSet]

I agree with previous poster. You may not be pushing the shoulder back far enough so you're not correctly sizing the brass. Get a case gauge and see how far it sticks out.
Check out this thread for more info:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=42&t=328510

Also, what kind of chamber do you have? I've had .223 chambers that were very tight and did not accept small variances in sizing. I have a Noveske 5.56mm chamber now that has looser tolerances but still shoots extremely accurately.

[tackdriver]

Thanks guys. After this started I made a point of trimming the brass, but no luck.
I had over 50 rds that were sticking, rathar than toss them or, god forbide, take the time to take them apart, I ran them three-four times thru the AR's chamber. I [assume ramming it into the chamber (and prying the bolt open) this many times must have resized (pushed back the shoulder?) cuz after doing this, the bad rounds now extract freely. NOT that I want to do this with every batch...
So does that confirm that the shoulder hadnt been pushed back far enough? I believe that means that I need to lower the die more, right? It looked ok to me when I held it next to a round that was properly feeding.

It has a 5.56 chamber, but I am having the problem with 223 rounds.
Definatly will invest in a case gauge. What's a few more bucks, eh?

Fyathyrio, I live in Tierrasanta (east of Kearny Mesa) if lowering the die and cussing at the top of my lungs isn't doing the job, I may take you up on your offer!

[SuperSet]

Yeah, sounds like a sizing issue. Check out that thread. I've had this problem and had to turn down the die more, when I did my own rifle brass prep.

[NovaTodd]

I had a Lee sizing/decapping die that was out of spec and caused the same thing. It was one of their RGB sets (with the resize/decap and seating die only). Once I found the issue I got a new sizing die and all is good. Unfortunately it ruined range day and took several days to go through all my reloaded 223 to check what needed to be re-sized.

[huckberry668]

this is what a comparator looks like and how to use it. this one with the insert to measure the bullet ogive. There are inserts for measuring the case shoulder to base.


you don't need one tho. here is what you do. deprime a 308Win case with a good flat base. turn it over and mouth-to-mouth on your resized 223 brass. it's a little tricky this way but it's the next best thing w/o a comparator. I used to use a 40SW brass to measure 308win brass. This is how you'd know how much to 'bump' back the shoulder to allow reliable feeding and maximize accuracy.



I think 'you' may have some consistancy issues since you had half of the ammo you loaded working. Why don't you try these steps:
1. Make sure you run the ram all the way to the end of the stroke and turn the die down and making 'hard' contact with the shell holder.

2. Make sure you complete the press stroke for every brass you resize. Bottom out before you pull the ram back down.

3. lube the brass generously. Make sure it's covered thoroughly but not too much that it drips.

4. wipe a sized brass clean and try to chamber it in your gun. if the bolt closes with no effort, you're fine.

5. This is in case if your 'seating die' is actually crimping the brass and crumbling the neck/shoulder. run the ram all the up to the end of the stroke with an empty sized brass (from steps 1 thru 4). loosen the die locking ring, then turn the seating die down till you feel the die is making contact with the brass mouth. then back off .5 turn.

[Bongos]

sometimes the dies might not be set correctly, with small base dies, the dies have to come full this down to the shellholder...

[tackdriver]

Well hell. thx guys. HB in my years of reloading I've never heard of a comparator before.
By cycling the round 3-4 times thru the chamber and then having it function properly does sound like the chamber is is resizingto its' correct dimensions, right?
I have adjusted the die down until it touches the shell holder. I have spec'd the bad shells with good ones with a caliper and could not find any significant differences. Side by side the shells look identical. So why this started all of a sudden has me beat. I would assume there is something wrong with my AR if it wasnt handling previous reloads and factory loads properly.
So, I'll order a case gauge and see it that tells me what's wrong with the brass. I'll post the results here in a couple of weeks. You'll recognize my post, it'll be the one with the tear stains on the subject line!!!
Thx again

[killshot44]

Get a Comparator Body to hold both a cartridge/case gauge as well as a Comparator, then you'll be set to measure shoulder set-back and bullet seating depth from the ogive (never measure to the tips).
Without using these you're just guessing....