Small base dies?

[Timberland]

Dose anyone else "have" to use small base dies for the AR-15 .223? I have been using hornady dies, the feed, fire, but wont manually extract. I called hornady, they sent me a new die, but the problems persist. Is a small base die the solution?

[stretch64]

Are they stuck in the chamber, or will they not clear the ejection port?
If they're stuck in the chamber, my guess is you're over crimping and pushing the shoulder back a bit.

[Timberland]

They will eject fine during fire. But I can clear the weapon manually without doing the stuck case drill(Not shure of term) grab charging handel and hit buttstock into the ground.

[hylander]

Never used a small base DIe for anything, never have needed it.
Also I do not like Hornady Dies, they seem to over work the Cases.

[BSlacker]

When the brass has been fired in a semi or full auto firearm whether it be fired in your semi gun or once fired you purchase, a small base die is used to resize further down the case, although you can often get away with resizing fired brass from your firearm with regular dies but results will be iffy and depend on powder used and other variables. The problem is the case base area is still expanding as it is being ejected unlike a bolt gun where the case is ejected after pressure has fallen. So get a small base die and you are good to go.
Also you may want to invest in a good case gauge. It will let you know if you are good before you go to far.

[Beelzy]

Sounds like a tight chamber and the sizing die needs further adjustment??

Did you try an empty sized case in the chamber? Check that and try a
factory round in it as well. If your ammo is out of spec you will know in short order.

PS. I load many calibers and own (0) small base sizing dies.

[rksimple]

You dont need small base dies. As was said, try a sized case in there. I think you may be getting some land engagement on the bullet. Check for any little marks around the bullet after you pull it out. If not, screw down the sizing die another 1/8. Better yet, get a case comparator and adjust your die for your rifle.

[J-cat]

Small-base dies size the base an additional .001" over standard dies. They size the shoulders the same as standard dies. In thecase of the 223, chamber specs vary: some use NATO specs for the body and 223 specs for the throat (Wylde), other use 223 specs for everything, and still others use worn out, resharpened reamers and you really don't know what you have until you fireform a case in it.

The nice thing about tight chambers is they can be opened-up easily. Or you can resize with a small-base die.

[30Cal]

Maybe.

A case gage/cartridge comparator would answer a lot of questions. IMO, you shouldn't be using a FL resizing die without one.

[J-cat]

A case gauge is not your chamber. A fireformed case, measured before and after sizing, tells alot more.

[CSACANNONEER]

Cerro cast your chamber!

[stretch64]

Try backing your seating die off an eighth of a turn (don't forget to readjust the seating depth). I still think you're pushing the neck back into the shoulder just enough to cause it to bulge a little and cause the case to stick in the chamber. You didn't say this happens with factory ammo, so I doubt it's a chamber issue, and you haven't had any cartridges pull apart when you extract them, so I doubt it's an OAL length issue.

[bohoki]

i use lee rgb and trim no probs here

[J-cat]

Try backing your seating die off an eighth of a turn (don't forget to readjust the seating depth). I still think you're pushing the neck back into the shoulder just enough to cause it to bulge a little and cause the case to stick in the chamber. You didn't say this happens with factory ammo, so I doubt it's a chamber issue, and you haven't had any cartridges pull apart when you extract them, so I doubt it's an OAL length issue.

FL sizing will not push the neck into the shoulder causing a bulge, but overcrimping will.

[ar15barrels]

You dont need small base dies. As was said, try a sized case in there. I think you may be getting some land engagement on the bullet. Check for any little marks around the bullet after you pull it out.

In order to better check what's tight in the chamber, take a sharpie marker and mark up the bullet and the case.
Chamber and extract.
You should get a good picture where it's tight.