My AR 223 reloads are sometimes requiring more than normal force to unload from chamber. Some to the point of gently hammering the stock into the ground. It wasn’t that way a few weeks ago.
This is my current reloading system :
Decapping and resizing with Dillon FL die using Lee single press.
I calipered each shells, and those beyond 1.760" are trimmed with Lee cutter thru Zip Trim. Lee Chamfer/Deburring tool is used. Emery is sometimes used for smoother shell mouth edges.
Bullet is seated with Dillon die at 2.255 +/- .003
I used to trim every shell, every loading. But I observed that the cutter is no longer actually cutting, so I save on the effort and do a measurement prior to doing a trim.
What are some of the factors that makes my ‘unload and show clear’ cartridge, a sticky/stucky affair?
Would a Redding sizing/seating die improve my loads over the Dillon? I used to use Lee, but I’ve had unpleasant experiences on the FL die.
If this just started happening, but the reloaded ammunition was good to go prior to this, you might simply have a dirty chamber.
Do yourself a favor and get a L.E. Wilson case trimmer, along with a cartridge case holder for the .222-.223 cartridge family.
I also agree with rjacobs in that you should have a case gage…another good product from Wilson. The case gage can help you determine if ammunition is in spec, and it can help set up your dies and gage when trimming is needed.
It might be as simple as screwing your die down a half turn to bump the shoulder slightly, and you can test the results with the previously mentioned case gage.
I never used one until last year when trying to set my Dillon trim/size die. Worth its weight in gold for that purpose (setting sizing die) as well as testing rounds
If your brass was originally fired in a 5.56 chamber and you’re now trying to use them in a rifle or carbine with a tighter commercial or match chamber your brass may not be sizing down to fit. If all brass was from cartridges you originally fired in this weapon only then you definitely need a small-base die.
YOU RUN THE VERY REAL RISK OF AN OUT-OF-BATTERY SLAM-FIRE should you attempt to place a round in the chamber and let the bolt carrier group go forward using the bolt catch release or by retracting and releasing the charging handle!
Tight or sticky extraction is an indicator that while your shoulder headspacing may be correct and your cases may be trimmed to proper length THEY WERE NOT SIZED SUFFICIENTLY ABOVE THE EXTRACTOR GROOVE and you’ll need a small base die. A drop-in case gage will not help you determine this – you’ll need calipers to find the case diameter above the extractor groove.
Screwing down a full-size die may push your case shoulders back further without sizing the case’s wide dimensions. If they’ll load but not extract your cartrtidges are headspacing to the chamber as the bolt carrier group slams them in.
WARNING! YOU SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO FIRE THIS AMMO IN THAT WEAPON UNTIL YOU CAN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL SAFELY LOAD, FIRE, EXTRACT, AND EJECT!
You can use your chamber as a case gage. Disassemble the upper from the lower. Drop a cartridge into the chamber – if a loaded round will drop in all the way (without finger pressure) and fall out when you raise the muzzle you can be fairly safe to say they’ll function.
If they need to be pushed in, then will not drop free once you raise the muzzle your cases are not properly sized.
IN HIS CASE, if the incorrectly-resized case is jammed in the chamber and the huge mass of the carrier group slams against the case head without locking the bolt in the barrel extension the firing pin can possibly go forward to hit the primer, causing an out-of-battery firing.
i still dont see how a slightly protruding case is any more likely to slamfire than a properly seated one… does striking a seated cartridge somehow absorb some of the inertia of the firing pin? its going to bounce off the primer either way… the only difference i can see is that a protruding case slamfire offers no chance of lockup before slam-firing… causing an OBD slamfire instead of simply cycling the weapon- but still isn’t any more likely to slamfire to begin with
The case gage is a facsimile of a chamber. If it fits the case gage, it should fit the chamber without any forcing. If indeed the case is larger just ahead of the rim, then it won’t enter the case gage all the way very easily, either. Either way, the whole purpose of the gage is to check the specs on the brass, without having to chamber it in a rifle just to test fit.
Chamber was not really dirty as it was still entering its 50+ rounds.
I’ll re-check my sizing die’s setting as I’m certain that I had a half-turn additional after the shell plate touches the die. (Although, Dillon’s instruction sheet recommends otherwise).
I guess I’ll get the Wilson gage. And may have to upgrade my trimming sets. I’ve also read good reviews on the Possum hollow sets. Any comments?
Sorry, no experience with the Possum Hollow. I use the Wilson because the case holder aligns the brass perfectly for a square cut on the end of the neck. If I could afford it, I’d have a Giraud electric one for .223 brass.
In the past, I’ve had a few cases that failed to go all the way into the case gage, even after full length sizing. If I recall correctly, they were Igman or something like that, and they also had smaller than normal flash holes. They were fired in Colt 5.56 chambers. I tossed them in the trash. Lake City or Winchester cases have never been a problem. Lapua is the best, but I won’t use it an AR15 because it’s too expensive. The Lapua goes in a bolt gun only. Good luck.
A friend of mine had very similar issues, and I believe he was using dillon dies as well. The OAL and the shoulder dimmensions measured in spec with a micrometer, but the cases stuck and wouldn’t extract from several rifles without mortaring the stock (the only one that would cycle was my BCM).
He was also having issues with the cases sticking in the re-sizing die, and tried several different case lubes thinking that could be part of the problem. He finally resolved the issue with a different full length re-sizer and lube die. I’ll ask him exactly what brand it was when he gets back in town.
A case gauge is cut to minimum SAAMI specs. If it checks out in the case gauge then it should work in any rifle.
You need to turn down your sizing die a bit. If you don’t have a case gauge you can use your chamber in your rifle. Remove your upper from the lower and take the BCG and charging handle out. Make sure the chamber is dry. Size the case and wipe off any lubricant. Place the case in the chamber with a little finger pressure, point muzzle up. The case should drop freely. If it doesn’t then turn down the sizing die a little more. Repeat until the case drops from the chamber.
