Trimming Brass

K

Kimberguy2004

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I'm processing some new Lapua .223 brass, trimming them to 1.750". Some of the pieces are already shorter than that, by .002-.003". What do you guys do with brass that comes shorter than your trim length? Do you just load it and shoot it until it "grows" long enough to trim, or do you just put it in the box to be laded wth the other brass? I'm thinking keep it separate and use it to send a fouling shot down the barrel, then when it grows enough, trim it and put it with the rest..
 
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I just measured a handful of match brass and they vary more than that. My thought is to not even worry about it.
 
Its nice to have all the brass the same length. But of 4 Coopers, 1 Kimber and 1 Ultralight my SHORTEST chamber is 1.783" Why the recommended trim length is so short has always been a mystery to me 1.750 is .033 shorter than my chambers.
I just measured a couple of Lapua cases with 10 reloads on them and they hang around 1.760.
Like the other posters say load 'um up and shoot. With about 30 thou clearance in the chamber, a couple of thou one way or the other don't make a lick of difference
 
load and go

For better or worse I only get concerned about creases in the brass for the first firing. I'd only check brass length after they were fired.
 
case length(s)

karls42: Amen! The vast majority of chamber lengths, even those cut with "match" reamers, will have .030" to as much as .045" longer length than max case length. Example: 223 at 1.760". Loading manuals advise trimming to 1.750", without even knowing what your actual length is, so you have created a gap of over 1/32" in front of the case mouth: the same place where the ring of carbon will buildup. This became evident when I took actual chamber length dimensions of all my chambers, using the Sinclair gauges, and recording that length. With cases that do stretch, I do not trim shorter than .010" than actual chamber length. With cases thast do not stretch,( 222, 22ppc, 22BR, 6ppc & 6 BR), there is nothing I can do. Now, when I order a chambering reamer, chamber length is specified, as is neck dia. & throat depth. 48 yrs. at this "game", and still learning.
 
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