Ever file the burrs off the headstamp?

[Thegeek]

I was working on my brass and while measuring the cases, I kept seeing a few thousandths variance. I also notice that went I set them on the bench, some would wobble a bit. I was bored, it was raining, so I took a needle file and filed the entire lot. Just enough to change the luster. Probably wouldn't do this for AR or pistol brass, but for the bolt gun, it made all my measurements more consistent. I'll do this to all my new brass from now on.

 

[LeverGunFan]

During one of the previous reloading supply shortages I bought some Jamison .357 Magnum brass. That brass would hang up on the recoil shield of my Ruger Blackhawk, to the point that the cylinder was hard to rotate. It appeared to be caused by a slight burr around the primer pocket, so a very light pass with a fine file fixed the problem. Never had any issues like this with any other brand of brass. What brand of brass are you using?

 

[jrh84]

I was working on my brass and while measuring the cases, I kept seeing a few thousandths variance. I also notice that went I set them on the bench, some would wobble a bit. I was bored, it was raining, so I took a needle file and filed the entire lot. Just enough to change the luster. Probably wouldn't do this for AR or pistol brass, but for the bolt gun, it made all my measurements more consistent. I'll do this to all my new brass from now on.

What dimension are you seeing the variance on? Head to shoulder, or head to case mouth? I'm assuming this is a rifle cartridge...regardless, a few thousandths isn't worth worrying about as long as it chambers, and ESPECIALLY if its a pistol case, or if you're measuring overall length. If its overall length, you need to trim the mouth back, not the head.

 

[Thegeek]

Both head to shoulder and to bullet ogive. Usually, I rotate the case or round in the comparitor to so it finds it's shortest length. You can feel it on the caliper. I think my variances are based on how the different components react to the burr. The shell holder, trimmer, and caliper all react a bit different.