Pistol ain't rifle, where I do check and trim, but some people check and trim pistol brass. I've loaded thousands and never trimmed or case checked pistol brass. Opinions I'm sure will vary but it's generally well known that this isn't necessary for pistol. I load 45ACP, 38 Super, 10mm, 9mm...never checked or trimmed a case. Ensuring good crimp and the "plunk" test in your barrel is enough.

 

Rather than go into much detail, I second this info. I've loaded over 10K 9mm over the past decade and have never checked the first case. Clean them and put them thru the press. I do try to sort out crimped primer cases though.

 

Case gauges are convenient, but your barrel is the true test. Are you familiar with the "plunk test"? It's a simple technique that uses your barrel instead of a case gauge.

 

I have not used anything but the Maximum Cartridge Gauge.
In the rare case when I want to know the length of a pistol case, I just apply calipers.

Considering that a minimum chamber must accept a maximum cartridge, I think that a round that passes the gauge but fails the chamber check, is a sign that something is out of spec. Too many "minimum match barrels" really undersize out there. But how precise can a $23.95 gauge be?

 

I wouldn't buy a case length gauge for handgun cases, I imagine you already have calipers, which are more than enough to check you cases against SAAMI standards, and like has been mentioned, plunk test them for fit in your particular gun. Measuring case length in rifles is a whole 'nuther proposition; Most are bottlenecks, most are rimless, and the shoulder is what headspaces them, so the case gauge can measure that as well as overall length. I shoot 7 different handgun calibers from 9mm to .41 magnum and haven't ever needed to trim a case. I do keep an eye on length by random checks with a caliper after I clean the brass, but I keep a sharper eye out for split cases.

 

I use Wilson gages to check all my pistol and rifle rounds. I didn't even know that min/max gages were available, nor what mine are. It is tedious to check so many reloads, but every know and then a gage will reject a split case, or one with a possible dangerous bulge. I reload a lot of many-times-shot cases, and when my pistol gauges reject a round, they will still almost always "plunk". I put them aside for shooting in my H&K pistols, which have more generous chambers. Has worked for me for many thousands of reloads.

All the best, and stay safe. NV

 

I guess I should clarify my approach, I don't check my empty cases, only my completed reloads. NV

 

PLUNK

 

I use the Wilson pistol and rifle gauges and I believe the pistol gauges are both. When I attempt to drop a resized and expanded case into the .45 acp gauge it will not go in because of the bell (expanded case mouth). The finished round drops in and the base sits at or below flush. Based on that it's a maximum gauge. When I set up my dies I use the barrel as the gauge. Rounds should drop in and out freely, nothing new to you if you have experience with rifle gauges. I don't do the "plunk" test with every round I load. Just to set up the dies and then every couple dozen rounds there after just to make sure nothing changed.

Grumpy

 

Gauges suck.

Use your barrel.

 

Unless you have multiple guns in the same caliber.

But it is not all that hard to determine the smallest chamber and use that for plunk testing.

 

When making a new round up (new bullet design/profile), I use my barrels to plunk and twist. When just making more of a known round I check each one in a case gauge. Being a single stage reloader it is an easy process.

 

I use the barrel to plunk test on 9mm and 45.

 

It is a pain to have to use a dowel to get a stuck round out of a finished case gauge. A friend made me a nifty device to automatically" push out a struck round. It is a coffee can bottom, with a dowel sticking up, and my pistol case gage attached to a short piece of plastic pipe with tape. So I can drop the round into the gage, and then drop it down onto the dowel, and it pops the round out into the "cup" at the bottom. No need to reach for a dowel fo push out a stuck round. Makes checking reloads a lot faster. I don't know if it is a min or max gauge.

Any rounds that do get "stuck" get a "plunk" test and occasionally I find a split or damaged case. I pull those, and toss the primed case. I am in no hurry, and have far more loaded rounds stockpiled than I can even shoot.

All the best, and stay safe. NV

 

Plunk works well, and would be the ultimate proof, but that means I have to disassemble my pistols. My method works fine for me. To each his own. NV

 

Having done it so often, I can break down my 1911 to use the barrel for the plunk test, in seconds. Not quite as fast or one handed like they do in the movies, but quickly enough to not be an issue.

That said, you are 100% correct in using what works for you, not what someone else thinks you should do.

Grumpy

 

I see the consensus is the ker' PLUNK test. I will use this method to start with for now. Instead of buying more new gauges.

I'll need to learn the correct or consistent method of doing this, but seems straight forward enough.

Thank you, for all of the replies.
TG

 

I see the consensus is the ker' PLUNK test. I will use this method to start with for now. Instead of buying more new gauges. I'll need to learn the correct or consistent method of doing this, but seems straight forward enough.
Thank you, for all of the replies. TG

I think the smart choice is to buy a cartridge gauge tool so you can compare the result from the actual barrel plunk test to what the gauge tool tells you.

Of course the barrel has the last word. For subsequent handloads the gage test maybe all you need to see knowing the previous ctg passed the in barrel plunk test.

I have plunk tested cleaned and sized empty ctg cases just to check the cases over all length in my barrels chamber.
I saw the case heads were all flush with the barrel hood or very slightly below flush which confirmed the measurements I wrote down for case lengths of that small batch of 50 cases.
Now when I seat a bullet in these cases and if the case head should stand above the barrel hood I'll know it is the bullet causing this problem. I'll twist the ctg to read the interference scratch marks on the bullet and make seating depth adjustments and possibly powder charge weight adjustment if I can't plunk to the recipe's COL.

 

I use several different projectiles for a few pistol calibers, so a case gauge is handy when I change things up for proper seating depth.
Yes I write down and check OAL frequently, but a gauge is handy as opposed to pulling the barrel every time.

 

I have both a 9 mm and 45 ACP Max case length gauges in my tool collection. I only used them to set up my Dillon RL-550-B. I only expect to use them if I change my dies. So, if you are reloading on a single stage press, the Max length gauges may get used more.

 

I will use the RL550B press for all of my hand loading. I do use the small Lee single stage only for decapping before a case cleaning/wet tumble.

 

Straight wall pistol cases actually get shorter the more they're reloaded using the common sizing die method. If they're roll sized, they can be returned to their original length. Roll sizing machines are not cheap.

 

I like and use case gauges. Are they necessary? Nope, but they are of great convenience for me and a considerable time saver on the bench. Everyone that has posted in this thread has "unnecessary" tools on the bench... but each found what they like and what works for them.

I don't want to carry a half dozen guns across the house and upstairs to my bench so I can use the barrels anytime I reload. I know my gauges and the size relationship to the guns in same calibers... and if a round gauges freely, I know it will work in any one of my guns. If I only use barrels, I have to remember which one has the tightest chamber, etc.

 

We all eventually figure out what seems to work best for us, time, equipment, checking, case cleaning, shooting and more. Me, since a lot of my reloads are much shot brass, 9 and .45 mostly, my sequence is to sort calibers, hot ultrasonic cleaning, vibratory polish, lube in a baggie with Hornady One Shot, size/deprime, load on my LNL, then a few minutes back in the vibratory to clean off any lube and powder grains, then check with a case gage, and for some, then a plunk test. Maybe 30K reloads so far, had a few squibs when first started, but none in years, my ammo works in all my pistols, Browning HP's, H&K's, DW's, 1911's, Sig's. If I have a malfunction, it is due to a damaged magazine.

Works for me. For rifle, I patiently load on a Redding Single stage, for some, weighing each load to the grain of powder. My Redding beam scale will actually do that. I load 14 different calibers. I really find it peaceful and fulfilling making precise ammo, esp for my rifles.

Just different ways to make good ammo. All the best, and stay safe. NV

 

I use an EGW seven hole gauge to check my ammo. Since I'm loading for multiple firearms using a barrel really doesn't work.

I know if it fits in the gauge it fits in the firearms and the seven hole gauge is a LOT faster than a single hole gauge.

 

Hello y'all,

I'm planning on hand loading for my 1911s soon for the very first time. At this point I've only loaded for rifle. I could use some of your pistol loading experience.

Which L.E. Wilson case gauge would you recommend, the Min or Max gauge? MidwayUSA has both.

Note that all of my .45 pistols are Colt N.M. barrels, will this matter? I could also use the barrel itself to gauge/check to see if my loads are chambering.

I like the convenience of gauges for checking my rifle hand loads.

I appreciate your feedback, thank you.

I use total length. However, check the gauge in your barrel when you receive it, before reloading bullets using the gauge. If a bullet protudes past the hood it can cause slamfires.

 

All of my 45 pistols have hard fit match barrels. I made my own cartridge gage using the same finish reamer that i used to ream the barrels. If a round fits the gage it fits any of my barrels.

 

It was a requirement in my class. Good for you!
omegamanjohn

 

I have L.E. Wilson gages for all my calibers and hardly ever use them, especially for OAL. It's difficult to find OAL measurements for all bullet profiles.
Plunk test is helpful but I've found, especially on 1911's, rounds that will plunk fine but wont fit in the magazine, so I'd check that too before loading a big batch.

 

I length size all my brass using the lee system.

 

True. Once you establish the relationship with your case gauge and smallest chamber, you are all set. I do not have one that is really extremely small. I double check all my new loads with barrels but do know at what point a failure in the case gauge will not be an issue.