Best case gauge for 9mm?

[Drew P]

Assuming Sheridan is the best one but want opinions. I like to check finished rounds which I can use barrels but sometimes I like to know they fit a certain spec or something. For rifle I only use Sheridan gauges.

[No Blue]

Best gauge is the barrel you're going to shoot it in; that should be what you really want to know.

Wanting to know if they fit 'a certain spec' is academic, but there are lots of peeps that are like that...;)

[ReloaderFred]

I've yet to fire a round through a case gauge in 53 years of reloading, but then that's just me. I do have gauges, and I think I may have used one about 10 years ago or so. It was probably as a paperweight, or something.

Now some people will tell you it isn't possible to load ammunition without a gauge, but I'm not one of them. I make ammunition to fit my guns, period.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Omega]

I have a sheridan slotted guage for 300 BLK, and .277 WLV, and if I do any other wildcat or caliber that requires case conversation I will get one for that too. For standard reloading I have all my dies set, so I rarely need to adjust anything, but would just do the plunk test if I did.

[kmrra]

Thats goes for me , the gun you shoot it in is the best gauge, In all my yearw of reloading I have never had a need for a gauge, If you full length resize and your case is trimmed to the right size you will never need a gauge , , but thats just me , I always have the gun handy that im loading for, and try out at least one round for fit and firing , That is if you live out in the boonies like I do, I dont care if its the same load that I always use , I fire at least one just to check for signs of pressure. but the answer to your question , Wilson make gauges that are top notch.

[Drew P]

I knew I would drag out the naysayers but in defense of gauges there legitimate reasons for them. For instance many barrels are hard to use for plunking, like AR and many rifles. Also, sometimes for blasting ammo I don't necessarily want to tune to my particular weapons, as I may want to borrow one or just know that my ammo passes a "Saami" fit.
For me it's just one more data point to have at my disposal however minimal the relevance is it can be useful.
For competition use I'd like to know that all my rounds pass the gauge, it gives me a little extra confidence that they will operate properly in times of need.

From what I can tell the egw gauges and the Sheridan gauges use chamber reamers to make their gauges, rather than just drills or straight reamers. Unfortunately they are not really called out as to which style they are in the specs.

[TexasGrunt]

I have four 10mm pistols and close to a dozen .45 ACP pistols. Case gauges make it much easier as I have a couple of pistols that will eat just about anything and others that are very picky. Plus I don't have to tear down pistols to check ammo.

[AZ Pete]

I have used Dillon case gages. I had no need for any, until I started loading factory cast in .45 ACP in mixed range brass for steels. The gage let me readily set up my loader, and weed out the odd round that just didn't want to feed during a match. Gages do have their place. I also use a Dillon for 5.56, since I have more than one AR to use the finished ammo in.


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[retread]

I have a Dillon for 9mm. Works for me.

[jmort]

I like the Sheridan Slotted Guage as recommended herein

[No Blue]

I knew I would drag out the naysayers but in defense of gauges there legitimate reasons for them. For instance many barrels are hard to use for plunking, like AR and many rifles. Also, sometimes for blasting ammo I don't necessarily want to tune to my particular weapons, as I may want to borrow one or just know that my ammo passes a "Saami" fit.
For me it's just one more data point to have at my disposal however minimal the relevance is it can be useful.
For competition use I'd like to know that all my rounds pass the gauge, it gives me a little extra confidence that they will operate properly in times of need.

From what I can tell the egw gauges and the Sheridan gauges use chamber reamers to make their gauges, rather than just drills or straight reamers. Unfortunately they are not really called out as to which style they are in the specs.

EGW and Sheridan are the only ones that advertise they're chamber reamed; so I think you'd be on safe ground to assume all the rest are just bored.

You'd think that with all the positive vibe there is over the chamber cut gauges, that the other companies would start doing it, or advertise they do the same...but this the GUN industry, and they try to avoid doing something their customers would like to buy....

[rodsvet]

I only have one gauge and it is for 5.56 from EGW. I have 5 AR's that I load for and if it drops and plunks in the EGW and falls free it still is no guarantee that it will not get stuck in the chamber. They are the most out of spec gauges out there. I use it for a paper weight and keep it far away from my weapons. As stated earlier, the barrel of the weapon is the only gauge you need.

[mummer1973]

I use Dillon case gauges. just because I reload Dillon and the store sold them. but I just learned something new. Maybe I might look into buying one and just try it. I love this site. I really learn a lot from all you guys. Keep the info coming?

[bedbugbilly]

I'm not where I can look but I think mine is either a Wilson or a Lyman. The 9mm was the first one I got as I had a pistol that was a little finicky and random checks with the gauge just eased my mind that things were going to work. I since have added a .380 gauge and a 45 ACP gauge. Yes . . . the barrel is the best gauge but many times you are loading for a variety of pistols. The gauge is to spec and I would imagine most brands would work plenty well enough. I never use one on rimmed straight walled - 38s/357, 45 Colt, etc.

[Iowa Fox]

I have used Dillon case gages. I had no need for any, until I started loading factory cast in .45 ACP in mixed range brass for steels. The gage let me readily set up my loader, and weed out the odd round that just didn't want to feed during a match. Gages do have their place. I also use a Dillon for 5.56, since I have more than one AR to use the finished ammo in.


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Exactly the same word for word here Pete. I like the Dillon gages the best and have Wilson and others for the same calibers to compare. Every single 45 acp round gets plunked into the gage before it gets boxed. I spot check the 223.

[Mike Kerr]

I agree with what ReloaderFred said in post 3. I just have not found gauges necessary in several decades of reloading. The barrel works just fine and I guess I just have not experienced finicky guns - just lucky I guess.

[Pine Baron]

I load for a half dozen different guns. I use a Lyman gauge for 9mm.

[Drew P]

I agree with what ReloaderFred said in post 3. I just have not found gauges necessary in several decades of reloading. The barrel works just fine and I guess I just have not experienced finicky guns - just lucky I guess.
so how do you use the barrels in rifles as your gauge?

[No Blue]

so how do you use the barrels in rifles as your gauge?

I'll load a couple of dummy rounds, bullet, no powder or primer. See if they chamber.

I have a Hornady case measuring tool, so I'll measure the headspace dimension, put a .003" shim on the case head and try to chamber it again. Then add a .002" or .003" shim and make sure it won't close. So I know I got the shoulder in the right place for that individual gun. Mark the rounds and keep them with the die set.

Then use the pattern rounds to set the dies the next time I need to.

The 223 and Blackout I have a Sheridan gauge. Before I got those, I would use a bare barrel, drop a factory round in, measure from the end of the barrel to the case head with a depth mike. Lock the mike with .003" clearance for headspace.

That was more of a check the first 10 and then spot check after deal....

I've thought about making a Cerrosafe casting, and then plunge it into some body putty inside a length of tubing. Pop the cured casting and mill off the end of the bondo to copy the different headspace depths you'll see on a steel gauge.

Then you'd have a gauge of the exact chamber of that gun; if it fits that gauge, it'll fit the gun. The Sheridan is cut tight, and a lot of stuff it will reject will actually chamber.

[Drew P]

That's a lot of work involving tools that are possibly more expensive than a case gauge. But, if it works for ya, it's the best way.

[pergoman]

None of the different loads I use in any of my 9's will go into any gauge I own. All of my loads plunk into the barrels or cylinders I use them in. I size all of my 9's to .357" and have for years. That keeps them from fitting in a gauge. I cast with ww+sn alloy so they are not too hard and now a days everything gets pc'd.

[No Blue]

That's a lot of work involving tools that are possibly more expensive than a case gauge. But, if it works for ya, it's the best way.

I reload about 10 rifle calibers, almost all of them don't have a commercial gauge available. So this is the way I figured out how to do it. I'm a machinist, used to working in .0005". Or less.

But that's way too tight for ammo...what's scary is the peeps that don't have a clue making ammo. They could be at the next bench! KaBoom!

[Drew P]

I reload about 10 rifle calibers, almost all of them don't have a commercial gauge available. So this is the way I figured out how to do it. I'm a machinist, used to working in .0005". Or less.

But that's way too tight for ammo...what's scary is the peeps that don't have a clue making ammo. They could be at the next bench! KaBoom!
Well, where's there's a need there's a way, and I'm a machinist too, although I use the term loosely. But, it doesn't mean that I'd turn down a gauge if it meant I could use it for multiple weapons. The problem here is opposite, we have at least 5 options for gauges in 9mm!

[Plate plinker]

I use a gauge for the reason that was mentioned before, it sucks to find a bad round during a Course of Fire at the match. My 1911 is throated so I know if it fits the gauge it will definitely fit the gun. Most my bad ammo is because the rim on the 45acp has been bashed so much it gets a little wide or the extractor made a burr.

[flyingrhino]

I have Dillons in every caliber i reload except blackout. i use a sheridan for blackout.