Chamber Checker

[Skyhawk23]

Hello All,

Just wondering if any or some use some sort of chamber checker for their 9mm reloads? I have both the Lyman and the Egw checker and for some reason the Egw seem to be tighter in tolerance than the Lyman? I ran my reloads through the Lee bulge buster before the chamber check and the Lyman seem to be a lot more toleran than the Egw.

Just wonder if anyone out there have any thoughts or opinion on this.

:-D

[mdi]

Are you having problems with your handloads not chambering in your gun? FWIW, I thought I needed cartridge gauges when I first got a semi-auto, but soon realized the gauges I got were at or very close to SAAMI minimum, but all my rounds chambered just fine. Never tried a "bulge buster" or needed a post crimping sizing die. Standard pistol dies, adjusted correctly work quite well...

[kywoodwrkr]

I had tolerance problems with stand alone chamber checker.
Gave up and started using a 1911 9mm barrel.
Now wish I had a chamber section of 5,56 barrel.

[onelight]

I use my barrel with the tightest chamber if they fit in it they will fit in the the others.

[Skyhawk23]

I am not having issue yet, as for as chamfering my rounds. I just thought that the Lyman and others should have the same tolerance for chamber check. But the Egw was a lot tighter and the Lyman was a bit more tolerance enhanced? But I ran all my rounds through a bulge buster just in case, don't want to have an expensive experience. That is why I want to ask and get all the opinions and advise before continue down the road of reloading.

Thanks for all the advises

[RedlegEd]

Hi Skyhawk,
Some folks have had issues with the bulge buster swaging down their cast bullets. This is especially true if your brass has thick walls and your bullet is a little fat. While it will chamber and fire really well, the now smaller diameter cast bullets might start leading. So, if you notice really bad leading after bulge busting your rounds, that may be the cause. If you are shooting jacketed bullets, you shouldn't have any issues.
Ed

[Skyhawk23]

Thanks

[mdi]

FWIW; 4, 9mm pistols. No bulge buster. No FCD. No cartridge gauge. Mixed brass. Mixed cast and jacketed. Mixed bullet sizes/weights/styles. Zero chambering problems in many thousands of rounds reloaded...

[Skyhawk23]

FWIW; 4, 9mm pistols. No bulge buster. No FCD. No cartridge gauge. Mixed brass. Mixed cast and jacketed. Mixed bullet sizes/weights/styles. Zero chambering problems in many thousands of rounds reloaded...


Thanks for the info. I am new to the reloading scene and read too many horror stories about gun barrels blowing up if not careful with the ammo checking.

[GBertolet]

I have the Midway chamber checker set for all auto cartridges. I use the checker for all ammo used in competition. 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 acp. I feel mine is made to minimum tolerances. I occasionally have ammo that won't cleanly go into the checker, but still chambers easily in the pistols. I use a Dillon SDB progressive loader, and prefer a minimum crimp. I also have a seperate taper crimper die for the single stage press. It's set to crimp a little bit more than the Dillon. Any stubborn cases get run through that die, afterwards they go easily in my chamber checker. Probably not 100% necessiary, but just a precaution, as the action shooting sports make no allowances for stoppages.

[Skyhawk23]

I have the Midway chamber checker set for all auto cartridges. I use the checker for all ammo used in competition. 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 acp. I feel mine is made to minimum tolerances. I occasionally have ammo that won't cleanly go into the checker, but still chambers easily in the pistols. I use a Dillon SDB progressive loader, and prefer a minimum crimp. I also have a seperate taper crimper die for the single stage press. It's set to crimp a little bit more than the Dillon. Any stubborn cases get run through that die, afterwards they go easily in my chamber checker. Probably not 100% necessiary, but just a precaution, as the action shooting sports make no allowances for stoppages.

Thanks I begin to figure it out that the amount of crimp will make a difference for the chamber checker. The Lyman is so much mor forgiving than the Egw checker.

[44magLeo]

These tools you talk about do not check the chamber. They check the ammo.
That's why they call them ammo checkers.
As far as some being tighter than others, so what, They are made to be within SAMMI spes. These specs have a tolerance range.
These ammo checkers are made within that range.
Just like the chambers in your guns. All made to spec but some or tighter than others.
For semi auto pistols, using the barrel is your best gauge. Some are easier too remove to be used as a checker than others.
If you buy one expecting it to be a match for your chamber, get real, it ain't gonna happen but by chance.
On all fire arms it is possible to run each cartridge through the fire arm to check for chambering. Again some are easier to do this with.
For those that are inconvenient or it is a slow process then the ammo checkers are a good tool.
I have one for my Mosin Nagant in 7.62x 54R. On some cases fired in other guns a full length size doesn't allow them to chamber. An ammo gauge works much easier than trying to run empty cases through the rifle. On the ones that don't plunk into the checker I send them through the Lyman Shell Sizer I have for the 7.62x54R. This sizes all the way to the rim. This lets cases plunk easily.
On all my other fire arms I don't have these issues, a full length size and they all chamber just fine.
Leo

[Skyhawk23]

These tools you talk about do not check the chamber. They check the ammo.
That's why they call them ammo checkers.
As far as some being tighter than others, so what, They are made to be within SAMMI spes. These specs have a tolerance range.
These ammo checkers are made within that range.
Just like the chambers in your guns. All made to spec but some or tighter than others.
For semi auto pistols, using the barrel is your best gauge. Some are easier too remove to be used as a checker than others.
If you buy one expecting it to be a match for your chamber, get real, it ain't gonna happen but by chance.
On all fire arms it is possible to run each cartridge through the fire arm to check for chambering. Again some are easier to do this with.
For those that are inconvenient or it is a slow process then the ammo checkers are a good tool.
I have one for my Mosin Nagant in 7.62x 54R. On some cases fired in other guns a full length size doesn't allow them to chamber. An ammo gauge works much easier than trying to run empty cases through the rifle. On the ones that don't plunk into the checker I send them through the Lyman Shell Sizer I have for the 7.62x54R. This sizes all the way to the rim. This lets cases plunk easily.
On all my other fire arms I don't have these issues, a full length size and they all chamber just fine.
Leo

Leo,

Sorry for using the wrong description for the ammo checker. As I was saying in the earlier reply I am new to this and I am doing a lots of reading and asking questions. I don't want to ended up with an expansive lesson that is all I am trying to do.

But I do appreciate all your suggestions, and advise.

Thanks and have a great day.

[mdi]

I have one (of 4) 9mm pistol that has a slightly shorter chamber so I use that gun to check, plunk test for all my 9mm pistols (roughly .010" shorter than my FMK, Ruger or Tokerev). So far, I cannot remember any failures to chamber after I reloaded all my 9mm ammo to fit that one gun and prior to getting my Masada, I had zero failures...

Don't fret minor term faux pas, we all knew what you were talking about; cartridge gauge. Case gauges are often just used to check case length. Can't remember hearing them called "ammo checkers".

https://www.google.com/search?q=cartridge+gauges&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS874US874&oq=cartridge+gauges&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.7879j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Skyhawk23]

I have one (of 4) 9mm pistol that has a slightly shorter chamber so I use that gun to check, plunk test for all my 9mm pistols (roughly .010" shorter than my FMK, Ruger or Tokerev). So far, I cannot remember any failures to chamber after I reloaded all my 9mm ammo to fit that one gun and prior to getting my Masada, I had zero failures...

Don't fret minor term faux pas, we all knew what you were talking about; cartridge gauge. Case gauges are often just used to check case length. Can't remember hearing them called "ammo checkers".

https://www.google.com/search?q=cartridge+gauges&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS874US874&oq=cartridge+gauges&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6.7879j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I try that trick with the barrel for a plunk test, but since I am new and really don't know what to lookout for, that is why I went and brought the gauge checkers. Also like I said that I don't want an expansive experience, LOL. So I am looking at all the gurus and experts for advise.

Thanks for all the input as always.

[GBertolet]

Technically these gauges are ammo checkers, but often refered to as chamber checkers. They are supposed to be cut to minimum chamber dimensions, and a specific overall length, which would be SAAMI specifications. These checkers are mass produced, which allows some slight variation in dimensions, which is why some are tighter than others. We are only taking about .001 or so.

Also as alluded in an earlier post, some pistols are short throated. CZ's come to mind first, as one of these, and there others around. These pistols are very sensitive to overall length of the ammo, and particularly the bearing surface of the exposed bullet. The only way to know for sure, is when setting up your dies, have the barrel removed from your pistol, and drop the loaded rounds in the barrel, and see if they enter freely, and completely. If you wish you can use a factory round as a benchmark. This is what they call the plunk test, as the sound the rounds make when go in the barrel completely, is "plunk".

[mdi]

267690
Plunk test. Drop in, drop out...

[Skyhawk23]

Thanks :awesome:

[Skyhawk23]

Mdi,

Thanks again will use that as a reference

[mdi]

Welcome. Just like everybody else I had to learn, just a few years before you (30?). For one gun I thought I needed a cartridge gauge and fought one trying to get my handloads to fit. Then an old reloader asked me "do they chamber in your gun?", they did and I put the gauge in a drawer, somewhere...

[Skyhawk23]

Welcome. Just like everybody else I had to learn, just a few years before you (30?). For one gun I thought I needed a cartridge gauge and fought one trying to get my handloads to fit. Then an old reloader asked me "do they chamber in your gun?", they did and I put the gauge in a drawer, somewhere...

Mdi,

Man thanks for your input again, When I said I was new to the reloading scene I mean with the AP press and all that added accessories. I did hard reload back in the early to mid 70's by hand with a Lee base hand loader. At that time don't have a lots of money or free time to play, but sure don't remember the loading process was that hard, LOL. We didn't have internet back then.

I was loading a 38 spl and some 223 for my mini 14. just got a small hand loading hammer and a handbook off we go. never check anything just load and go shoot. Maybe I was lucky nothing bad happen while shooting the reloads. But now retired have little time while locked up in the house, and have some spare change watch too much YouTube, so things get a little complicated haha

I guess sometimes too much info can hurt or help you, in my case now I want to check everything before I go and do some paper destroying.

But Thanks to everyone for all the input.

[Burnt Fingers]

I use the EGW 7 hole gauge to check my 45 ACP and 9mm loads.

The rejection rate on the 45 ACP is way less than 1%. Maybe 1-2 in a 500 round batch.

The 9mm rejection rate is just a bit higher. Around 2-4 in a 500 round batch.

I have multiple firearms in each cartridge. If they fit in the gauge the ammo will work in all of my firearms.

Since I shoot competition I want to eliminate bad ammo.

Using the seven hole gauge is a lot quicker than using a barrel.

[Skyhawk23]

I use the EGW 7 hole gauge to check my 45 ACP and 9mm loads.

The rejection rate on the 45 ACP is way less than 1%. Maybe 1-2 in a 500 round batch.

The 9mm rejection rate is just a bit higher. Around 2-4 in a 500 round batch.

I have multiple firearms in each cartridge. If they fit in the gauge the ammo will work in all of my firearms.

Since I shoot competition I want to eliminate bad ammo.

Using the seven hole gauge is a lot quicker than using a barrel.

Thanks Burnt Fingers,

That is the info I am looking for. I don't shoot competition but I just want to make sure my reloads will work with all my 9mm guns.