Lee Case Length Gauge question (.45 Colt)

idsman75

My once-fired cases are within a thousandth of an inch of OAL so I'm not going to trim but I have a question.

The Lee Case Length Gauge for .45 Colt has a larger diamater at the end ajdacent the cutter. As a matter of fact, I would have to practically force the guage into the case to get it to the point where the cutter meets the mouth of the case. I tried it with one case. It wasn't pretty. There was no way in heck the gauge was even going to turn inside the case because the fit at the mouth was so tight. It took a little umph to pull the case length gauge out of the case when I did this.

Am I supposed to flare the case mouth before I trim? I thought it was trim/debur/chamfer and then flare the case mouth. The only way this case length gauge is going to fit inside the case is if I flare the mouth first. Is this right?

I'm using RCBS dies so the sizing die and the case length gauge are not of the same brand. However, the difference in diameter along the body of the case length gauge and the section adjacent the cutter is so apparent that it's visible. I ran the brass through the tumbler and I also used a nylon brush inside the brass before I ran it up through the sizer die.

The diameter difference is so visible that there's no way IMHO that the difference in brands or the cleanliness inside the brass would make a difference one way or the other.

jonk

While a snug fit is proper, that sounds too tight. Chuck it in your drill and reduce it a tad with some emery paper. 1/1000 or 2 should suffice.

dcs shooters

I had to reduce that rim on the ones for pistol brass.
You might find your 45 brass shrinks. Try reloading and then recheck after firing again. I have never had to trim any pistol brass, even some hot 44mag.

idsman75

Thanks for the info. I just don't understand why they make the diameter at one end of the case length gauge larger than the rest of it.

RCrosby

Are you trimming before or after sizing?
If after, then trim first, then size. Should take care of the problem.
If you're already attempting to trim before sizing, then either you or Lee have to take a little metal off.
If the entire shaft were the same diameter it would never get far enough into the case to do the trimming.

bpost

I have NEVER had to trim a straight walled pistol case. In shooting tens of thousands of rounds of 38, 41 Mag 45, 44mag 357 and 9MM none has ever required trimming. As a matter of fact they tend to grow SHORTER.

jonk

I agree with Bpost. Richard Lee, president of the company, has said as much, but then said, 'but we sell thousands of these trimmers in each caliber a year, some folks must like and use them, so we make them."