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Posted: 2/6/2010 6:33:35 AM EDT
| Okay, there seem to be a large number of members who reload for the M1 using full size dies. They are a bit cheaper than SB dies, that is for sure. I assume it is strongly recommended that I uses a cartridge headspace gauge to check the brass, correct? |
| I use a Wilson Case Gage to ensure my brass is sized correctly, for both .308 and 30-06. I think this is a critical step in the process. I use the small base die when sizing for my M1A, as I shoot mostly once-fired machine gun brass through it. For the Garand, I use regular full length dies for the 30-06 brass. |
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I use standard RCBS FL dies for my M1s. There's no need for SB dies unless you're shooting machine gun brass. Even then, it should only be necessary for the first sizing.
I'm planning to invest in an RCBS X-die for all of my gas guns once I return to the States. I think the increase in brass life will more than pay for the new dies. |
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I know lots of folks recommend those case gauges but all I've ever done is trim a case to length (as measured with a caliper) after I've resized them. Never any issues.
i've used Pacific (Hornady) dies and Lee dies for my M1 Garand and M1A and the same reloads shoot fine in my son's M1A also. There may be some rifles out there with exceptionally tight chambers but most are fine. |
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Quoted:
I know lots of folks recommend those case gauges but all I've ever done is trim a case to length (as measured with a caliper) after I've resized them. Never any issues. i've used Pacific (Hornady) dies and Lee dies for my M1 Garand and M1A and the same reloads shoot fine in my son's M1A also. There may be some rifles out there with exceptionally tight chambers but most are fine. You may have been lucky all this time. I have been loading for over 30 years now and I have case gauges for everything I reload. They are extremely important for verifying that the shoulder (hence the headspace) for your brass is in the correct location. You can not measure this with calipers or eyeball it, trust me. I broke the extractor on my M-1A because of some incorrectly headspaced brass I loaded. The shoulder was too far forward, but not enough to cause hard chambering. After I figured out why this happened and I bought a case gauge then did I find out that the shoulder was about .015 out of spec. Not very much, but enough to ruin your day. Luckily it was only the extractor that got ruined, could have been much worse. Case length is something to keep in mind as well, but the headspace in the most critical thing with a bottlenecked case. The other thing with the M-1 Garand is the powder, too slow or fast a burn rate can bend op rods. IMR-4895 (IIRC) is the powder of choice, but there are others that work as well. Read as much as you can about the M-1 and loading for one. Take your time and do it right. Indy |
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RCBS makes a gauge (Precision Mic?) to check how your dies are adjusted. You can also measure fired brass with the Precision Mic to get a pretty close check on your rifles headspace dimensions. If you size your brass about .002" less than your rifles headspace dimension, you should get reliable chambering and decent brass life. Excessive sizing will tend to decrease your brass life. I have not used a small base die for any of my rifles, but one encounter with once-fired machine gun brass was particularly frustrating. After sizing about 100 pieces, I think I threw the rest away.
dvo |
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