![]() A swelled chamber will produce the same results. ![]() The ammo will be conformed to the chamber upon firing. If that is the case, you will see small dents in the shell. If a case is severely corroded or dirty, it can also cause it to stick in the chamber. There are differences in the chamber and barrel dimensions of each gun. Even a book load can sometimes be too warm in some guns. Ammo loaded too hot is dangerous and shouldn’t be shot. If it is that hot, the primer will be blown out and the case will be swelled. ![]() If you have that ammo, you will be better served pulling it rather than shooting it. If the case sticks in the chamber, your load is excessively hot and should be backed off a bit. If your loads are way too hot, the signs become much more obvious. Once the primer pocket is enlarged, the case is useless. That is one good incentive to not use max loads on a regular basis. If you reload your cases after firing warm loads, your primers may be loose and unusable. Unless you have additional info that it may be a warm load, disregard cratered primers. Soft brass can cause an extractor to cut through the rim.Ĭratered primers are not a reliable sign because some are softer than others. Years ago, some manufacturers made their brass soft to be able to pick up pressure signs but that trend proved to be problematic and didn’t last very long. If you are using a book load that is listed as mild then perhaps the brass is too soft. A mild overload will produce a shiny round mark on the case head. With many modern rifles, the ejector is spring loaded. There are signs to look for with mild overloads. Careful load development can result in high performing and accurate loads. If you know what you are doing, you can approximate them but seldom exceed their velocities. The factories use powder that isn’t available to the average handloader so they have an advantage in that respect. If you try to exceed their velocities, you will be quickly met with a challenge. Factory loads have improved a lot in the last 20 years. If the primers are loose after being fired twice, that is a pretty good sign that your loads are too warm. While it’s not usually dangerous, firing loads that are a little warm for a gun will wear out your brass quicker and cause excess wear and tear on the gun. An example is a load that has shown good accuracy and consistency but may be a little too warm for that particular gun. If you know how to read the signs, you will learn a lot on how your loads perform. Something that many people overlook is how the brass looks after being fired. These are good ways to evaluate your efforts. If you are a little more serious, you may purchase a chronograph so you can measure the velocity and consistency of your loads. Two of the most common things we look at is the round’s accuracy and if it fed ok. When we reload and fire out ammo, we naturally want to know how it performs. How to Read Fired Brass to Determine the Performance of Your Load
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