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Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

Gideon

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 10, 2009
41
0
66
Hartland, CT
Some of the once fired .223 LC brass I'm reloading for an AR-15 does not easily go into a Lee shell holder. I haven't looked closely to see what about the extractor groove on the case is deformed. So far, I'm just forcing it into the holder and working at it to remove the shell afterwards. Should I be just discarding those cases that don't go into the holder smoothly? Is there any operation that some people perform on their brass to "clean up" the groove?
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

I wouldn't load it until you resolve. Can you take pics of the brass and post them?
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

I'm using two lots of brass right now with jacked up grooves. The rifle seems to like them just fine, but they're an absolute pain in the ass to work with on the press. You can LIGHTLY file off the high spots on the sides of the rim if they're not too bad.
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

You can do file work...fwiw the Coax press seems to work fine with not too badly deformed cases...90% work fine.
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

For this reason it bugs the crap out of me to load for gas guns!! I am so anal about my brass I end up throwing a lot of brass away.
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

If your gas gun is doing that to brass, something is seriously wrong! What I'm talking about is purchased once fired brass, most likely through a SAW of some sort. Tears the hell out of the brass. Next time, I'm going with new cases....
 
Re: Semi-Auto Brass - Buggered Extractor Grooves

What's your semi all about? Carbine length gas system? Do you have stock buffer and spring in there? Were you loading hot?