One of 'those days' at the loading bench

[Mobuck]

Having a bit of free time and some cooler weather, I decided to fiddle with case preparation. I'd bought some once fired cases over the past months and had them ready to prime and THEN stuff began going downhill. It seems AGUILA 6.5 Creedmoor cases require primer pocket swaging--not something I was expecting. By the time I conceded the fact, I'd damaged my 'new to me' RCBS hand primer. On top of that, I can't find the large primer swaging parts for my Dillon swager. Just not my day.

 

[DRAM40A1]

Use your case neck chamfer tool. Just a couple twist and roll on.

 

[Mobuck]

I thought so, too. BUT, hasn't worked so far. Seems the actual primer pocket is too tight on about 30% of the cases.

 

[mr surveyor]

what brand of primers?

 

[DRAM40A1]

Did you get this sorted?

 

[Mobuck]

I've ordered a widget that should fix the problem. The problems encountered with this brand of brass pushed the price of these cases beyond their possible value.
IMHO, don't try to reload AGUILA centerfire cases for this reason. These came in a mixed brand purchase of once fired cases. After experiencing the problems noted, I should have tossed them in the recycle bucket.

 

[contender]

I've had a long standing method of only using brass brands that I know will work as they should. Mostly they are American made,, or well established top brands. It has greatly reduced my frustrations.
On many brands,, mostly foreign or "cheaper" types,, I do a "test" of just a few prior to keeping any of that brand.

Just a few weeks ago,, at our USPSA match,, a newer guy was complaining about his reloads & such. How he was having issues with them feeding & seating properly. When I asked what brands of brass he was using,, he replied with a few foreign types. I politely told him to try JUST well known American brands & see if that fixed his issues. We'll see!

 

[Laserbait]

Aguila... Hate that stuff. I got a bunch of it in 357 mag, and ended up scrapping it because of the undersize primer pockets. Thankfully it was free from a fellow shooter at the range who didn't reload.

 

[Sam Summey]

I learned many years ago, even before my progressive acquisition, to sort my cases by manufacturer. As was said by Walter Brimley, "You'll get a more harmonious outcome." There are many headstamps out there that are definitely "alien", their dimensional tolerances vary all over the place. Recently I tried to use some of them in a Springfield Garrison, many loaded rounds go so far into the chamber the firing pin fails to hit the primer. I have cleaned the firing pin tunnel in the slide and found no significant debris. Checking the rounds in a Midway gage they go too far in. I have backed off the crimp die to reduce the taper crimp. My life is hectic right now with the passing of my son, so I haven't had time to test the changes.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

The only Aguila brass I have loaded was a small batch of .357. I didn't experience any problems with it, but have never loaded any of their rifle brass. Sounds like a frustrating issue. I did have some problems a few months ago with some cheap 10mm ammo I bought, can't even recall the brand right now, but they had their own headstamp on the brass. I had a couple of failures to feed while shooting it, and the bullets actually broke. They were jacketed bullets with some kind of sintered metal core, and the whole ogive section of the bullet broke off. Well, I got through the box of ammo and tried to reload it. The cases were so undersize that they would collapse when I attempted to seat a (jacketed) bullet. I threw the whole batch in the trash. I guess all it cost me for the experience was frustration and 50 primers.

 

[krw]

I hav never used or came across any Aguila product that I was really tickled over. I do love precision reloading w Lapua brass.

 

[Mobuck]

The 'widget' is being delivered today so I can straighten this out. I've been seeing Aguila 6.5 Cr range ammo at some decent prices but considering the throw away brass, I'll look at different brands.
Actually got an OK deal on some WW 'range' ammo this morning. Not cheap but 25-30% below local OTC and delivered to my doorstep.