BD1 wrote:Jeez Hoot, it looks like they're getting shorter all the time. The last new Hornady brass I bought was in 2009, and they were all between 1.697 and 1.699. I've been "retiring" them when they get below 1.690.
BD
Yes, I bought two boxes in the course of last year. Dimensions in one varied from 1.694 to 1.7 and the other was horrendous, like 1.688 to 1.697. Having seen videos of brass being manufactured, my guess is Hornady has brass forging pellets of a size the yields 1.69-1.70 when run through their forging tooling for the .284 Winchester. The end forgings
may pass along a visual inspection belt to cull obviously malformed ones and into sorting bins, faster than the eye can see. Depending upon the accuracy of the pellet size, hardness, forging press force, etc, the final length varies within a certain AQL yield. I doubt they are scrutinized individually. Remember, profit margin is job 1.
FWIW, the other box that came with the one I just used, measured out the same. Probably from the same manufacturing lot.
There is of course an argument to be made for how important final length is. In my chamber, With a 1.704 case chambered, while being held back against the bolt face, the mouth still did not touch the chamber lip, so tolerances are somewhat negotiable. I suspect 1.685 works just as well and just as safe as 1.695. The key specification being not so long as to prevent the bolt lugs from engaging and rotating into locked position. Too short has been the source of a lot of debate in the 1911 forums for time in memoriam.
That doesn't make it right, but you got to pick your battles.
There is an argument for not loading them light. My experience has been that the worst shrinkage comes from the lowest chamber pressure loads. They just can't hold on tight enough.
Thank you Bushmaster for a polished chrome chamber in a non-combat weapon.
Hoot