Experiencing malfunctions with AR during 3 gun matches

[FastSplits]

This season I've had malfunctions with my AR cost me at 3 matches. The malfunctions all occur with one specific round that I load.

First a little background on the malfunction.

What has been happening, is that I'm shooting long range targets, and suddenly one round will slip off the extractor and get stuck in the chamber. If I'm able to clear it, it happens again, and again, all with the same ammo. So it's definitely an ammo related issue.

One of my squad mates picked up some of the ammo I cleared during the malfunctions, and I tossed it into my bad to measure later. Unfortunately there were only two rounds that were recovered, and one was an obvious double feed.

I began looking closely at my other ammo, and after case gauging the rounds, many of them are below the bottom cut on my Wilson case gauge.

They all happen to be with LC brass, which I myself didn't resize.

My question is, how far below the bottom of the gauge can I go? When I personally resize my brass, it's always sized a hair above the bottom on the case gauge.

Seeing as I have about 600 rounds loaded, I'm wondering what length under the bottom line would be passable to shoot? I believe anything .006 undersized is probably too much, but where would the line be drawn? Is .003 good? .004?

It really sucks that I have to deal with this, but it is what it is.

I know that the most logical path is to go through every round and measure them in the gauge, and then dismantle all rounds that are below the minimum. Since so many are below the minimum, I'd like to save myself some trouble, and hear everyone's thoughts on where they would draw the line in this situation.

Just as an FYI, I found one round that was very undersized....it measure .009" below the bottom of the case gauge.....there's probably no doubt that that one would have caused issues lol.

The barrel I'm using is a match grade barrel with a match grade/sized chamber that I've had measured by a competent gunsmith. He said that my headspace is about .002 above the bottom line on the gauge....basically this is what he recommended I size my brass to.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

[FastSplits]

Crisis averted. Out of the 600 rounds, there are about 150 rounds that are undersized so I'll pull them and load them in properly sized brass.

I'll keep this undersized brass in the event that I build a 300 blackout and just covert the brass.

[Wes Sage]

So over head spaced brass was to blame?
Sucks that 3 matches were lost due to that.
What case gauge do you have?

[FastSplits]

So over head spaced brass was to blame?
Sucks that 3 matches were lost due to that.
What case gauge do you have?

Yeah, it sucked, but it's partially my fault for not checking the brass. I had some that was sized by someone else, which got mixed in with the brass that I personally prepped.

I'm using the Wilson case gauge, and they were undersized anywhere from .001" to the extreme of .010". That is measuring the depth from the bottom (do not go below) part of the gauge.

It's a lesson learned the hard way, but going forward I'm going to only use brass that I've personally prepped and case gauged.

I'm just glad it's not all 600 rounds lol.

[Wes Sage]

Wow!! Sorry that happened buddy!!
I have seen the same thing before as well.
Glad it wasn't all 600 either!! That would be rough

[FastSplits]

Wow!! Sorry that happened buddy!!
I have seen the same thing before as well.
Glad it wasn't all 600 either!! That would be rough

It happens. I used to be far more detail oriented with reloading, before I started reloading in bulk....that is going to change now. For pistol I fortunately have those Shockbottle case gauges which makes it extremely easy to check all pistol rounds. I've found a 100 round 223 case gauge, however it's extremely expensive....around $300. Depending on how much I hate checking every single 223 round I load, I may have to suck it up and buy that case gauge.

[Wes Sage]

May be worth it in the end.
If I process the brass, I know it is good to go, and when loading I check a few here and there only.

It happens. I used to be far more detail oriented with reloading, before I started reloading in bulk....that is going to change now. For pistol I fortunately have those Shockbottle case gauges which makes it extremely easy to check all pistol rounds. I've found a 100 round 223 case gauge, however it's extremely expensive....around $300. Depending on how much I hate checking every single 223 round I load, I may have to suck it up and buy that case gauge.

[Tim Josey]

Wes's processed brass is good to go. I've used the 223 & 300 BO- No problems and really Purdy!!

[Wes Sage]

Thanks buddy!!

Wes's processed brass is good to go. I've used the 223 & 300 BO- No problems and really Purdy!!

[akholic]

2nd wes's 300bo brass all go bang and thown out the side lol