I have read that while neck only sizing is preferred if using the ammunition in only one rifle, it is not recommended for use in lever actions or semi-autos. I have a Ruger Mini-14 and have tried using neck resizing and it seems to work OK. I understand the problem with trying to use such reloads in different chambers, but why the recommendation not to use neck resizing in rifles such as the Mini-14?

It is because the case remains expanded and may not feed reliably. If it works with neck sizing only in your Mini-14 that's fine but, it may not always do so. To ensure reliable feeding you should, IMHO, resize your cases and not just the necks.

Neck sizing is used mostly in single shot and bolt action rifles for improvements in accuracy. I use neck sizing exclusively for a couple of calibers in bolt rifles and they do not cycle as easily as fully resized cases do.

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" I don't recall, senator."

A bolt action rifle can chamber or remove a loaded or fired round because the bolt can apply more force than other types of actions.
Neck sizing for a specific bolt action rifle is best for accuracy and case life.
Full length sizing is best for other types of actions as there is less chance of a round getting stuck in the chamber. YMMV

Bruce

Sir, some cases fired in some semi-autos expand so much that they won't rechamber even in the same rifle unless you full-length resize. A buddy of mine recently ran into this with an M1A. He'd neck-sized his cases only, and they wouldn't chamber. A quick check with a case gauge showed all those cases to be too large in body diameter; most stuck out of the gauge at least 1/4-inch. They're supposed to drop in flush.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Thanks for the input. I now have a set of dies with a full case resizer for my .223 ammunition. I will fire the rest of my reloads and watch out for any problems. So far I have not had any FTF or FTE problems with any of my reloads.

I reloaded for a Mini for years by full length sizing only to the point that the rounds chambered easily. They were about 0.005" (measured by a case gauge) shy of actually being full length sized. This prevented overworking the brass. Didn't have an issue till I built a bolt gun with minimum chamber/headspace.

Probably the best way to handle this issue is to get a set of the sizer die shims from Sinclair. Set up your die with a case gauge to properly full length size the case. You can then shim between press frame and die to get the miminal sizing necessary for easy chambering in the Mini. If things start getting tight, pull the shim and do a full length size, then go back to partial sizing again.

I tried full length resizing some of my .223 brass and found that they went through the die easily, which perhaps explains why I have not had any problems so far with the Mini-14. I will use the full length resizer instead of the neck resizer now that I have a bench press and set of dies (was using my Lee Classic Hand Loader, which only resizes necks in bottle neck cartridges).

As an experiment once, I did only partially size a batch of Lake City '67 cases for my M1 for a couple of seasons of high-power competition. They lasted for 16 loadings with only a single trimming and without a single problem before I tossed them. By then they had ugly rims and semi-obscured head stamps but they hung in there. The partial sizing had to be a contributing factor to case life in this instance. The M1 had no "heartburn" digesting them from month to month.

I think neck resizing is only practical in producing bench rest quality reloads for that type of application. In general, since I have numerous rifles in a given caliber, it is just not practical.

Even for semi-auto rifles, I always just use the regular full length resizing and not the "small base" resizing.

The only exception I know to this might be the .303 British being fired in Lee-Enfield rifles.

If you examine these fired cases, they are always severely "bloated". They all are. They just regularly made the chambers large so all kinds of cruddy ammunition would work. Full length resizing for the .303 always leads to very short case life do to working the brass, but you can sometimes get buy by just neck resizing...if you are using them back in the same rifle.

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G.P. Charlie

Yep Charlie. Your .303 findings square with mine. I have three and they all display the tenancies you suggest.

I neck size only for my 03a3. I tried full length resizing and found that the accuracy improved with neck sizing only.

As stated before when you neck size the brass you should only use that brass in that rifle or you may run into chambering difficulties.

I gave up on my .303 enfields and sold them. Case life was short, bore sizes were all over the place. .309-314. Accuracy was mediocre.

When I was shooting "across the course" matches with a M1 Garand I was using "small base" dies to ensure reliable feeding. Having a match grade barrel/chamber might have contributed to the problem.

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Semper FI

I would only neck size for bolt guns, and frankly the only one I would do that with would be a .303 Lee-Enfield. The old Lee Loader actually works very well with that and gives decent case life.

As to semi-autos, it pays to do it right. I trim and size all brass, full length size it, and gauge both sized cases and loaded rounds. Every round goes into a case length gauge for a check on fit and headspace. It's not that much trouble and I have no issues.

Look up "slam-fires" to see why it's worth it.