While reaming the flash holes on some .308 cases, I noticed that after sticking the tool in it would not turn. After applying a good bit of pressure it would break loose and start to turn freely. It seemed to be taking out a lot more chips then Im use to seeing. I held two cases up like a pair of binoculars, one case was reamed the other was not. Looking into both of them at the same time, it appeared the untouched flash hold was a whisper smaller. It could have been my imagination,but I'm not sure. I looked for some drill bits of different sizes to compare with, but wouldn't you know, I had every size but what I needed. The cases in question are from once fired factory ammo....Federal Gold Medal Match. On the side of the box it said.... Specially drawn match grade brass.

I have reamed the flash holes on my new Remington .308 brass in the past and the tool starts turning with little resistance. Would the flash holes in the Federal Match brass be smaller them the Remington? If not, then the Federal brass must have a whole lot of large burrs in them. I stopped reaming until I find out if it's ok to do so. I'm thinking, maybe match brass is suppose to have a smaller flash hole for some reason or another. I have never heard of it before, but then again theirs a lot of things I have never heard before. Better safe then sorry. Any one know if it's ok to treat this brass the same way as any other, and continue reaming?

The fellow I was shooting next to at the range last week said he didn't reload, and ask if I wanted the five boxs of Federal Match brass he just shot. I thanked him graciously and grabbed the brass like a life preserver on the Titanic. They are all of the same lot number. He shot 54 of them out of a Rem 700 and the other 46 out of what looked like an AR in .308 caliber. The one's that were shot out of the semi-auto have 4 1/8" long nicks on the necks of each case. You can feel them with your thumb nail. Do you think they will be OK to load up and shoot?
Thanks
Regards Bob

Bob did you trim you brass to length/
Most commercial brass has the holes punched.
Adjust the reamer so you have a slight tapper on the inisde of the primer hole. you do not remove much material. just enough to true things up

Hi Hivelosty
Thanks for the come back. No I did not trim yet. I generally reform the primer pockets, ream the flash holes and resize before I trim. The tool I have has a shoulder stop above the cutter that keeps it from cutting the tapper your talking about to deep.

Maybe I did not explain my question properly. Are the flash holes in match brass smaller then they are in regular brass. If so, is their a spesial reamer tool made for the smaller holes.

Regards, Bob

PUNCHED HOLES TEND TO RUN A LITTLE LARGER. MOST MATCH BRASS. LAPUA FOR EXAMPLE DRILL THE FLASH HOLE. sorry about the caps.

Most, if not all cartridge cases made in the U.S. have the flash hole punched through. This leaves burrs of various sizes depending, I guess on the amount of wear on the punch. The brass where you ran into the sticking just had larger burrs. No safety problem here, just a royal PITA. Go ahead and ream the flash holes. You're just fine.
FWIW, prior to World War 2, all cartridge brass had the flash holes drilled. it was found that cases could be made faster and cheaper by punnching the flash hole. After the war, they just stayed with the process. I got that information from PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF LOADING AMMUNITION by Earl Naramore, coptright 1948.
Paul B.