The Hornady Lock-N-Load Cartridge Gauge (item number 380709) is a solid steel, single-cartridge inspection tool designed for rapid benchtop quality control of .243 Winchester ammunition. Precision-machined to SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute) chamber tolerances, this drop-in tool provides a binary pass/fail verification for sized brass cases and completed handloads. Stepped reference surfaces at the top and bottom allow reloaders to immediately verify datum headspace and maximum overall case length, while the machined internal chamber detects bulged case walls, improper shoulder setback, and expanded necks before ammunition is taken into the field.

Key Features

• Machined Solid Steel Construction: Built from durable solid steel to maintain accurate internal reference dimensions across repeated workshop use.
• SAAMI Tolerance Verification: Accurately checks outer dimensions of sized brass and loaded cartridges against SAAMI specifications to prevent chamber jamming.
• Go/No-Go Headspace Checking: Features stepped top and bottom reference surfaces to verify datum-to-head headspace depth and overall case trim length.
• Full-Body Dimension Checking: Detects shoulder setback issues, neck expansion, and case body bulging across the full profile of the cartridge.
• Manual Mechanical Operation: Functions as a standalone, non-powered inspection tool requiring no batteries, power connections, or electronic calibration.

Product Specifications

• Product: Hornady Lock-N-Load Cartridge Gauge
• Manufacturer Model Number: 380709
• Material: Machined solid steel
• Calibre Compatibility: .243 Winchester (.243" / 6mm bullet diameter)
• Measurement Standard: SAAMI chamber tolerances
• Capacity: Single cartridge manual drop-in
• Power Requirement: Non-powered mechanical measuring tool

Who is the Hornady Lock-N-Load Cartridge Gauge .243 Winchester for?

• Handloaders reloading for medium game hunting — relies on a dedicated .243 Winchester cartridge headspace gauge to verify that reloaded rounds conform to SAAMI chamber tolerances, ensuring seamless feeding and chambering in hunting rifles.
• Pest controllers reloading for field use — requires a rapid drop-in cartridge gauge dedicated to .243 Winchester ammunition to batch-check high volumes of brass for bulged walls or improper case lengths before critical field operations.

Less suitable for: Calibres other than .243 Winchester, or reloading setups requiring exact numeric shoulder setback measurements in thousandths of an inch (0.001" increments), which require a caliper-mounted headspace comparator kit rather than a drop-in pass/fail gauge.