I picked up a brand new Tikka T3 Lite, .270 WIN and since then, have fired about 150 rounds using relatively inexpensive factory ammo, including Winchester Super X, Federal, Fusion (Federal) and Sellier & Bellot.
A week ago, I picked up a copy of C. Rodney James' "The ABCs of Reloading" and started reading about excessive headspacing and learned that if stretch marks/cracks appear on a fired case right in front of the head of the case, it is an indication of excessive headspace. See Photo 1
Armed (excuse the pun) with this knowledge, I examined the fired casings from my rifle and became somewhat concerned at what I found because most, if not, all of the fired casings had a shiny ring in front of the head. Photo 2, 3 & 4. The unfired cases do not have this shiny ring in the front of the head. So far, none of the cases have separated or cracked.
Are the rings an indication of case stretching and if so, is it sufficient to be of such concern that I should have the headspace checked by a gunsmith?
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