Reloaded round will not chamber...

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Heya strap... Yeah. I hear what you are saying regarding the bulge below where the sizing dies can actually get to. I had a buddy with this problem with range brass he'd pickup. He would end up just dumping it. That's one reason I knew about the innovative dies, but he didn't bother getting one, and i couldn't afford to toss that kind of cash at a problem I don't have. I shoot a 300 wm... He shoots a 7mm rm. Read some good things... as well as others that think it's a gimmick, but I like to make up my own mind and am willing to take a chance on something that might work.

I sure hope it does in your instance, as it'll pay for itself in time just in brass alone... And peace of mind!

I'll be crossing my fingers for you.

 

[crissmorgan]

I guarantee that the Innovative dies will absolutely resize the area just above the belts on any belted case calibers out there, or at least all of the calibers I have used it on. I reload for all my friends and have used one of the dies on several different calibers. On occasion, I have had to use it twice on brass that was badly bulged in the belt area, but after the second time through the die, it had the brass sized so it would fir into the chambers of the rifles I was reloading for jut fine. I promise you that I wouldn't be recommending it so strongly if it didn't work for me. I wouldn't sell mine for three times what I paid for it. It makes for a little bit of extra work, but for what you save in brass, it pays for itself quickly.

 

[Cowboyshooter]

jboscobuys, I hear what you are saying about the Wilson gauge. but it just gauges your shoulder setting/headspace. It doesn't fix it with screwed up brass. I thought that all I would have to do with those cases that wouldn't fit was to change the die setting, but with a case that has been shot in a gun with a really blown out back chamber area, the die won't reach that little area I mentioned in my earlier post. I would hope that the Innovative Belted Case Dies actually goes down to resize that area above the belt. The dies I am using (Herters), do not really size down that far on the case. I had never had a problem with resizing any case before no matter how bad they were before. I had also never resized belted cases before. the dies need to size right up to the belt. I lightly chucked them up in a lathe and skinned a few thousandths off and they chambered very easily. That told me where the problem was with the cases but not the cure. All other once fired cases never gave me a problem and obviously no I had problems with new brass.

You mention two things that are big problems in your post, I will address each seperately; "really blown out back chamber", this is a sign of over pressure rounds being fired. Stop using or re-barrel the rifle. That barrel is shot, period. The next step is failure. While failure of a barrel does not happen the first overpressure round, generally, they add up and eventually the signs show you are courting disaster!

If it is not your rifle making these, stand far away from the rifle that is, when fired. And do not use those loadings in your own rifle, unless you do not like it!

Second one, "I lightly chucked them up in a lathe and skinned a few thousandths off and they chambered very easily". This is a recipe for case separation. When you have brass so badly damaged it is not possible to re-form it with your dies, toss it out! Brass is made a particular thickness for a reason, that is to contain the pressures generated, along with the support of the chamber. Reducing the case thickness reduces the ability to contain the pressure, as the chamber and case work as a team to hold in the pressure. Weaken one, and you increase your risk of a failure of both.
It is a lot less expensive to throw a bit of brass out and buy new, than it is to replace the parts blown off during a catastrophic failure, or even the problem of removing a parted shell casing from the rifle.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

Cowboyshooter may only have 4 posts, but his advice is clearly from someone with a good deal of knowledge and thoughtfulness. I would highly recommend paying attention to his post.

 

[Cowboyshooter]

Thanks, I have been reloading for about 45 years now, and most reloading problems are just the same ones repeating themselves.
I take reloading very seriously, and all the problems I have seen have been from small problems allowed to become bigger problems.

Thanks again.

 

[Cowboyshooter]

Crissmorgan,
Looks like a good product, one that helps to make up for the biggest failure of the belted magnums.

 

[strap14]

You mention two things that are big problems in your post, I will address each seperately; "really blown out back chamber", this is a sign of over pressure rounds being fired. Stop using or re-barrel the rifle. That barrel is shot, period. The next step is failure. While failure of a barrel does not happen the first overpressure round, generally, they add up and eventually the signs show you are courting disaster!

If it is not your rifle making these, stand far away from the rifle that is, when fired. And do not use those loadings in your own rifle, unless you do not like it!

Second one, "I lightly chucked them up in a lathe and skinned a few thousandths off and they chambered very easily". This is a recipe for case separation. When you have brass so badly damaged it is not possible to re-form it with your dies, toss it out! Brass is made a particular thickness for a reason, that is to contain the pressures generated, along with the support of the chamber. Reducing the case thickness reduces the ability to contain the pressure, as the chamber and case work as a team to hold in the pressure. Weaken one, and you increase your risk of a failure of both.
It is a lot less expensive to throw a bit of brass out and buy new, than it is to replace the parts blown off during a catastrophic failure, or even the problem of removing a parted shell casing from the rifle.

what you misunderstood or I failed to explain was that these cases were never fired by me. I bought some used brass at a gun show and the damage was not noticeable to the naked eye. When I turned brass off of a case it was to see if that was the problem and I never intended to use that brass. I appreciate your concern, but it was unfounded, my experiment was for diagnosis not reuse.

 

[Cowboyshooter]

what you misunderstood or I failed to explain was that these cases were never fired by me. I bought some used brass at a gun show and the damage was not noticeable to the naked eye. When I turned brass off of a case it was to see if that was the problem and I never intended to use that brass. I appreciate your concern, but it was unfounded, my experiment was for diagnosis not reuse.

Understood.
One of the reasons the belted magnums are not too fun to play with, in my opinion, is the problem of expansion just in front of the belt. When they were developed, it seemed like a good idea, because the original plan was for them to headspace on the belt instead of the shoulder, but that quickly went away!
The new collet resizing tool, mentioned earlier seems like a good idea if one has one of the belted magnums though.
Either way, best of luck with your reloading!

 

[strap14]

I agree. The original idea with head spacing on belted cases changed. It is still a very popular caliber but with a potential for case splitting. I always check used cases for cracks just ahead of the belt to see any sign of a split that will be radially around the case. That is one of the reasons I suspected that area I have found cracks starting there. I still need to get the special dies to resize second-hand brass. Thanks for your input.

 

[Cowboyshooter]

I agree. The original idea with head spacing on belted cases changed. It is still a very popular caliber but with a potential for case splitting. I always check used cases for cracks just ahead of the belt to see any sign of a split that will be radially around the case. That is one of the reasons I suspected that area I have found cracks starting there. I still need to get the special dies to resize second-hand brass. Thanks for your input.

Hope I helped

 

[LONGSHOOTER]

As some others have said, the problem is most likely the seating die. Many are unaware that the RCBS die has the crimping feature, if applied. If you set up the seating die close or into the shell holder, you will be crimping the case AS you are seating the bullet. This can result in bulged cases.

 

[strap14]

Longshooter, I never use the crimping portion. I don't see a need for it in bolt action rifles with a decent purchase on the bullet. My problem was bulging just above the belt from someone's used brass that I bought, and he must have had a bad chamber. i bought the used brass at a gun show and it was only in the one bag of brass. I haven't had any problems with new brass nor any brass that I have previously shot in my own rifle. I have been loading for nearly 40 years and learned a long time ago to trim brass before and remeasure again after resizing. I also have smashed a case by setting the dies up wrong. Thanks for your input also.

 

[378Canuck]

I am loading for the .300 win mag, and am trying out the new LRX .175 gr. barnes solid copper bullet. I have just the generic two die RCBS full length die set. I was attempting to make a dummy round , so I could properly seat the bullet to the suggested .030-.070" off the lands. I attempted to chamber the dummy round but the bolt would not close.
-the bullet is not contacting the lands or inhibiting the bolt from closing.
-my cases are 2.620" in length
-the the outside diameter of the neck measures .334" after full length resizing.
-after removing the bullet via, a bullet removal mallet, the empty case would not chamber.

What am I missing here??????
I haven't reloaded for a while, but I have never had this issue before.

Try full length resizing.

 

[378Canuck]

Try full length resizing.