Able to chamber the brass but not able to chamber the rounds on twice fired brass

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
5,668
Location
WA
Back your seater die 2 full turn up (the 7/8" thread)....then adjust the bullet seater to length.

I bet it helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SYS

chav0_12

FNG
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Messages
69
Location
Ronan, MT
All 2 x fired brass can’t chamber after loading at depth of 2.80 or 2.85. Then I decided to seat deeper at 2.75, 2.70 and 2.66. Not able to chamber and hard to extract.
I think this is because, as other's have said, you've expanded the web and it's not getting sized when you FL size. I know they're called full-length sizers but they don't actually size the full length of the cartridge. Based on this and the loose primer pockets after only 2 firings I would think that you are well over pressure and should back your charge down unless you're okay with only getting 2 loading off of brass. Which would equate to really only one usable load, after fire-forming.
 

parshal

WKR
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Messages
1,308
Location
Colorado
Back your seater die 2 full turn up (the 7/8" thread)....then adjust the bullet seater to length.

I bet it helps.

This is what I was going to suggest as well. Someone else mentioned the crimp expanding the end of the neck.

If I'm reading this correctly, you can easily extract a 2x fired case after sizing. It's when you seat the bullet that it's tough to close the bolt or extract. If this is correct, it tells me the web of the case is being sized enough (verify by coloring the bottom 1" of the case and close/extract).

I've had this same situation and it was my sizing die too far down which was crimping the end of the neck and it expanded the brass too much to get into the neck area of the chamber.

Raise your sizing dies a couple turns and then lower the seating stem to accommodate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SYS

SDHNTR

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
6,348
Ok when you go to the seating step, explain your process in detail please. How are you setting up your seating due and what are your steps.
 

Novashooter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
286
Sized a 2x fired brass, yes it chambers and extracts.

Yes agree. It must be the seating issue.

I seated it much deeper at 2.68. Still can’t chamber and hard to extract on 2x fired brass.

If that really is the case, then it is for sure your seating die causing the issue. I've seen it mentioned about crimp. There's not a lot of rifle dies that both seat and crimp, but it's worth checking if yours are or not. If it does crimp, then make sure you aren't crimping the bejezus out of it, ideally not at all.

Here is what I would do if I was you, based on what I've seen you post, and you say your sized brass will chamber fine. I would run a case into the bullet seating die with no bullet. I would then check if it still chambers. If it does, then you only have three possibilities.

#1 The seating die is also crimping, which is set such that it is causing issues. Fix: back off the die body so it does not crimp.

#2 The bullet is seated too long. You've seated bullets deeper so you would think this wouldn't be an issue by now. Based on some of those pictures you showed it sure looks like it is being jammed into rifling. Fix: seat deeper.

#3 Your case neck is too thick. I didn't see evidence of this based on the pictures you showed, plus it makes no sense this would be only showing up on the second firing. Fix: If it is the cause, turn your case necks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SYS
OP
S

SYS

FNG
Joined
Sep 25, 2023
Messages
20
Thank u all for the help! Learnt a lot from you all. Truly appreciated the kind help and advices from all of u!

I read all the thread and tied everything as u guys suggested. The issue resloved.

1. I seated it too deep.

I measured CBTO wrong. I used a 1 x fired brass, FL sized and bumped shoulder as dummy brass. It gave me the measurement of 2.89. If using 1 x fired brass WITHOUT FL sized. It gave me the measurement of 2.70. If using SDHunter's Paint/smoke way to measure the CBTO, it gave me the measure of 2.75.

My initial seating depth is based on measurement of 2.89 which is too deep. After using paint method to measure CBTO which gave me 2.75. I decided to seat at 2.70. Then no issue with extraction and feeding.

2. Re-sized die and press issue:

I used Zero press, there is rubber cushion at the bottom. 2 x fired brass is harder to re-size, I might have used excessive force to re-size those brasses plus the rubber cushion under the shell holder, which gave inconsistency in shoulder bump. I might have damaged the head of the brass by pressing too hard, this would explain the loose primer pocket in some brasses.

I decided to use redding shell holder set to have better consistency.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101253343?pid=525874

3. I did backup the seating die 2 full circle. This helped also.

Lesson well learnt. Will fire some rounds and show u all the results.

Thanks a lot!
 
OP
S

SYS

FNG
Joined
Sep 25, 2023
Messages
20
If that really is the case, then it is for sure your seating die causing the issue. I've seen it mentioned about crimp. There's not a lot of rifle dies that both seat and crimp, but it's worth checking if yours are or not. If it does crimp, then make sure you aren't crimping the bejezus out of it, ideally not at all.

Here is what I would do if I was you, based on what I've seen you post, and you say your sized brass will chamber fine. I would run a case into the bullet seating die with no bullet. I would then check if it still chambers. If it does, then you only have three possibilities.

#1 The seating die is also crimping, which is set such that it is causing issues. Fix: back off the die body so it does not crimp.

#2 The bullet is seated too long. You've seated bullets deeper so you would think this wouldn't be an issue by now. Based on some of those pictures you showed it sure looks like it is being jammed into rifling. Fix: seat deeper.

#3 Your case neck is too thick. I didn't see evidence of this based on the pictures you showed, plus it makes no sense this would be only showing up on the second firing. Fix: If it is the cause, turn your case necks.
yes i seated it too deep.
Regardless of what fixes this, make sure to drop your load down. No way you should be blowing primer pockets after 2 firings.
Yes. I m loading 83.2 grain of H1000, plan to load under 83 for the future load.
 
OP
S

SYS

FNG
Joined
Sep 25, 2023
Messages
20
I’m even more confused now, but glad you made progress.
😀
This is what I was going to suggest as well. Someone else mentioned the crimp expanding the end of the neck.

If I'm reading this correctly, you can easily extract a 2x fired case after sizing. It's when you seat the bullet that it's tough to close the bolt or extract. If this is correct, it tells me the web of the case is being sized enough (verify by coloring the bottom 1" of the case and close/extract).

I've had this same situation and it was my sizing die too far down which was crimping the end of the neck and it expanded the brass too much to get into the neck area of the chamber.

Raise your sizing dies a couple turns and then lower the seating stem to accommodate.
very likely. I have inconsistent shoulder bump on 2x fired brass. Some of brass bumped 10/1000” and not able to chamber after loading. So it could be over expanded brass.
 

Vern400

WKR
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
383
Sized a 2x fired brass, yes it chambers and extracts.

Yes agree. It must be the seating issue.

I seated it much deeper at 2.68. Still can’t chamber and hard to extract on 2x fired brass.
Have you done this exercise with no powder?
You should. Those are really long bullets and if you're compressing the powder too much you can blow the case back out.
 

EdP

WKR
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
1,164
Location
Southwest Va
Your description of "seated too deep" is confusing to me. In my mind seating deep means deep into the case and results in a lower (shorter) CBTO reading. Therefore seating long gives a higher CBTO reading. The CBTO numbers you provide suggest that your definition of "seated deep" is deep into the chamber instead of deep into the case. Perhaps I am just confused but you have your issue resolved and that is what matters.
 

hunterjmj

WKR
Joined
Feb 3, 2019
Messages
1,205
Location
Montana
Your description of "seated too deep" is confusing to me. In my mind seating deep means deep into the case and results in a lower (shorter) CBTO reading. Therefore seating long gives a higher CBTO reading. The CBTO numbers you provide suggest that your definition of "seated deep" is deep into the chamber instead of deep into the case. Perhaps I am just confused but you have your issue resolved and that is what matters.
That had me confused to.
 

epoletna

FNG
Joined
Dec 5, 2023
Messages
12
Location
Southeast Ohio
If your case neck is too thick, or too long, that can also make bolt closing difficult even if the shoulder is set back to spec. Your bolt closing can be stopped by a shoulder that is too long, or by a neck that is too long or too thick, or by a case that is too thick between te shoulder and the case head. You have to measure to see what is changing dimensions after firing. Good luck!
 

magtech

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Messages
255
Location
Michigan
Issue solved according to op. Next week he'll be asking why all his primers keep falling out of his 3x fired brass... but that will leave us with an easy thread to remedy for another day.
 
Joined
Sep 27, 2019
Messages
54
I would suggest you incorporate a case gage and check your steps (brass) along the way.

I like to shoulder bump my brass. After shoulder bumping I run brass through a neck mandrel to make the openings uniform. Neck, I seat the bullet.

It seems like your sizing/shoulder bumping is altering the neck and when seating the bullet the neck is causing an issue.
 
Top