Difficulty feeding and extracting

[new shooter]

Difficulty feeding and extracting Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 300BLK. Feeds & extracts factory & some reloads fine but others have a hard time. The reloads fit fine in a case gauge checker. I have even tried a resized case with no projectile, some time it feeds & extracts fime & other time not. On just the case I filed the neck short to make sure that wasn't it. All of the rounds feed & extract fine out of my AR upper. Also when they go in hard the bolt won't fully open normally with out slamming it open. I think the brass is being a catalyst to have the bolt do something weird. Any ideas? I called Ruger but they are closed do to Kung Flu.

[baih777]

Your bolt action might have a tighter chamber and you will need to bump the brass a little more.

[five.five-six]

I agree, sounds like a tight chamber. OEM and commercial reloaders tend to want to make sure ammo functions as their first priority which leads me to believe you may have a really tight chamber.


One trick is to smoke a case. Use a candle to coat a case with soot and carefully cycle it and get some clues to where the hang ups are.

[new shooter]

The weird thing is that some times a case will go in & out fine then the same case won't. WTF, like no rhyme or reason. Also why wouldn't the bolt want to open?

[bsumoba]

The weird thing is that some times a case will go in & out fine then the same case won't. WTF, like no rhyme or reason. Also why wouldn't the bolt want to open?

Hard bolt open means the cases have expanded to the point where they are "hugging" the inside walls of the chamber. This is usually a result of cases that weren't sized enough to allow for expansion/contraction of the brass as it is being fired. Logically, if the case goes in hard, then the case is going to come out hard. Make sure to use full length dies. There is no need for neck sizing anymore

With regards to case gauges, unless that case gauge was cut with the exact same reamer (or reamer spec), then it's a crap shoot whether the gauge will be a good indicator of your brass fitting or sized properly. Some mfg like JP Rifle, make a case gauge cut specifically for their rifles.

That being said, most factory rifles use SAAMI specs. That is as close to a standard as you will get when it comes to different cartridges across multiple mfg and thus, case gauges and dies are made to check under SAAMI specs.

[smoothy8500]

I have even tried a resized case with no projectile, sometimes it feeds & extracts fine & other time not..... Also when they go in hard the bolt won't fully open normally without slamming it open.

Mixing cases fired from both rifles when sizing? Probably need a Small Base sizer, since sized brass is sticking on closing.

[ar15barrels]

Difficulty feeding and extracting Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 300BLK. Feeds & extracts factory & some reloads fine but others have a hard time. The reloads fit fine in a case gauge checker. I have even tried a resized case with no projectile, some time it feeds & extracts fime & other time not. On just the case I filed the neck short to make sure that wasn't it. All of the rounds feed & extract fine out of my AR upper. Also when they go in hard the bolt won't fully open normally with out slamming it open. I think the brass is being a catalyst to have the bolt do something weird. Any ideas?

Your case gauge likely does not match your actual chamber.
Nor does ANY other barrel you may have.
Do all your measuring with the actual barrel that is having problems.
Fire some cases and check the fireformed case dimensions against your loaded rounds that are sticky.

[new shooter]

[QUOTE=bsumoba;24159271]Hard bolt open means the cases have expanded to the point where they are "hugging" the inside walls of the chamber. This is usually a result of cases that weren't sized enough to allow for expansion/contraction of the brass as it is being fired. Logically, if the case goes in hard, then the case is going to come out hard. Make sure to use full length dies.

The case I'm talking about is unfired & doesn't have a bullet in the neck. The neck has also been cut short to see if the OAL was to long. Some times it chambers & extracts fine & some time not. No rhyme or reason to it. It doesn't feel like the case getting stuck, more like a problem with the bolt

[ar15barrels]

more like a problem with the blot

Does your blot look like this?

[five.five-six]

Ohh, the old Rausch inkblot test.....


Looks like my mom vacuuming naked to me.... Is my bolt ok?

Does your blot look like this?

[sigstroker]

Normal. Now if it's your cousin or sister...

[baih777]

Are the 300 blk cases factory brass or is converted brass ?

[new shooter]

Are the 300 blk cases factory brass or is converted brass ?

I think your on to something. Most is converted LC 223 or 556 don't know which. The few reloaded that work are either not LC converted or reloaded 300BO brass. I'm thinking it may be the thickness of the rim and it has to do with the extractor.

[sigstroker]

Most .223 brass will say so on the headstamp. Obviously if it has the NATO cross it's 5.56. Foreign stuff, I have no idea.

[baih777]

I think your on to something. Most is converted LC 223 or 556 don't know which. The few reloaded that work are either not LC converted or reloaded 300BO brass. I'm thinking it may be the thickness of the rim and it has to do with the extractor.

Now you know what to look for. See if the brass that's sticking is 556 converted brass.