Reloaded Mil brass not chambering

[scion]

Hello all. I recently got my hands on a few bags of WCC brass from a friend. The brass was FL resized and trimmed to 2.005". After seating the bullet, the OAL was 2.800". I'm using hornady 150 grain FMJBTs with just 40.5 grains of H4895. When I try and chamber the round in my Remington 700 SPS tact, it just wont let me lock the bolt down. I've also tried seating the bullet down a bit further to about 2.750 with no luck.

However, when I use my Winchester reloads, reloaded with the same method as above and identical with the exception of the brass. The rounds chamber like butter.

Do I need to FL resize my milsurp brass again? Im getting the feeling it could be the shoulder of the brass.

[Sub95]

""Do I need to FL resize my milsurp brass again? Im getting the feeling it could be the shoulder of the brass""


you would be correct

i went form winchester to FC and ran into this same problem, from now on when i change brass i always check to make sure the case will chamber.

[bcrich]

Sounds like you are getting 2 different headspace measurements with the mil brass and commercial, adjust your sizer to bump the shoulder another few thousandths.

[FLIGHT762]

Your Commercial cases are likely being sized to the minimum for your rifle, which works. The Military brass sometimes needs to be sized down a bit more. If you don't have a way to check the head space to see how much you're bumping the shoulder of the case, you can unlock the set ring on the F/L sizing die and turn the die in about 1/10th of a turn in (clock wise). Resize a Military case and see if it will chamber. You may have to go to the maximum resizing on your die.

I keep a redding F/L body only sizing die for just these occasions.

All reloaders should have a way to check headspace to properly set their dies up, even a simple Wilson or Dillon case gauge will work.

Different brass can resize and spring back differently.

[gunboat]

Does an empty resized case fit your chamber?

[scion]

An empty FL resized case fits but its very snug as I go to lock the bolt down

[gunboat]

That sort of indicates your brass is not being resized properly. Perhaps the brass was fired in an auto and needs to be sized in a small base die.
I would recheck the die set-up and resize a few to see if they fit.
This presumes you are loading with a single stage press - I cannot speak to dillon type progressives.

[jimmykan]

I would try to size down the military brass some more, maybe as far as your die will allow and see if it chambers better.

If only loaded cases are hard to chamber, then the neck material of the military brass could be thicker than on the commercial brass. When you seat a bullet into the military case, the loaded neck diameter may be too big for the neck on your chamber.

[Waldog]

Sounds like your brass was fired in a machine gun. REALLLY stretches the brass. Try a small base die.

[thai562]

Im getting the feeling it could be the shoulder of the brass.

Bring that FL sizer down all the way.
And buy a case gauge they are cheap to check your brass after sizing.

[scion]

ordered a small base die...let you guys know when it comes in and result.

[FLIGHT762]

Did it still not chamber with the regular F/L die set at maximum sizing?

[scion]

yeah still a no go...lowered the FL die to the shellholder + additional 1/8 to 1/4 turn with same results.

[bcrich]

Measure the headspace on both types of brass and see how much difference there is! Do you have a way to measure the shoulders (headspace)? Deprime a 9mm case and slip it over the necks of the brass and mic it, the commercial case should have a lower number if it is chambering easily and check the mil brass? keep adjusting the die till it reads like the commercial brass. Sounds like you are going to have to "cam-over" pretty hard or take off a couple of thousandths from the face of the shell holder if you cant push the shoulders back any further. If headspace is not the problem then you are most likely gonna need small base dies but I find it hard to believe in an SPS tactical because they dont have tight chambers like a custom gun would have. Btw....this is not a true headspace measurement but it doesn't really matter for your problem

[popeye4]

Hopefully the small base die will solve your problem.

You might also find this to be of interest: http://www.zediker.com/downloads/oncefired.pdf