308 reload xperts. need help

[baih777]

i had a rough day at the range with a new build DPMS 308. some ammo would shoot fine . another brand would let the BCG close and would get stuck with a 1/4 inch gap before being completely closed. my buddy had to hammer the latch back open for me while i held the catch lever.
all parts are DPMS. the barrel is there 24inch stainless bull barrel.
the ammo i was using was American eagle (shot good ) and PRVI match ammo and nothing buy problems.
i know i am using new ammo but i was hoping someone with 308 reload experience might be able to help me trouble shoot this.
the overall length of the American Eagle 150GR is .270 (shoot great)
the overall length of the PRVI match grade 175gr is .280 just problems

since my buddy is reloading and has all the dies and all my brass can i put the longer bullets in his dies and push the bullets in further ???
or is this new barrel not headspaced correctly.
really need your opinions
thanks

[tomve]

I'm not a 308 reloader, but I do reload 30-06. Whenever I've had trouble with my reloads not chambering (bolt action), I found the case to be too long. So, my suggestion would be to measure the cases and see if there is a difference with the good and bad. .02

[Ahhnother8]

Color an entire round with a sharpie. Chamber it and see where the contact point is. With the problem as described, it's likely in the web area of the case, which is why the bolt jams it in there so tight. Might need to run them through a sizing die or a small base die.

[Diabolus]

Do not seat the bullet deeper as this could cause an increase in pressure and could result in a catastrophic failure.

Contact DPMS and give them the serial number off your bbl. Maybe a reamer was going bad and your head space is not correct.

Check local gun shops, or friends, they might be able to check your head space.

I don't like measuring OAL on .308, especially for match as it will not be accurate. I usually measure off the ogive which gives much better measurements.

You could also mark the case with a sharpie, including the boolit, to see exactly where it is getting hung up, but that is best saved for the range and not at home.

[Gunsrruss]

Cheap

Yes, cheap is expensive and expensive is cheap. You guys will eventually learn about cheap ammo. You get what you pay for. I know it sounds like tough love, but I learned a long time ago that if I wanted the damn thing to work I had better put some good bullets in it. Priv is just not there. Wideners can say all it wants about how good that crap is. But the lipstick doesn't help it any.

[CptDan]

Being that this is an AR10 you are limited to mag length rounds. If these were new rounds and not reloads I would seriously have the chamber checked in the barrel. I have a 24 " DPMS bull barrel and it has had zero problems feeding and chambering. If these were reloads then you might have to use a 308 small base die set...

[Timberwolf]

If these are new rounds get a chamber brush and clean your chamber and throat real well. Also since this is a new build you should check the head space.

If reloeads is your friend using a small base die when he sizes. If not have him get one - thats usually what is needed to sucessfully reload for a 308 semi

[NotEnufGarage]

I've got a DPMS 18" bull barrel slick side upper on a Tactical Machining lower/LPK. The first couple times out I had some issues with the bolt not going fully into battery. I had to use a screwdriver through the ejection port to get the bolt to come back.

I cleaned it really well, including the chamber, bolt face and lugs and only lubed to bolt carrier rails, put it back together and dry cycled it about 30 or 40 times and that seems to have freed it up some. Next time out I only had one failure to go into battery and when I got that round home and pulled it apart I found that it hadn't be resized correctly.

I just resized the cases that I shot that day and I found a few of them that took a lot of force to resize, indicating to me that they previously probably weren't sized right.

If you reload for rifles, check your sizing die setup. I also get a Lyman headspace gauge so I can check my sized brass before loading it to ensure that it's correct.

[baih777]

thanks for all the tips.
i have measured the bullet cases in numerous spots and the difference is only
.003. i have now ruled out the ammo being the problem.
a call to DPMS was a waste of time.
i tried cycling the BCG by itself with the latch. i opened the upper at 90 degrees from the receiver. the bolt got stuck again. it appears the cam button or groove or the lugs are not always lining up to allow the bolt to slide back. this is so strange that i am now looking for a good gunsmith. I will never take another firearm to Bolsa Gunsmithing. if you know another in the LA/OC area please let me know.
two new rifles with the same issues. i have built numerous AR15 with nothing like this happening. i just didnt believe the stories about DPMS quality till now.

[Diabolus]

thanks for all the tips.
i have measured the bullet cases in numerous spots and the difference is only
.003. i have now ruled out the ammo being the problem.
a call to DPMS was a waste of time.
i tried cycling the BCG by itself with the latch. i opened the upper at 90 degrees from the receiver. the bolt got stuck again. it appears the cam button or groove or the lugs are not always lining up to allow the bolt to slide back. this is so strange that i am now looking for a good gunsmith. I will never take another firearm to Bolsa Gunsmithing. if you know another in the LA/OC area please let me know.
two new rifles with the same issues. i have built numerous AR15 with nothing like this happening. i just didnt believe the stories about DPMS quality till now.

Bolsa Gunsmithing could not check the head space? That sucks.

Sorry about the bad luck with the rifle, you would think DPMS would have helped you more.