Cant fit a bullet down a fired case. Is this okay? HBN Causing Issues?

[dok7mm]

New brass normally has very tight neck IDs. I either FL resize or run a mandrel to size the necks at . 0015 to .0020" under caliber. Even FL sizing or bushing sizing can add to improper neck tension (too tight). Then, new necks tend to be sticky. I use dry imperial inside case necks, when I run a mandrel. You can also remove unseen burrs by spinning case mouth in 0000 steel wool. You increased work hardening of brass with turning, fire forming and resizing, in an already hard case. These little things all add up to very inconsistent seating pressures and the shavings you had.

I use a lot of HBN and it has never effected smooth seating in properly prepped brass, actually it makes seating more consistent.

You're doing well, going thru the steps, checking things one by one. Fire up that AMP unit, sacrifice a case and anneal that brass. You have just two problems.......find what causing the neck restriction.....then tweak your brass prep.

 

[Deviant]

New brass normally has very tight neck IDs. I either FL resize or run a mandrel to size the necks at . 0015 to .0020" under caliber. Even FL sizing or bushing sizing can add to improper neck tension (too tight). Then, new necks tend to be sticky. I use dry imperial inside case necks, when I run a mandrel. You can also remove unseen burrs by spinning case mouth in 0000 steel wool. You increased work hardening of brass with turning, fire forming and resizing, in an already hard case. These little things all add up to very inconsistent seating pressures and the shavings you had.

I use a lot of HBN and it has never effected smooth seating in properly prepped brass, actually it makes seating more consistent.

You're doing well, going thru the steps, checking things one by one. Fire up that AMP unit, sacrifice a case and anneal that brass. You have just two problems.......find what causing the neck restriction.....then tweak your brass prep.

My brass prep is very close to what you are doing I use Imperial die sizing wax on a Sinclair neck sizing mandrel. I also use steel wool on the neck to remove burrs. I technically live in town but have corn in the backyard so I may stick my suppressor on the end of it and run out in the backyard and try one of these annealed trimmed rounds now that the gun is clean and see if I can fit a bullet down the case afterwards.

Thanks for your help.

 

[dok7mm]

One more tip. Often a Brownells OAL gauge won't work in tight neck or no turn necks, but you can make one that will work. Don't remember the details, but you use a dremel or fine saw to cut a neck half way up it length, deburr both cut faces, reverse bullet so tip goes in case, place the ring you cut off on base of bullet, then seat in chamber, base of case to far end of the ring will tell your OAL. Google home made OAL gauge for details.

 

[dok7mm]

Let us know.

 

[Deviant]

Let us know.

Problem solved. I just loaded a few rounds and they did not shave any copper after trimming and annealing. The case neck measures the same all the way down after firing and I can fit a bullet in right up into the point where I hit the **** donut that I apparently have now. It gets tight at the shoulder neck Junction.

 

[dok7mm]

Oh No, just won't stop hammering you. Well, when it rains, it.............!

 

[Deviant]

Oh No, just won't stop hammering you. Well, when it rains, it.............!

Yeah it's starting to feel like I'm chasing a **** unicorn with this gun. Oh well I guess if it was easy and cheap everyone would do it.

 

[Dirtrax]

I'm glad you solved your (1st) issue. I know at times it seems like an endless string of difficulties but you are correct in your "if it were easy" comment. I've been doing this stuff for a touch over 35 years and it never gets boring.

 

[Deviant]

Well at least there is a place for us poor ignorant souls to come get advice from great people that are willing to share their ideas and past experiences. I don't know what I would do without this forum so thanks again to everyone for your help.

 

[dok7mm]

HaHa Lots of guys here, been there --- done that. With a community effort someone will nail it. When someone, like you, furnishes a lot of data, it usually gets solved by committee. I would suggest that you still determine your chamber OAL.

 

[Deviant]

HaHa Lots of guys here, been there --- done that. With a community effort someone will nail it. When someone, like you, furnishes a lot of data, it usually gets solved by committee. I would suggest that you still determine your chamber OAL.

Yeah I'm going to do a chamber cast and see what I come up with.

 

[Alibiiv]

Yes I use an RCBS 3 way cutter and I even chamfered again with a vld tool to make sure that wasn't the issue. I trimmed all the brass to 2.005 and annealed it last night to see if that will solve the issue since the neck is narrow at the top measuring .291 at the rim but .2955 1/3 of the way down.

I use mostly Barnes bullets and even after chamfering I've noticed that the copper still shaves. I've seen a really neat trick using a 3/8ths or 1/2 inch nut driver for an electric drill with some steel wool pushed into the socket. The magnetic attraction in the nut driver holds the steel wool inside the socket section and then polish the mouth of the case with the 0000 steel wool. I haven't tried it, however will so when I prep some cases again.

 

[Deviant]

I use mostly Barnes bullets and even after chamfering I've noticed that the copper still shaves. I've seen a really neat trick using a 3/8ths or 1/2 inch nut driver for an electric drill with some steel wool pushed into the socket. The magnetic attraction in the nut driver holds the steel wool inside the socket section and then polish the mouth of the case with the 0000 steel wool. I haven't tried it, however will so when I prep some cases again.

Sounds interesting I might have to try that.

 

[Alibiiv]

One more tip. Often a Brownells OAL gauge won't work in tight neck or no turn necks, but you can make one that will work. Don't remember the details, but you use a dremel or fine saw to cut a neck half way up it length, deburr both cut faces, reverse bullet so tip goes in case, place the ring you cut off on base of bullet, then seat in chamber, base of case to far end of the ring will tell your OAL. Google home made OAL gauge for details.

I think that to determine the distance for the overall length of the cartridge to where the bullet "meets the lands" in the barrel you have to split a resized case in three or four places to the neck/angle junction, start a bullet and close the bolt. It is recommended to perform this measurement two or three times to get an accurate measurement. To determine the "overall case length" for your chamber, again a resized case, cut the neck approximately in the middle, place the top portion that you cut off over the bullet, start the bullet into the case and then close the bolt. This ought to give you the case overall length for the chamber of that particular rifle. Hopefully I wrote all this stuff to make some senses? It really utilizing all the materials that we have on hand instead of having to buy something that you are only going to use once or a few times.