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Full length bushing sizing issues

dcnyli

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 5, 2013
849
19
Cincinnati, OH
After purchasing some 1x fired brass, I'm now beginning to full length size them with a redding FL bushing sizer. I'm using the same size bushing I would when I neck size.

The brass isn't chsmbering well/easily, even with a .001-.002 bump. R700 sa bolt gun.

Any idea what it may be? I also trimmed after the sizing invade it was too long
 
Have you removed the firing pin? Sometimes the firing pin being cocked makes the bolt harder to lift / close. If you bump the shoulder .003" and still have a problem, you may want to look at a small base sizer die to run through first. Just remove the neck sizer ball first if you are going to finish up with a F/L bushing die.

Good luck.
 
After purchasing some 1x fired brass, I'm now beginning to full length size them with a redding FL bushing sizer. I'm using the same size bushing I would when I neck size.

The brass isn't chsmbering well/easily, even with a .001-.002 bump. R700 sa bolt gun.

Any idea what it may be? I also trimmed after the sizing invade it was too long

What round are you working with?
 
Have you removed the firing pin? Sometimes the firing pin being cocked makes the bolt harder to lift / close. If you bump the shoulder .003" and still have a problem, you may want to look at a small base sizer die to run through first. Just remove the neck sizer ball first if you are going to finish up with a F/L bushing die.

Good luck.

I have a Forster FL and a redding FL bushing die, I gotta make it work with what I own
 
Try measuring some of these cases at the case base, just above it. Then measure some fired from the gun. If the new brass exceeds .470, it was fired from an oversize chamber, and you have issues. But fixable.
 
Well, take your caliper and measure about 1/8" above case rim. Do you have a loaders manual with case dimensions? Brass shouldn't grow outside of these numbers anywhere.
The number you're looking for should be under .470". If over, we can fix it, depends on how many cases you bought.
 
Well, take your caliper and measure about 1/8" above case rim. Do you have a loaders manual with case dimensions? Brass shouldn't grow outside of these numbers anywhere.
The number you're looking for should be under .470". If over, we can fix it, depends on how many cases you bought.

yup, they are .471… what now?

i just sized some way down in headspace from my desired 1.620 to 1.618 and it made no difference.
 
Your brass you purchased may be Machine Gun fired. For that brass, you will need a Small Base die. I had the same issue, but with a Steyr SSG 69 with regular brass fired in my other .308 bolt guns. Any case that had a base @ .469" or above, would not chamber in the SSG rifle. I purchased a Redding Small Base Body die and it fixed the problem. The base of the cases were sized to .468" and they all then chambered fine.

A Redding Small Base Body Die costs about $35.00 and is good to have around when you run into these brass problems.
 
yup, same for me with a belted mag. loaned some loaded rounds to a buddy and the brass grew in the sloppy factory chamber. trying to get them down to my min spec match chamber was a no go. bought a small base die (7mm rm) and they do fit. but lessoned learned, only new brass or brass fired in this chamber for me, from now forward. he loved the loads tho and they shot great and now he has my recipe for his gun too. LOL

Idahoorion
 
Your brass you purchased may be Machine Gun fired. For that brass, you will need a Small Base die. I had the same issue, but with a Steyr SSG 69 with regular brass fired in my other .308 bolt guns. Any case that had a base @ .469" or above, would not chamber in the SSG rifle. I purchased a Redding Small Base Body die and it fixed the problem. The base of the cases were sized to .468" and they all then chambered fine.

A Redding Small Base Body Die costs about $35.00 and is good to have around when you run into these brass problems.

Good advice here, I'd spaced out the small base die, I was really gonna spin his world!
 
I adjusted the dies again with slight cam-over and it did the trick, chambers with the exact feel I like. I'm going to purchase the small base die and integrate that also to see if i like that better.

these were purchased from some dude at arfcom, NEVER again…
 
I adjusted the dies again with slight cam-over and it did the trick, chambers with the exact feel I like. I'm going to purchase the small base die and integrate that also to see if i like that better.

these were purchased from some dude at arfcom, NEVER again…

You may figure out how much you bumped your shoulders, might have bumped them back into the dark ages. May be fine, may cause head separation too.
 
Yeah, I'm just not a fan of buying 1X fired, mixed headstamp brass for use in a precision rifle. I don't know the application in this example, but. I buy a hundred or two hundred high quality cases and reload them up to twenty times and take very good care of them. Usually last the life of the barrel. So, false economy to try and save a few bucks on junk brass. Personal opinion. BB