I’ve been reloading for a bit across different rifle calibers. I’m no expert and This is the first time I’m changing a barrel on one of my rifles. I have a tikka t3x CTR 6.5cm with a 20inch barrel. I’m going to change the barrel to a proof carbon prefit still in 6.5cm. I have quite a bit on 1x and 2x fired lapua brass from the tikka barrel. I’m hoping the proof prefit will have if anything slightly shorter headspace within the SAAMI spec so I can cont to use all this brass. If the headspace is 0.001-0.002 longer you think it’s safe to still use this brass or just toss it? Brass is not worth case seperation. Just wonder y’all’s thoughts. Thanks is advance
New 6.5cm barrel and fired brass from older barrel
- Thread starter Jcaplinger199
- Start date
My experience with chamber to chamber fails is more on the diameter of the case near the base. Had a bunch of lapua 6x47 brass that I fired a few times in one barrel, got a new one cut from a different smith and wouldn't chamber a round, even w full length resize. Was mentioned to try a small base die, but never did, ended up just tossing the brass. Both barrels side by side, measuring the opening at the breech, there was about a .003 difference. Just one of the ways I found to eliminate that outfit from working on any of my shit.
You'll be fine, think of it this way: the brass came to you from the factory (or wherever) at Size X. Let's say it stretched to Size Y in your old chamber, but your new chamber is headspaced a little longer, Size Z. Would you have worried about firing the virgin factory brass in the new, Size Z chamber? Nah, you'd have loaded it and shot it, assuming the chamber was in spec, and the brass would fire-form to that slightly bigger Size Z chamber
You'll get separations if your new chamber is cut way too big (out of spec), or headspaced too long (closes on a NO-GO gauge, or possibly even a Field gauge). Usually the issue with brass fire-formed to a different chamber is the other direction: the fire-forming chamber was headspaced kinda long, the case was only lightly resized, and now it won't fit in a chamber with less headspace. The fix for that is easy too, you just fully size the brass, fire it in the new chamber, then figure out the bump after that.
Did I explain that clearly? Sorry for the X/Y/Z stuff, I just didn't wanna go look up case dimensions haha
You'll get separations if your new chamber is cut way too big (out of spec), or headspaced too long (closes on a NO-GO gauge, or possibly even a Field gauge). Usually the issue with brass fire-formed to a different chamber is the other direction: the fire-forming chamber was headspaced kinda long, the case was only lightly resized, and now it won't fit in a chamber with less headspace. The fix for that is easy too, you just fully size the brass, fire it in the new chamber, then figure out the bump after that.
Did I explain that clearly? Sorry for the X/Y/Z stuff, I just didn't wanna go look up case dimensions haha
