Pre 64 Model 70 .220 Swift SHORT CHAMBER???

[dillonduncan]

CALLING ON PRE 64 OWNERS. I have a pre 64 model 70 .220 Swift w/ factory varmint barrel. Handed down from my grandfather, and have never shot it. I started with fresh brass, shot some ladders for load dev and am going back to load at my node. Some of these fresh casings chambered really tightly. I measured the shoulder on my fire formed cases and they measure .007-.010 shorter than any other 220 swift I have loaded for before. I have to bottom out my full length sizer to the point that it is seriously over camming the press to get a .001-.002 shoulder bump from the fired formed cases. I actually can’t even get them far enough back on most cases. So, I called my cousin who shot this rifle in the past, and he recalled even factory ammo chambering with a hard bolt close.

So QUESTION: Has anyone on here ever heard of pre 64s having a short chamber? Possibly inconsistencies in Winchester chamber reamers in the early 60s? This rifle was manufactured 1960-1962ish. I don’t know what else it could possibly be, but I can not get my shoulders bumped back below the fire formed dimension, nor far enough back to chamber with a smooth bolt close.

I am considering getting it rebarreled just to start fresh and rule that out, but don’t really want to mess with a factory rifle that is fairly rare if I don’t have to. Any comments or help would be appreciated.

 

[RTH1800]

Late production rifles did have some tuning issues. Find a smith who has chamber gauges. If short, run a reamer in and correct it. Not a big deal. You could optimize the throat at the same time. Don’t waste that barrel.

 

[jetmd]

Another option would be to put the die in a lathe and remove a small amount from the base.

I have had to do this in the past.

 

[Diablo]

See reply by RTH1800 above.

Getting an original factory Pre-64 Win 70 barrel for 220 Swift that still has some life left is getting hard to do.

 

[Supersubes]

It would be easier to just shorten a shell holder, instead of the die.

 

[Mike Casselton]

It would be easier to just shorten a shell holder, instead of the die.

100% agree.
Take the $5.00 shell holder down.
All you have to do is to get some 200 grit paper, lay it on a flat surface like your counter top. Flip your shell holder upside down and stroke it until you remove a few thousands.
Done.

 

[jetmd]

This is true Gentlemen.
But when I had my .220 swift I reloaded with my Dillon 550.
Not such an easy task with that style shell holder.
With a single stage yes that is easily doable.

 

[Charger442]

Late production rifles did have some tuning issues. Find a smith who has chamber gauges. If short, run a reamer in and correct it. Not a big deal. You could optimize the throat at the same time. Don’t waste that barrel.

This is definitely the right answer.