Gunsmithing Sticking cases (new 700 SPS)

[drum13]

I started this thread in the reloading forum but thought it should go here instead because I'm thinking there's an issue with the gun and not the brass.
Thanks for any help.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...-stretch-after-one-firing-sticking-cases.html

 

[nso123]

I would try some different brass, or at least try a small base die since there is a chance that your brass was fired through a gas gun.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Sounds like you need to back your reloads loads off.
Try some factory FGMM--
What does your case gauge show for you headspace after re-size'n?
LG

 

[drum13]

I would try some different brass, or at least try a small base die since there is a chance that your brass was fired through a gas gun.

I tried some PPU brass and had the same results with cases sticking. Not as bad as the Federal but still definitely noticeable.

Sounds like you need to back your reloads loads off.
Try some factory FGMM--
What does your case gauge show for you headspace after re-size'n?
LG

resized brass 1.625
fired brass 1.635
I tried shooting 41.5 RL15 w/175's and they were still stick'n.

 

[nso123]

Had the PPU brass been fired in the gas gun too?

 

[drum13]

It's possible, and if so only 1 or two times max.... but has been FL sized & trimmed at least once since then. It shot out of the 5R perfectly.

Sounds like I gotta dedicate one coffee can or brand of brass strictly to each rifle from now on. Haven't had much issue swapping brass before until this SPS came along.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I will ask again-Do you ck, OAL and headspace in a case gauge??
Case Gage
This a a must have tool for reloading bottle-neck cases!
You should try FL sizing to fit YOUR chamber--
Your over-sizing(excessive HS)your cases now.
What do you trim you case length to?
LG

 

[drum13]

Negative I do not have such a device. Been using a .40 cal pulled down unfired case to measure headspace.

I use the Lee trimmer and comes out 2.0025-2.0030 avg.

Thanks for the link- I'll try to fit that into the budget this week for sure. How would I be over-sizing? By crushing the cases too much? I use Lee collet and full length dies set to manufacturers instructions and never had an issue.
Thank you


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[Killswitch Engage]

If your measurements are right You have .010 headspace in your sized brass. That's a real bad idea dude.

 

[sgm]

Sounds like you should have head space checked! real cheap insurance[be safe]... One way of adjusting your sizing of your brass to your chamber is redding shell holders they come in .002" increments in thickness so your shell holder still bottoms out against die but does not set shoulder back as far. Sounds like your on the right track as far as the method your measuring shoulders.
when firing new or FL sized brass when the shoulders expand against chamber they will spring back about .0005"-.001" so figure this in when you calculate how much shoulder bump you want. I usally run my shoulders at what they are at first firing but dont hesitate to play with it a little some like a little bump some dont.

 

[NXS338]

I have to ask, have you checked the rifle with a set of go/no-go gauges? If he were doing something wrong in the reloading process like bumping the shoulder back too far wouldn't he have the same problem in the other rifles he is reloading for? I guess what I'm saying is if you load the same cartridge for 2 other rifles and you have no issues then do the same thing for this one and end up with super stretched cases then I would say the problem is pointing to the rifle. As long as you are loading everything the same.

 

[ajwcotton]

I would also check your brass for an impending case head separation as well, might be sitting on a time bomb with some of that brass.

 

[sgm]

I agree, definitly check your brass any brass that has been streched and sized back that far is not long to this world, even one time, it will fail sooner than later.

 

[sgm]

I just read your post in the reloading dept. you said you lapped the lugs. You only have .003" to play with if your headspace was bare min. to start with. Have a qualified gunsmith check you headspace I would not go any farther with loading for it until. your playing with fire now ,be safe and get it checked before firing the gun again

 

[jsthntn247]

1.635 is within Saami headspace maximums. Seems to me your problem is your bumping your shoulders .010 with your die.

 

[Sweetyzfd]

Tag because I'm interested

 

[drum13]

Picked the rifle up from the gunsmith today. It was an expensive lesson.

Been reloading for a few years now and haven't experienced "hardened brass" yet. The brass is tired and has no elasticity left. it's been reloaded over a dozen times and never annealed.

The case-sticking issue was from hardened brass and the excessive stretch was from a combination of both, the bumped shoulders and hardened brass.

Bumped shoulders increased chamber pressure resulting in excessive case stretch. Being hardened brass, the cases have no elasticity so the necks would not shrink back to size after firing.

Since troubleshooting the case sticking issue, I took the FL die apart to clean it. Might have turned it down too much when setting it back up in the press.... accidentally bumping the shoulders back. I need to spend more time setting up my dies and not just going with the LEE settings found in their die's instructions. (which is what I've been doing for years without issue, until now).

The rifle's headspace checks out fine and the chamber was cleaned. The smith shot some factory match ammo and a few reloads through it with no sticking-cases or case stretch. Glad I at least had the sense to bring my fired brass and a couple pieces of prepped brass to the smith's.

Hopefully this thread will save somebody a little frustration.

 

[blakesrs]

Reloads? or Factory?

 

[Straight Shooter]

Sounds like I gotta dedicate one coffee can or brand of brass strictly to each rifle from now on. Haven't had much issue swapping brass before until this SPS came along.

You have just been lucky so far. Every shouldered chamber is unique and should not share reloads with another unless they are custom rifles built with the same reamer by the same smith and the stipulation is interchangeable brass. If you continue to load for your shortest chamber you are headed for a head separation. I have lots of duplicate rifles we load for in the same calibers and every one of them has it's own brass. As you have found sometimes they are close enough to interchange. To see if they can, I recommend seeing if the fired brass from each rifle will chamber easily in the others you want to have common brass.

 

[drum13]

Reloads? or Factory?

Reloads

You have just been lucky so far. Every shouldered chamber is unique and should not share reloads with another unless they are custom rifles built with the same reamer by the same smith and the stipulation is interchangeable brass. If you continue to load for your shortest chamber you are headed for a head separation. I have lots of duplicate rifles we load for in the same calibers and every one of them has it's own brass. As you have found sometimes they are close enough to interchange. To see if they can, I recommend seeing if the fired brass from each rifle will chamber easily in the others you want to have common brass.

Learned my lesson and from now on will dedicate - each rifle will have it's own brass.
I had the notion that a FL die would bring the brass and the fired shoulder back into sort of a "factory sized" state that any chamber would accept.
An issue right now is that all my brass has been fired out of other rifles.....some, out of rifles I don't even own anymore. Wish I could afford to buy new brass and start over.
Thanks for the reply

 

[drum13]

.....I had the notion that a FL die would bring the brass and the fired shoulder back into sort of a "factory sized" state that any chamber would accept.

From LEE's site -- "...full length resizing die that allows you to restore any case to factory original dimensions so that you can fire form in your gun and then reload using the superior Collet neck sizing die"

 

[Straight Shooter]

Those instructions are correct assuming you are only loading the brass for one specific rifle. The less you work the brass the longer it lasts. The rifles I use Lee collets on I only have to lightly bump the shoulders every 5th firing. On my 22-250 they never get bumped and only use the collet die. I do have to anneal every 5 or I loose neck tension as the brass work hardens and then splits the necks.

Now on semi auto rifles you must full length size or the rifle will not run. The problem with that is your brass should be discarded after about 3 firings. You could attempt a run to destruction on a batch to see what the actual life cycle really is. That's how I see if my loads are safe. My Glock 40 load goes 30 shots on the same brass. Now I don't count anymore and just run the brass till I can't find it anymore.

 

[colscar]

i had a sticky bolt with ppu brass also bolt wouldnt pull back but i just think that was a pressure issue reloaded it with 44 grains of varget and then i realized that my digital scale was off. shot only five rounds and three out of five got stuck