.223 question

[josebd]

I bought a stainless select match shilen barrel for savage small shank .223
I had some loads already worked up with 52 bthp hornady set at 2.250,published in the book.
I noticed when closing the bolt it had some resistance ,I thought it was the shoulder causing it,because it was .003 longer than what a fired round measured.
But after checking the c.o.l.with that bullet the c.o.l of that bullet is 2.195,I shot it 12 times with these.
The question is did I hurt the barrel by doing this?
I called Jim Briggs who sold me the barrel and he said no I didn't hurt it.
Just want your guys opinion,I haven't shot it yet after discovering this.

 

[SBS]

Nope, no damage done. Clean it well with a good copper cleaner; pushing bullets into the lands may have left more than usual, particularly if the barrel throat has not been thoroughly broken in yet.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

You could jam that bullet out so far you have to use a mallet to close the bolt and you still won't damage that barrel. Brass and copper are a whole lot softer than your barrel's steel.

Think about it...you may have up to 55,000 PSI in the chamber to force that bullet down the barrel at blinding speeds as the rifling digs into the jacket to spin it at an insane amount of RPM. Nothing you can physically do when chambering a round in any fashion can come close to the beating the barrel takes when that trigger is pulled on a live round.

Even if you are raising pressure from jamming the lands, it's not gonna hurt that barrel. You may blow up a case and damage your bolt if the pressure gets high enough, but the rifling and chamber of the barrel will still be there the same as before.

Barrels are made to handle much more intense pressures than what SAAMI standards list. SAAMI is a safety net. But that does not mean your brass or bolt face can handle more.

 

[josebd]

ok,thanks guys!

 

[josebd]

Cleaned the bore this morning,had very little copper in it.