6 BRA Extraction and bolt lift issues

[Mauser06]

This problem made me ill. After spending a LOT of money just to have a barrel chambered to 6bra then to have brass problems in the early run of Alpha. I had the barrel rechambered to straight 6br, problem solved.
:{

Thinking back this cost me a hole season and about 1K. - Lost time and money - oh well.

I didn't know of the issue till recently. I was having the issues. Blanking primers at very light loads cost me a firing pin or 2. Wasted half a barrel trying to figure out what the heck was going on...they lost a customer. I don't care if they are the only company I can get brass from for something....


I'm seriously frustrated by the entire deal. I am a fairly new shooter...so to run into these issues costing me time and money and oh ya...firing pins from blanking primers...I actually figured out that Lapua brass worked perfectly in both my barrels before I learned WHY on here. I was ready to sell it all and find a new hobby I was that frustrated.

 

[Link]

I didn't know of the issue till recently. I was having the issues. Blanking primers at very light loads cost me a firing pin or 2. Wasted half a barrel trying to figure out what the heck was going on...they lost a customer. I don't care if they are the only company I can get brass from for something....


I'm seriously frustrated by the entire deal. I am a fairly new shooter...so to run into these issues costing me time and money and oh ya...firing pins from blanking primers...I actually figured out that Lapua brass worked perfectly in both my barrels before I learned WHY on here. I was ready to sell it all and find a new hobby I was that frustrated.

Same here. The money wasn't my top priority. The time was, at 79 years old. lol

 

[SKWERLZ]

I didn't know of the issue till recently. I was having the issues. Blanking primers at very light loads cost me a firing pin or 2. Wasted half a barrel trying to figure out what the heck was going on...they lost a customer. I don't care if they are the only company I can get brass from for something....


I'm seriously frustrated by the entire deal. I am a fairly new shooter...so to run into these issues costing me time and money and oh ya...firing pins from blanking primers...I actually figured out that Lapua brass worked perfectly in both my barrels before I learned WHY on here. I was ready to sell it all and find a new hobby I was that frustrated.

I had an glimpse as on another forum shooters were having issues with alpha brass for another cartridge.

 

[Bill Norris]

Had a bad experience with Alpha SRP brass in my 260AI. Don't intend to purchase it again. Lapua is my first choice and Peterson is my second.

 

[SKWERLZ]

Had a bad experience with Alpha SRP brass in my 260AI. Don't intend to purchase it again. Lapua is my first choice and Peterson is my second.

Yep
You’re not alone.

 

[Mauser06]

I had an glimpse as on another forum shooters were having issues with alpha brass for another cartridge.

I've seen it showing its ugly face with another BR family case too with guys I shoot with. One guy a couple weeks ago ended up WAY over pressure out of nowhere. Primer completely gone. We didn't even find pieces of it. Only thing that changed was how many firings were on his brass. I think he hit his 3rd firing. I know 2 other guys struggling with heavy bolt lift with the same cartridge. Case heads all stamp. Normal "over pressure signs" and we run our BRAs, Dasher etc 2880-2920. Nothing hot about it..we don't shoot the high node.

I was seeing the same issues below 2700fps in the BRA cases.


Frustrating issue. Brass was very good quality wise. Got good ES/SDs from it.


If we'd all known we needed their reamer or specs, we'd have used it...or not used their brass.

 

[SKWERLZ]

I've seen it showing its ugly face with another BR family case too with guys I shoot with. One guy a couple weeks ago ended up WAY over pressure out of nowhere. Primer completely gone. We didn't even find pieces of it. Only thing that changed was how many firings were on his brass. I think he hit his 3rd firing. I know 2 other guys struggling with heavy bolt lift with the same cartridge. Case heads all stamp. Normal "over pressure signs" and we run our BRAs, Dasher etc 2880-2920. Nothing hot about it..we don't shoot the high node.

I was seeing the same issues below 2700fps in the BRA cases.


Frustrating issue. Brass was very good quality wise. Got good ES/SDs from it.


If we'd all known we needed their reamer or specs, we'd have used it...or not used their brass.

Yep


I also run my 6 bra at 2880 no problem with another brand brass happily with a custom reamer

 

[Clancy]

Lapua 6BR brass isn’t nearly as hard to find as the internet would have you think. We’ve seen it monthly or so for a good while now. It was in stock yesterday and might be today.

You can’t hardly wear it out….

Just buy enough to last when it’s in stock, and you won’t need a special $390 Reamer or have to run it at 6BR speeds.


Or buy PETERSON and skim the necks if you have to. I’m shooting some of it and it’s great. That was Peterson in one of the targets above.

 

[Ccrider]

Yep


I also run my 6 bra at 2880 no problem with another brand brass happily with a custom reamer

I had the same problems and much like Link, was pissed off about my time being wasted more so than the money.

However, my Alpha runs fine at 2880 in the lower node. Get to 2930 or so and ugly raises its head.

After talking to Alex, I started foreforming Lapua brass and can run over 3000fps with no problems.

 

[bozo699]

Had a bad experience with Alpha SRP brass in my 260AI. Don't intend to purchase it again. Lapua is my first choice and Peterson is my second.

100% Spot on!….
I never have understood why anyone would veer away from Lapua?… If Lapua doesn’t make it I don’t chamber it,… at least anything I compete with!…
Wayne

 

[Ackman]

Comparing 6BR brass.......Alpha 6BRA and Lapua Gold box 6BR.

Weight - I just picked a case out of each box and weighed them, did it 2 different times. Alpha weighed 4gr more than Lapua gold box. This was for curiosity, from one sample of each from each box. I wasn't gonna weigh a whole bunch of them. 4grains of brass is an extremely small volume spread over something the size of a case. Those 4grains could have come from a difference in length, which I didn't check, of the particular Lapua case I pulled..
,
Length -I measured a bunch of each. Lapua 1.553-1.555", nicely consistent for brass. Alpha were all dead nuts on 1.555" exactly. Not even a 1/2thou difference.

Dia. at .200 from case head - Lapua unfired .469". Alpha .468"..
******BIG mistake---I gave those things an extra .010". Those numbers have been rectified.

Primers seat harder in the Alpha, which they explained was because of a very slight taper designed into the primer pocket.
..
I've shot both Lapua and Alpha in a 6BRA Remage barrel from Urbanrifleman, I believe it's his 0 freebore chamber and is extremely accurate. I headspaced it myself off Lapua brass, then later adjusted it with Alpha.. No clicks. Have never experienced the dreaded click. I've been to the Alpha facility twice to buy 6BRA brass. Great people to deal with who really care about their product, and the quality control is something to see.

 

[dgeesaman]

What's the .200 line dia in your 6BRA chamber?

 

[Ackman]

What's the .200 line dia in your 6BRA chamber?

Glad you asked. Had a brain fart and gave them .010" too much. Don't know what the chamber is but fired cases are .469-469.5

 

[Lynn313]

You should ask Tom what the maximum chamber size can be, and let JGS know. They have a tolerance. So if .470" is the max you may want to order a reamer .0003" smaller than that. And make sure the smith cuts a chamber no bigger than the reamer. That is common.

Alex, a .471- will fit in my chamber. A .472- will not go in. Do you think this is OK with the new Alpha. Do you think the Alpha would blow back without sealing or do you think it should seal?
Thanks for all your info on the BRA. This chamber was just cut off & re-chambered with the Alpha 6 bra .120 reamer. I’ll try to get through to Alpha on Monday. Thanks……

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Alex, a .471- will fit in my chamber. A .472- will not go in. Do you think this is OK with the new Alpha. Do you think the Alpha would blow back without sealing or do you think it should seal?
Thanks for all your info on the BRA. This chamber was just cut off & re-chambered with the Alpha 6 bra .120 reamer. I’ll try to get through to Alpha on Monday. Thanks……

I dont know. I have not chambered any barrels with the tight reamer to know what works and what doesnt.

 

[Lynn313]

I dont know. I have not chambered any barrels with the tight reamer to know what works and what doesnt.

Thanks. Once it’s get here I’ll post some feedback on if I still have the heavier bolt lift at light loads along with new brass & fired brass measurement. I have a Micron 6 BRA sizer, but am planning on 1st thing firing 3 rounds 3Xs & send to Wiley at Whiddens for a custom sizer. If you have any advice it will be well taken & appreciated.
*If I had knew more before starting I would have definitely went with Lapua brass. If I think I’m sticking with the BRA I will get my gunsmith to help me get my numbers right to go with dummy rounds to send to JGS for a reamer. I tried to find C.I.P. to get their dimensions as I read that was what Alpha was basing thier reamer on. I found C.I.P., but not where they post info on cartridges.
Thanks & have a safe & blessed weekend!

 

[mikecr]

Never made sense to me that someone would order a reamer without the brass in-hand, and reamer print adjusted to match.

 

[ChristianSilver]

I’m at a loss here…

I bought 300 pieces of OCD brass for a new build in 6BRA.
My bbl is a finish length of 32” Bartlein 5R 1.75T. Reamer is a new Pacific Tool & Gauge Finisher Reamer - 6mm BR Ack Imp 40° 269 Neck - 104 Freebore. I have a throatier from Manson and plan to lengthen my FB to 120. I do not have a Reamer print so I’m sorta worried about having issues which I don’t want.
Worse case scenario x 2 is having to dump the OCD brass and find some Lapua BR and FF.
Option 2 order a Reamer from Jim and spend 380.00 which should hit the shelves in 3 weeks.

I’m going to take a chance and see what happens. If I have issues I’ll cut my 32” finish length bbl down 1” and rechamber with the Alpha reamer.
Think my chances are better this way than trying to find Lapua 6BR brass…

Will update in 2 weeks once I’m back home.

Wish me luck…

 

[Clancy]

I’m at a loss here…

I bought 300 pieces of OCD brass for a new build in 6BRA.
My bbl is a finish length of 32” Bartlein 5R 1.75T. Reamer is a new Pacific Tool & Gauge Finisher Reamer - 6mm BR Ack Imp 40° 269 Neck - 104 Freebore. I have a throatier from Manson and plan to lengthen my FB to 120. I do not have a Reamer print so I’m sorta worried about having issues which I don’t want.
Worse case scenario x 2 is having to dump the OCD brass and find some Lapua BR and FF.
Option 2 order a Reamer from Jim and spend 380.00 which should hit the shelves in 3 weeks.

I’m going to take a chance and see what happens. If I have issues I’ll cut my 32” finish length bbl down 1” and rechamber with the Alpha reamer.
Think my chances are better this way than trying to find Lapua 6BR brass…

Will update in 2 weeks once I’m back home.

Wish me luck…

You’re going to have trouble, period.

Save the headache by playing their little game and getting the Reamer, or getting some Lapua brass.

 

[ChristianSilver]

You’re going to have trouble, period.

Save the headache by playing their little game and getting the Reamer, or getting some Lapua brass.

Well not what I’m wanting hear.. thanks for the honest opinion though.

I’m going to give it an honest run. Jim will not have the reamers for 3 weeks. I do my own bbl work so I will not be out any cost just a little time. Hell I like chambering anyway.
I will chamber and throat the longer FB and measure and see where I’m at. Load up 10 rounds and FF take measurements and repeat. I will know after 3 firings if it’s going to work..


Does anyone on here have an Alpha reamer they’re willing to let me rent or buy?