6 Dasher brass "Click?"

[KevinBaker]

I need some advice or maybe some clarification. I'm shooting a 6 Dasher with neck turned Lapua brass, and I'm trying to cull the pieces that have the "click" when trying to eject after firing. What I'm referring to as "click" is after firing the round and then trying to eject the brass, the bolt will lift probably around 3/4 of the way and then stop. At this point, i have to hold the rifle with my left hand while more or less racking the bolt upward to complete the cycle and eject the brass. With my limited time shooting this caliber, this doesn't seem normal to me. For general knowledge, I'm using a Harrell's FLS bushing die and I anneal the brass after every firing. I'm also using the same original 100 piece lot that I started with from the beginning.

Kevin

 

[Erik Cortina]

Your die is not sizing the base of the case enough. Get a small base die and run all your brass through it and it will be fine.

 

[KevinBaker]

Your die is not sizing the base of the case enough. Get a small base die and run all your brass through it and it will be fine.

Erik,

Thank you for the reply. Would this be an additional step that I will have to take going forward, along with using the Harrell's die that I already have?

 

[KevinBaker]

I just researched what a small base die does. My Harrell's die is only bumping the shoulders back around .0015". If I tried to take them back .002" or .003", would this accomplish the same thing as the small base die?

 

[Erik Cortina]

Your die is not sizing the base of the case enough. Get a small base die and run all your brass through it and it will be fine.

Erik,

Thank you for the reply. Would this be an additional step that I will have to take going forward, along with using the Harrell's die that I already have?

Yes.

Measure some fired cases before and after F/L sizing to see how much your die is sizing the brass down. I bet it is not sizing it down enough.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I just researched what a small base die does. My Harrell's die is only bumping the shoulders back around .0015". If I tried to take them back .002" or .003", would this accomplish the same thing as the small base die?

No, the small base die will only size the base. Bumping the shoulder back more will only create more problems.

 

[FatBoy]

I just researched what a small base die does. My Harrell's die is only bumping the shoulders back around .0015". If I tried to take them back .002" or .003", would this accomplish the same thing as the small base die?

That depends on where the brass is oversized. If the brass has expanded up by the case head only a small base full length sizing die will take it down so it doesn't hang at the cam over point on the action. It wouldn't hurt to have a little more HS though. You might give that a try first, before you spend the money on a SB die.

Edit

Just saw the response above. I agree if the base is causing the issue. Having zero HS can cause a hard bolt lift as well. Take a couple of those culled cases and bump the HS to .002", pull the firing pin assembly and see if the bolt will drop all the way down with no pressure. If so, you may luck out. If not, SB die should fix it.

 

[Terry]

Where can I get a small base Dasher die?

 

[FatBoy]

Where can I get a small base Dasher die?

Call John and see what he can whip up.

www.whiddengunworks.net/reloadingdies.html

 

[KevinBaker]

Thank you all for the replies. Chris, I'll give your idea a try and report back. Hopefully it will work though.

 

[FatBoy]

Thank you all for the replies. Chris, I'll give your idea a try and report back. Hopefully it will work though.

I hope so too but I had to buy a SB die for one of my 6BRs. After 6-7 firing on the gold box Lapua they are starting to get a hard lift. I won't deal with that out of a sling so they get SB sized and go back to work as usual. I think if I annealed these might last forever. Trying HS is free and you can try it tonight. If you have the patience I have you're probably setting the die up now.....

 

[Erik Cortina]

Where can I get a small base Dasher die?

Same as a .308 Win.

 

[Phil]

Search pbike or ring dies.....

He already has what you need..

Phil.

 

[Phil]

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3794098.0

Looky here......

 

[ridgeway]

I made my own from an old Forster die I had laying around. I started off by cutting off the top of the die and bored the shoulder and part of the taper out. Then it was just a trial and error process of removing material from the die base to get it where it was sizing the brass down .0005" more than my FL sizer. Many trips to the basement and back to the lathe! Works pretty good. I can snap a few pics if anyone is interested. I run all my brass through this after FL sizing. Seemed to take care of the random click...

 

[DJ111]

Did you buy your die from Harrell's? Just call Harrell's and talk to them. They have 8 different size dies, what is the number stamped on the bottom?

You probably could use the next size tighter.

 

[fdshuster]

In every instance that I've had hard bolt lift with a "click" at the top, the problem has always been the case head diameter. It has swollen out so that it's .001" to .002" larger diameter than when new. Usually begins to happen after about 5 or 6 loadings. Run them thru a small base die to reduce the case head diameter back to original as new and the problem goes away. Really disasterous to keeping good groups since the rifle is being greatly disturbed in the front bag when trying to open the bolt, maybe as much as smacking the bolt with the open hand.

Has nothing to do with annealing the case necks or bumping the shoulders back.

 

[eggman]

Kevin,
When I run across a chamber that produces brass with an annoying "bolt click" I have ever so slightly opened up the chamber at the .200" line at the base of the chamber . There are a lot of 6 BRX reamers out there that will cut chambers prone to bolt click . All it takes is a "D" size Starrett Small Hole Gage (.400" -.500" ) and a 3/8" wooden dowel with a spilt notch on one end for 360 grit emory paper . If you have access to a lathe then chuck the barrel in the lathe and measure the chamber diameter at the .200 line . What you want to do is increase this diameter about a 1/2 thousands to no more than one thousands (.0005" to .001") . Cut a 1/2" wide strip of 320 grit emory cloth and wrap it around the wooden dowel with part of it through your notch at the end of the dowel. With the barrel spinning start polishing and measuring being careful not to remove too much material. I have know of some of my competitors that didn't own a lathe to do this with so they would put the barrel in a vice and have the dowel spinning in a drill . I haven't tried that method as I have a couple lathes but it must not be too bad of a method as these competitors have beaten me regularly with barrels done in this fashion . It's been my experience that once a batch of brass starts clicking it will keep on clicking no matter what but opening up the chamber and starting with new brass usually solves the clicking problem. FWIW

Rodney

 

[KevinBaker]

Did you buy your die from Harrell's? Just call Harrell's and talk to them. They have 8 different size dies, what is the number stamped on the bottom?

You probably could use the next size tighter.

I did buy the die from Harrell's, and it has a "D3" stamped on the bottom. I also have another Harrell's "D3" that i bought for a previous Dasher chambered rifle, but after talking with them they suggested that i send in new fired brass from the new rifle and start over. When it came in i noticed that the stamp was the same as the other one i had, so i called them back. I was told that even though the stampings are the same, there are minor differences that occur to the dies after they are heat treated and that the inner dimensions measure differently.

 

[KevinBaker]

In every instance that I've had hard bolt lift with a "click" at the top, the problem has always been the case head diameter. It has swollen out so that it's .001" to .002" larger diameter than when new. Usually begins to happen after about 5 or 6 loadings. Run them thru a small base die to reduce the case head diameter back to original as new and the problem goes away. Really disasterous to keeping good groups since the rifle is being greatly disturbed in the front bag when trying to open the bolt, maybe as much as smacking the bolt with the open hand.

Has nothing to do with annealing the case necks or bumping the shoulders back.

I agree, and it's getting to the point to where i have to smack the bolt pretty good on some of them.