Has Anyone Seen This Before

[wkdickinson]

Like the title says - 35 years reloading and I've never seen it. This is a 6bra made from Lapua 6br case, with an unknown number of reloadings (I bought the rifle used and it came with 150 cases). This happened while finish sizing the neck with a mandril - basically the neck pulled off and stayed on the mandril. In the 2nd picture you can see a line around the base of the case neck. There are a number in this batch like that. I thought the line was just where the neck turning tool stopped, now I am not so sure?

 

[Bill Norris]

Were the necks turned originally? Looks like it could have been cut too deep into the shoulder when turned. At any rate discard all those with rings in that location.

 

[jcm800]

Yep, old brittle brass reloaded numerous times, never annealed.

 

[TTE]

What Bill said ..... and IMO, cases were not annealed and if they were they may have been fired too many times

 

[LCazador]

That's a pretty common thing with 6BRA. Many reloaders try to get a little extra mileage out of the brass and that work hardens the neck. If a donut develops, pushing that donut to the outside and then neck turning it off can result in a very thin area there at the neck shoulder junction. As Bill says discard the brass that shows the ring. If you get a neck detachment after firing have a cleaning rod ready with a tight brush to fish out the detached neck out of your rifle chamber. Even some of those pieces of brass that don't show a ring may result in detached necks.

 

[K22]

Never saw that before but it doesn't surprise me with unknown brass history.

It's one of the reason many years ago I stop using range brass and start with virgin case dedicated to a specific rifle. Since then, I have had virtually no case related problems and I do not anneal.

 

[Bill Norris]

That's a pretty common thing with 6BRA. Many reloaders try to get a little extra mileage out of the brass and that work hardens the neck. If a donut develops, pushing that donut to the outside and then neck turning it off can result in a very thin area there at the neck shoulder junction. As Bill says discard the brass that shows the ring. If you get a neck detachment after firing have a cleaning rod ready with a tight brush to fish out the detached neck out of your rifle chamber. Even some of those pieces of brass that don't show a ring may result in detached necks.

Turning that donut repeatedly will often thin the brass in that area.

 

[wkdickinson]

Since I posted this originally I have looked at all of the rest of the cases (70 empty and about 75 loaded) and 90% show that line. They are all going in the garbage can - I just hate pulling the loaded ones down!

 

[wkdickinson]

Thanks for the help!

 

[Straightshooter1]

Were the necks turned originally? Looks like it could have been cut too deep into the shoulder when turned. At any rate discard all those with rings in that location.

Yup, that's what I've see on case necks that have been turned (though none of my own turned necks).

 

[JMayo]

I've got hundred of firings on mine and none look like that. I shoot with a bunch that shoot 6bra and never have i heard or seen that..,

 

[D-4297]

I'll put on my Retired Machinist hat and throw out a opinion on this . That type of tool mark occurs when the cutter is stopped , and left to "dwell" in one spot , at the end of the "cut" .

 

[quest450]

this is what happens when you don't size the neck all the way down to neck/shoulder junction and turn the neck cutting the unsized portion of the brass

 

[ronemus]

Since I posted this originally I have looked at all of the rest of the cases (70 empty and about 75 loaded) and 90% show that line. They are all going in the garbage can - I just hate pulling the loaded ones down!

I hope you mean the scrap bucket. With copper going for nearly $5 per pound, the recycler should be paying over $3.

 

[wkdickinson]

OK, so now the question is what do I buy for brass. I bought this rifle used, so I have no idea what reamer was used to chamber it. However, it has a sticker on the side of the barrel that says it has a .268" neck. I've read on here that if you use Alpha brass in a "Lapua" chamber, then full-length size the brass, it will never expand enough at the 200-line to grab the chamber, so you get bolt thrust issues. The brass I have been using was Lapua 6br, fire-formed to bra. I would prefer to use Alpha "bra" brass so i don't have to fire-form.

Any opinions?

 

[Ccrider]

With a 268 neck, you are going to have to turn necks. If you are not set up to do so, it is a learning process. I would not be so quick to throw the brass away before learning to turn necks.

Lapua brass is hard to find. Peterson shoots as good as Lapua. I would stay away from Alpha in a 6bra if I were you unless you are planning on shooting at the lower node. If you are, the Alpha shot as well for me as Lapua at the low node. I started having the problems in the middle and high nodes.

All of this is barrel and reamer specific, but numerous shooters have had the same problems with Alpha 6bra brass.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

It's a neck turning issue. Typically from turning too far into the shoulder but like others have said, there are other factors but they all come back to the neck turning.

 

[6BRA]

this is what happens when you don't size the neck all the way down to neck/shoulder junction and turn the neck cutting the unsized portion of the brass

exactly...looks like a bushing die was used at one time and then the necks turned.

 

[wkdickinson]

With a 268 neck, you are going to have to turn necks. If you are not set up to do so, it is a learning process. I would not be so quick to throw the brass away before learning to turn necks.

Lapua brass is hard to find. Peterson shoots as good as Lapua. I would stay away from Alpha in a 6bra if I were you unless you are planning on shooting at the lower node. If you are, the Alpha shot as well for me as Lapua at the low node. I started having the problems in the middle and high nodes.

All of this is barrel and reamer specific, but numerous shooters have had the same problems with Alpha 6bra brass.

I have no choice about getting rid of the old brass, they are cracks for sure, so unsafe in my opinion. I have the tooling to neck-turn and have done it in the past. I kind of figured with the .268 chamber it would require neck turning. Thanks!

 

[Mark W]

I have no choice about getting rid of the old brass, they are cracks for sure, so unsafe in my opinion. I have the tooling to neck-turn and have done it in the past. I kind of figured with the .268 chamber it would require neck turning. Thanks!

I would put a WTB post in the classified section and then set up notifications for Lapua brass at every possible retailer.

There are folks setting on plenty of brass, but it’s not going to be cheap.