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Help, Brass issue with bolt lift.

Hi everyone, need you help. I purchased a seekins ph2 over a year ago and when testing the rifle out i noticed excessive case stretch. After some consideration i decided to further inspect. Later find out that seekins chambered this rifle incorrectly and took the rifle back and rebarreled/rechambered the rifle correctly (6.5prc). I then took those brass took all the measurements and decided they needed a little work to be able to work in 6.5 prc. Started by annealing and bumping shoulder slightly, then re-annealing and bumping should to where it just fit nicely in the chamber without a heavy bolt lift. Bare resized brass chambered nicely, however, when brass was reloaded i got a hard bolt close just to chamber it. The OACL is within SAAMI specs. Some things to not: Full length resizing with a redding type s bushing die and bullet seating with frankford arsenal universal bullet seating die. I am at a loss for words. funny it would chamber perfectly 2 weeks after resizing (waiting for any springback), then when loaded it has hard bolt close. Thanks in advance for any insight. Also using lapua brass.
 
If you have an expander ball in your resizing die, it could be the culprit by stretching the brass as in expands. Loose the ball and try a separate expander mandrel and die that expands the neck from the top down. See if that cures your bolt lift. Chances are it will do the trick. Whatta Hobby!
 
KRH
You mighty taking a permanent marker and color your case.
Chamber it and see where you’re hitting.

If you had your seater die screwed down a little to much, it might have tried to crimp the case and put a slight bulge at the bottom of the neck and case wall junction.
Let us know what you find.

Ha
 
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From what you are saying there are only two reasons that could be causing hard chambering after loading the brass. One is that the neck is now too large for your chamber. Two is the bullet is extended out into the lands. Either problem should be easy to diagnose with proper tools.
 
If it hasn't been chambered with the AW2 reamer its to tight at the .200 line.
Use the search function Alex Wheeler started a thread on all the PRC saami reamers being to tight at the web.
I would start out with just a piece of brass to diagnose your problem.
 
If it hasn't been chambered with the AW2 reamer its to tight at the .200 line.
Use the search function Alex Wheeler started a thread on all the PRC saami reamers being to tight at the web.
I would start out with just a piece of brass to diagnose your problem.
It's my understanding that the OP said bare brass chambers fine.
 
It's my understanding that the OP said bare brass chambers fine.
He needs to start out with a piece of fired brass size it then adjust die using Alex's stripped bolt method.
He states his reloaded brass chambers hard.
Taking fired vrs sized measurements at the .200 line, shoulder, neck and bump will help also.
 
He needs to start out with a piece of fired brass size it then adjust die using Alex's stripped bolt method.
He states his reloaded brass chambers hard.
Taking fired vrs sized measurements at the .200 line, shoulder, neck and bump will help also.
I dont think he used the strip bolt method but said that he bumped until it chambered easily. I agree that the stripped bolt method is certainly best. Still if it chambered easily until he loaded the brass that limits the options causing his problems.
 
He needs to start out with a piece of fired brass size it then adjust die using Alex's stripped bolt method.
He states his reloaded brass chambers hard.
Taking fired vrs sized measurements at the .200 line, shoulder, neck and bump will help also.
I'd not fire it until he determines if the neck is tight or as mentioned above, the bullet is jammed. Either one could make for a very bad situation rather easily.
The OP said it's a new chamber. No fired brass available.
 
Just a wild guess but I would say, without physically working with you rifle, that the re-chambering had a tight neck. What was the mistaken chambering originally?

Just a wild guess but I would say, without physically working with you rifle, that the re-chambering had a tight neck. What was the mistaken chambering originally?
They never did officially tell me as they were quite embarrassed.
 
If it hasn't been chambered with the AW2 reamer its to tight at the .200 line.
Use the search function Alex Wheeler started a thread on all the PRC saami reamers being to tight at the web.
I would start out with just a piece of brass to diagnose your problem.
The new barrel was chambered with the AW2. I confirmed that a couple days ago.
 
Wouldnt this show up on a resized piece of brass without being loaded though?

If it hasn't been chambered with the AW2 reamer its to tight at the .200 line.
Use the search function Alex Wheeler started a thread on all the PRC saami reamers being to tight at the web.
I would start out with just a piece of brass to diagnose your problem
 
I'd not fire it until he determines if the neck is tight or as mentioned above, the bullet is jammed. Either one could make for a very bad situation rather easily.
The OP said it's a new chamber. No fired brass available.
I didn't say fire anything, start out with a piece of fired brass he already has some.
 
Wouldnt this show up on a resized piece of brass without being loaded though?
Things are getting out in the weeds, start taking measurements sized vrs fired, .200 line, shoulder dia, nk dia and bump.
Watch Alex's stripped bolt method for setting up dies if you get to that point now you know its not the brass then start with a seated bullet dummy round, process of elimination.
 
I didn't say fire anything, start out with a piece of fired brass he already has some.
Perhaps I misread? My understanding is, this is a rechambered barrel returned from the maker and the only fired brass the OP has was fired in the old chamber. Reading between the lines, sounds like the old chamber had excessive headspace? Or perhaps the original chamber was a completely different cartridge?
Don't see how that brass would be helpful in the new chamber.
The OP probably should scrap that brass and start over, anyway. Still doesn't explain why resized brass chambers easily, yet that same brass won't once loaded.
Again, unless I misunderstood.
 
Make up a dummy cartridge from a piece of sized brass that chambered easily. Color it(bullet ogive to the .200 line) with marker and chamber it. See where it is rubbing.
 

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