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Lapua 6.5x47 flash hole diameter

Hondo64d

I've got a couple of boxes of 6.5x47 Lapua brass from two different lots. The most recent lot has smaller flash holes than the first, small enough that the decapping pin on my Lee universal recapping die will not go in them. It goes in a all other brass that I have tried that has a small rifle primer. Lee's answer was to drill the flash holes to 1/16th (preferred method) or turn down the decapping pin. Which do you guys recommend?

John
 
I recommend purchasing a K&M .062 small primer pocket reamer tool to open all your brass from the inside exactly the same.. I use one with my 6.5x47L brass...
 
It's not just the 47L brass. Some of the newer Lapua 6BR cases are pulling my pins out too. Happening with Redding and Whidden dies. Not happy about having to buy a SR reamer but it's easier than fishing through a bowl of cases trying to find which case my pin is stuck in.
 
I ran a 1/16 drill bit through one case and checked. Decapping pin from Lee Universal decapper still will not go through the flash hole. I think Lee sent it out oversized but they won't admit it. I guess I'll polish down a little bit.

John
 
Hondo64d said:
I've got a couple of boxes of 6.5x47 Lapua brass from two different lots. The most recent lot has smaller flash holes than the first, small enough that the decapping pin on my Lee universal recapping die will not go in them. It goes in a all other brass that I have tried that has a small rifle primer. Lee's answer was to drill the flash holes to 1/16th (preferred method) or turn down the decapping pin. Which do you guys recommend?

John
Click to expand...
6ppc, 6BR, 6.5x47, 308 Palma are all made with a 1.5mm (nominal) flash hole: .059-.062ish. A standard decapping pin is larger than 1.5mm and should not be used. Instead, a small decapping pin should be used and Redding, Hornady, Sinclair and others provide them. Of course, you can spend time and effort drilling out the holes large enough for a standard decapping pin to work. But, then you are eliminating what many consider to be an accuracy-enhancing small flash hole.
 
Scott Harris said:
6ppc, 6BR, 6.5x47, 308 Palma are all made with a 1.5mm (nominal) flash hole: .059-.062ish. A standard decapping pin is larger than 1.5mm and should not be used. Instead, a small decapping pin should be used and Redding, Hornady, Sinclair and others provide them. Of course, you can spend time and effort drilling out the holes large enough for a standard decapping pin to work. But, then you are eliminating what many consider to be an accuracy-enhancing small flash hole.
Click to expand...
THIS
 
What you may have missed in my post is the Redding 6BR dies and Whidden 47L dies have a small pin and it still sticks. They have some holes way undersized.
 
Scott Harris said:
what's the diameter of the "small" pin?
Click to expand...

.056" and other is .060". I think the Reddings are .060" and the RCBS small pin replacements are .056".

These pins worked fine for me for hundreds and hundreds of 6BR prior to the blue box. I have had issues with 47L since I built the first one last year, also blue box.

If the pins were any smaller they wouldn't stay in the collet of my Whidden die.

On top of that, I have had some 308 Palma brass and 47L brass .020" under HS so the primers won't fire. Lapua is probably still the best thing out there, it's still my go to, but it looks like their QC isn't what it was a few years ago.
 
FatBoy said:
.056" and other is .060". I think the Reddings are .060" and the RCBS small pin replacements are .056".

These pins worked fine for me for hundreds and hundreds of 6BR prior to the blue box. I have had issues with 47L since I built the first one last year, also blue box.

If the pins were any smaller they wouldn't stay in the collet of my Whidden die.

On top of that, I have had some 308 Palma brass and 47L brass .020" under HS so the primers won't fire. Lapua is probably still the best thing out there, it's still my go to, but it looks like their QC isn't what it was a few years ago.
Click to expand...
My Redding decapping pins are .053 and the Hornady decapping pins are .054.

.060 is over-sized given the advertised flash hole size is .059. Assuming any kind of reasonable manufacturing tolerance, the actual flash hole size could vary from .056 to .062. So, even your .056 decapping is on the large end.
 
Scott Harris said:
My Redding decapping pins are .053 and the Hornady decapping pins are .054.

.060 is over-sized given the advertised flash hole size is .059. Assuming any kind of reasonable manufacturing tolerance, the actual flash hole size could vary from .056 to .062. So, even your .056 decapping is on the large end.
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying. What is pissing me off about this is it is a recent issue. I shouldn't have to modify dies that have been in use 10 years for new brass. Had never seen this issue until the blue box.
 
Scott Harris said:
6ppc, 6BR, 6.5x47, 308 Palma are all made with a 1.5mm (nominal) flash hole: .059-.062ish. A standard decapping pin is larger than 1.5mm and should not be used. Instead, a small decapping pin should be used and Redding, Hornady, Sinclair and others provide them. Of course, you can spend time and effort drilling out the holes large enough for a standard decapping pin to work. But, then you are eliminating what many consider to be an accuracy-enhancing small flash hole.
Click to expand...

That gets to the heart of it all: Lapua did the ballistics, R&D, and engineering regarding flash hole size. Why tamper? I have read that some recent Blue Box has a small burr that is easily removed. Have not found myself however. Lapua cases are drilled, not stamped. What I do, though is use an inside debur tool without the depth stop set and turn gently against inside of the flash hole (inside of the cartridge)- seldom feel anything at all but just making sure new brass has been optimized. Doing this with Hornady .204 brass usually finds burrs.
 
Hanbleceya said:
That gets to the heart of it all: Lapua did the ballistics, R&D, and engineering regarding flash hole size. Why tamper? I have read that some recent Blue Box has a small burr that is easily removed. Have not found myself however. Lapua cases are drilled, not stamped. What I do, though is use an inside debur tool without the depth stop set and turn gently against inside of the flash hole (inside of the cartridge)- seldom feel anything at all but just making sure new brass has been optimized. Doing this with Hornady .204 brass usually finds burrs.
Click to expand...

When did they start drilling?
 
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