New [to me] reloading bench

[joshb]

SPJ,

Sorry about that. But like I said, I guess what I was trying to post was offensive and wasn't allowed. I figured out a workaround of taking screenshot and then uploading as a picture. Hehehe You must be viewing on a cell phone. From my computer, it looks just fine.....from a cell phone...it's microscopic. LOL

joshb,

Got the ammo. today. It's PPU Rifle Line 7,5x55 SWISS SP 174ga centerfire rifle cartridges.

However....there is big trouble.


I got the rounds today and thought I'd see how they chambered. They go into the magazine just fine. Pulling the bolt back allows a round to pop upwards to be chambered. Pushing the bolt forward pushes the round into the chamber but will only go about halfway before it won't go anymore. I thought that maybe I was just being too ginger with it as I know that these don't exactly need to be babied. So I pulled the bolt back and took out that round and with a bit more force I tried to chamber the next round. The extractors went around the rim but the round only went into the chamber a tiny bit more than when I gingerly was chambering the first round. I had to do some serious pulling to get the round to come back out. The sides of the case are scratched up. The case is ever so slightly tapered so I don't see any way that it's going to go fully in there.

With a dial caliper, I took some measurements. Here is what I found:

Bullet diameter (just above the neck of the case) - .328"
Neck diameter (just below the bullet) - .332"
Case diameter (just below the neck) - .4445"
Head diameter (bottom of case before the rim/primer area)- .448"
Case length - 2.116"
Rim diameter - .4475"
Total cartidge length (bullet tip to primer) - 2.993"

I.D. of the muzzle - .330"
I.D. of the chamber - .4465"


What could freaking possibly be going on? I'm not a gun guru or an expert marksman, however, I have shot quite a few guns over the years of all calibers and ages and have never seen or heard of so much trouble trying to find correct ammunition that a gun shoots. Aarrghh!



Thanks, guys

Itsanss: Are you sure it’s a 7.5x55 Schmidt Ruben? Shine a light in the chamber and see how many dead mice are in there!

 

[joshb]

You hidin a K31???
Comonman ya gotta share that ol timer

What? It’s not a pretty one and it’s buried so deep it’ll take me a week to dig it out. Wait, maybe I have a pic in my records......... found it

I found this one, too. Another neat old gun. Mas 49/56

 

[itsanss]

joshb,

According to the serial number and many fine folks on various forums say it's a Schmidt Rubin 1896/11. I will note, however, that it is a "sporterized" version. It has much less wood that what's pictured above and also the butt-stock plate is modern.

After the round wouldn't chamber, I did shine a flashlight in the action area and look through the muzzle end of the barrel. It looks very clean and clear and the rifling is a thing of beauty.

I should maybe also mention that out of curiosity I tried to put the bullet end into the muzzle. It doesn't even reach the neck of the case before it won't go any farther.

I'm going to get a new battery for my digital caliper after work today and retake all measurements and see if there is anything different. I posted my situation on some Schmidt specific forums and a guy questioned my measuring. Fair question. However, wrong measurements or not, this round will NOT fit the weapon.

Sorry this thread has taken a hard left turn! LOL I'll let ya'll know what I find out tonight.

Thanks!!

 

[joshb]

Some info for you. The bullet should NOT go into the barrel and reach the neck of the case, using the test you describe. If it did, your barrel would be toast.
You mentioned it’s sporterised? I wonder how much. Might it have been rechambered? Measuring the round isn’t the answer. You need to cast the chamber. It’s not that hard. With a little Cerrosafe and the right tools, it takes about 10 minutes. On another thread, a member mentioned using wax. That could work, too.
To be safe, you need to find out what’s wrong. I’ve shot PPU in my gun and it worked fine.
Add : I suspect your gun may have been rechambered for a different cartridge. Do you know it’s full history?

Take a look at that MAS 49/56. A lot of those guns were rechambered in 308, but those are clearly marked as such. Mine is original and shoots 7.5x54 French. I have to be very careful when I grab my ammo, having all these old “oddballs” around.

 

[jonbearman]

All I saw was a nicely constructed bench and neat and orderly. What cellar doesn't have cracks from settling over time, that is just petty. I think you did a nice job. Wish I was that organized.

 

[Sniper338]

Op you will outgrow that bench very fast if you get serious and need 3 or 4 more like it haha! But good deal to just get it, heck ya.


I love the schmidt and rubin talk. I have one and that dang thing is a shooter!!! For open sights its a damn tack driver!!! I did lots of research and tried to develope a load to mimick gp-11 ammo. I ended up with a hell of a good shooting gun.

I dont have the info on hand, but HIGHLY reccommend the following to develop a load for yalls k31s

Norma 7.5x55 swiss brass good and prepped
Reloader 17
Berger 175 vlds
I forget what primers, but its cci or federal I used.

Mines shoots sub inch to quarter inch groups at 100 yards open sight. Hella good for me for an old open sight gun

 

[itsanss]

Joshb,

Good to know! It just seemed like it had a lot of resistance and I couldn’t imagine it having that much and still be alright. But, it makes sense for it to “grab” in order for the rifling to do its job.

I’m rrrrreally thinking that it’s been rechambered. I believe I will order some Cerrosafe tonight and a ladle. I’ll research the wax to see if that’s something that I can do and may already have on hand.

The only history I know is that it’s been sitting in my closet for a year and before that it was in my uncle’s gun safe. Beyond that I know absolutely nothing about it.

When I first got the gun, I posted to some forums, with pictures, trying to determine what kind of gun it was. Didn’t take long at all for several people to respond that it’s a sporterized Schmidt Rubin and it shoots 7.5x55 Swiss. I mentioned to them that that was confusing because the barrel is stamped “308 WIN”. I was met with an overwhelming response that the gun will explode and I would likely be killed if I tried to fire .308 from this rifle. But now that a 7.5x55 Swiss clearly does not feed into the chamber, I suspect that it DOES in fact take .308. Which would be absolutely fantastic because those can be found anywhere!! And I’m sure are much, much cheaper to shoot and reload!! So while I’m frustrated to have this dilemma, I’d be thrilled if it has been rechambered and safely fires .308. lol

So that’s my next task….take a chamber cast.

Here are tonight's readings from four different calipers. Two digital, two analog dial.









Jonbearman,

Thank you for the kind words.



Sniper338,

Haha We shall see! I can see this one being just fine for me….but….if I do it a bit and fall in love with it, I very well may have to add on!

That’s what I’m reading about these guns….everyone says the same thing….they are EXTREMELY accurate and can’t be beat even by a super expensive, modern rifle. Way cool!!

 

[joshb]

Well........ that little stamp thingy sheds some light!
You don’t need a ladle. You can use a properly cut Coke can. Cerrosafe melts at a fairly low temperature. Cut the can so you have a long spout. Oil the chamber with a mop. Push a bore brush (with a patch over the end) into the barrel and stop it just short of the chamber. With the gun pointed down, pour enough wax or cerrosafe into the chamber to fill it. If you use Cerrosafe, DO NOT!! pour in too much! You’ll create a really big problem! The candle wax would serve the purpose and be “safer”.

By the way: stay away from that other forum!

 

[itsanss]

joshb,

Yeeahhh, I might should've mentioned the stamp a little earlier. LOL Good call on a coke can. That saves $30 right there!

So I have an update...I been telling dad everything that I've been finding out and such and he surprised me this evening and brought me a box of .308!! So we tried it out. Fits the magazine well. Pulling the bolt back allows the round to come upward. Pushing the bolt in chambers the round. It appears to be a really good fit. The extractor grabs it and flings it out with no problem. I tried it several times. However......took the round out of the gun the last time and dad said, wait, let me see that. He looks at it and says, holy...cow (not exactly). And for good reason! Look at the primer!!










If this thing had gone off, no one would [likely] have been injured because it was just the two of us in the house and the weapon was always pointed in a safe direction, but there's no telling how many walls it would've gone through and how deaf we would be from having it gone off in a small guest bedroom. Holy freaking crap!

So.....308 fits like a glove....but chambering it dimples the primer. Now what dilemma am I up against?


Unsure of .308 being the correct ammo just yet, my dad bought the cheapest thing he could find in case it's not the right stuff. It's TulAmmo .308 WIN 150gr FMJ, Berdan primed, steel case, non-corrosive.

Thanks, guys

 

[Enosiophobia]

I've been looking at that nifty little LED from Inline Fabrication for the Lock N Load press and was almost going to order one but a coworker surprised me with an LED flashlight, so I decided to put it to good use. Fits nicely between the dies and somehow is just the same size as the inside of the lip of an LNL bushing. Does a nice job putting light where needed.

 

[Papa Charlie]

I've been looking at that nifty little LED from Inline Fabrication for the Lock N Load press and was almost going to order one but a coworker surprised me with an LED flashlight, so I decided to put it to good use. Fits nicely between the dies and somehow is just the same size as the inside of the lip of an LNL bushing. Does a nice job putting light where needed.

View attachment 1086268

I use the Hornady LnL AP also. I use an LED flashlight for a while. Got tired of it falling over. Eventually purchased the light kit from Inline and glad I did.

 

[joshb]

joshb,

Yeeahhh, I might should've mentioned the stamp a little earlier. LOL Good call on a coke can. That saves $30 right there!

So I have an update...I been telling dad everything that I've been finding out and such and he surprised me this evening and brought me a box of .308!! So we tried it out. Fits the magazine well. Pulling the bolt back allows the round to come upward. Pushing the bolt in chambers the round. It appears to be a really good fit. The extractor grabs it and flings it out with no problem. I tried it several times. However......took the round out of the gun the last time and dad said, wait, let me see that. He looks at it and says, holy...cow (not exactly). And for good reason! Look at the primer!!





View attachment 1086244




If this thing had gone off, no one would [likely] have been injured because it was just the two of us in the house and the weapon was always pointed in a safe direction, but there's no telling how many walls it would've gone through and how deaf we would be from having it gone off in a small guest bedroom. Holy freaking crap!

So.....308 fits like a glove....but chambering it dimples the primer. Now what dilemma am I up against?


Unsure of .308 being the correct ammo just yet, my dad bought the cheapest thing he could find in case it's not the right stuff. It's TulAmmo .308 WIN 150gr FMJ, Berdan primed, steel case, non-corrosive.

Thanks, guys

Ok. Letting my nerves settle. NEVER, EVER put a loaded round in a gun unless you’re in a place where you can shoot it!
You have a trigger issue. With all you have going on, you should take the gun to a good Gunsmith and have him go over the gun and fix it. It’s the smart, safe thing to do!
Josh

 

[Bc'z]

I still cant believe with a bench that is that orderly there isn't any notes on calibers and thier load data.
So agian I'm going to ask you have you looked in his notebook yet?

 

[itsanss]

Sorry, guys. Had to screen shot my post again. Violating forum rules. How?? I have no idea. I e-mailed forum admin. five days ago about what in my post is not allowed on the forums and I've yet to get a response. There's no cursing or advertising or racism to my knowledge....however, I've been known to be offensive and be completely oblivious to it, so maybe I really am a piece of crap. lol

 

[Bc'z]

Itsanss
Damn you typed all that out?
It just seems like a fell that's well organized
would have something written down.
Glad that round didnt go off on ya.

 

[Chris Covell]

My reloading bench turned into a reloading garage. Welcome to the black hole!

 

[Bc'z]

My reloading bench turned into a reloading garage. Welcome to the black hole!

I really cant see how you can work in such a cluttered environment.