Reamer Question(Figured it out, I think)

[cuutter]

Hello everyone, I have a situation with a reamer I can't figure out. The reamer is a 308 win. match reamer with a .3425" NK, .089" FB 1deg.-30. I specd out that I only use Lapua Brass that I FL size every time I reload. Well I have done 3 barrels with the reamer, set it up where there is just a touch of resistance when closing the bolt on the GO gauge. Well none of the chambers will not chamber a Lapua FL sized Brass or a Lapua Loaded round. For kicks I hand reamed one of the barrels in till I could just close the bolt with a Lapua Round and found that I could with a little pressure close the bolt on the NO-GO gauge. Know I have contacted the reamer maker today and waiting a response. I have bought many reamers from him and never had a problem. He makes A1 reamers and I have a feeling I may have missed something while using this reamer. Any ideas on what may be happening? Just looking for opinions in till the reamer maker gets back to me.

Thanks in advanced for you thoughts.

Wayne


Well heres the latest. I had 1 barrel left that I had not hand reamed. Chambered it to the GO gauge like normal. The rifle will chamber everything I throw at it EXCEPT Lapua that has been FL sized shot out of my Steyr. The rifle will (upon checking)
will chamber Lapua Brass right out of the box. So it looks like you will have to start out with new Lapua brass. I did tell the reamer maker that all of my buddy's and myself use Lapua Brass out of our Tactical Rifles.
I guess I will go back to the lathe with the other 2 barrels and set them back.
Thanks for all of your input on this. That's why I love this site.
Thanks again
Wayne

 

[clowdis]

Re: Reamer Question

If the headspace is good then you're probably too small on the body somewhere. Impossible to tell without measuring. Double check the dimension just above the extractor groove.

 

[cuutter]

Re: Reamer Question

Thanks clowdis. I was just checking that and it seems that the reamer is about 0.006" smaller than the brass. I hope the maker gets back to me on Monday and gets this figured out.

Thanks again
Wayne

 

[clowdis]

Wayne,
Brass will expand just above the extractor groove when shot in a larger (like factory) chamber to the point that it will give a problem chambering in a tighter, custom chamber. You might be able to get it back to size by full length sizing with a small base die. Worth a try anyway.

 

[spclark]

I would try the SB die first. I had the same issue with two different chambers for .308 in two different barrels from two different 'smiths.

Some brass would work with some loads in both barrels but I'd get stiff bolt lift with decent loads for Palma events.

Switching to a SB die for sizing cured all the problems. Those cases were just a bit too large at the case web from the FL die sizing to work well in the tighter-than-factory chambers.