Used brass hard to extract

[LR_Shooter]

I got some Norma brass in 6mm BR I think its slightly used, so I made few loads after FL sizing it, then I tried to chamber it, and it was a bit hard to close bolt, but extraction is almost impossible, I can open bolt up but can't pull it its like brass is frozen in my chamber. Slightly bumping it from the muzzle with cleaning rod works every time. Also after firing through my chamber it comes out with many rings from shoulders to the head...
I'll take some pictures so you can see.

 

[Johnboy]

sounds like you didn't resize the brass all the way down.but just guessing on what little info you gave.even sounds like the brass was shoot in a chamber thats alot bigger than your rifels chamber.and that says it all if thats the case.

just tell us how you set you die up to resize the cases at hand.and then we can come up with a better reason for whats going on.but think I have already said whats wrong.try running the die down some more to see if you get a better fit.

 

[LR_Shooter]

Alright got the pictures, the first 2 just to show what brass looks like after I fired it through my chamber and the last one I got one piece brass on the left which was only fireformed in my chamber and the other two on the right from previous pictures.

My FL sizer is set to resize brass fired in my chamber by bumping 0.002" according to Hornady headspace gauge, so the used brass I got was also resized same way.

 

[fdshuster]

As johnboy said it may have been fired in a chamber that was larger than yours. You can try to "oversize" it & sometimes that will work, and sometimes not. After sizing my brass if there is any possible doubt of it chambering I check them for bolt closure, ( no more than just a slight resistance) before loading. That has saved a lot of headaches for me, and also saved a lot of bullet pulling to save the components. From the pics, looks like they may be oversize at the case head.

 

[LR_Shooter]

So if I'll bump their shoulders say by 5 - 7 thousands and it won't work my best course of action is to trash them all? Also if they oversized at head, then they are headspaced wrong for my chamber so are they heading for headspace separation?

 

[bheadboy]

the pictures show a lot of "polish" rings and areas that indicate the your chamber or the former chamber is "rough" thus the brass form a former chamber could be rough and hanging up and the dies are polishing it

this can be no problem with new brass in your rifle but with brass from another chamber it can be causing the problme you have,

when "slightly" oversizing the used cases, be sure you do not increas the shoulder set back beyond what you have on your fresh brass.


Bob

 

[LR_Shooter]

Yeah the chamber they came from was a tough one... but this brass was probably fired 3 - 5 times, before I finally gave up on that chamber...

 

[MrMajestic]

Who chewed that out? Try annealing.

 

[Greyfox]

annealing probably won't help. It's not a good idea to anneal past the shoulder. The problem appears to be that the original chamber was larger at the base. A small base die will probably do it, but that doesn't mean it won't keep trying to expand again. I'd try a small base die anyway and see what happens.

Rick

 

[FroggyOne2]

Yeah, I was thinking about the small base die as well, just wonder if you can keep the same headspace.. I am sure one can. But that was a thought in the back of my head.

 

[fdshuster]

LR_Shooter: Another method that may work for you, it did for me. I had some newer Lapua 6BR brass that had been fired 3 times in an older chamber/ barrel, had the same problem you're having, did not want to throw it away ( .75 cents per case gives some cause to try & save). Used one of the Sinclair shellholders & chucked it into my drill press. Used 80 grit wrapped around a small flat file, and with about 2 minutes of slow turning with the drill press was able to reduce the case head diameters by the necessary .003". They then chambered normally. A little effort, but I was able to use the brass & it's still going strong at 27 loadings.

 

[artbosco]

I got some Norma brass in 6mm BR I think its slightly used, so I made few loads after FL sizing it, then I tried to chamber it, and it was a bit hard to close bolt, but extraction is almost impossible, I can open bolt up but can't pull it its like brass is frozen in my chamber. Slightly bumping it from the muzzle with cleaning rod works every time. Also after firing through my chamber it comes out with many rings from shoulders to the head...
I'll take some pictures so you can see.

If that brass wasn't fire formed in YOUR chamber, I'd toss it in the trash can and start over. Don't waste your time trying to make it work. It's an exercise in futility.

 

[LR_Shooter]

0.75 bucks for a piece, I think I got ripped-of when I paid 1.15 for one, they came in a small boxes by 20 ct... I guess that's why I'm so stuborn when it comes to trashing them...
Anyway I took OD measurements at the base of the brass formed in my new chamber vs the old and there are 0.0008" difference 0.4710" - 0.4718". Now if I invest in the drill press, which I always wanted, well its less expensive then getting a lathe, but for now I just put them back in the box they came from...
Thank you all for your advises!

 

[highmaster82]

run them thru a .308 or 243 small base die without the decapper/expander then thru a 6br fl die should fit your chamber then if they fit load them up and fire form them Byron

 

[LR_Shooter]

highmaster82, so small base dies from 308 family should do the trick, then I get one for my 260, but other then resizing my old 6BR brass what's the point of them? I always used FL sizer and clueless about small base and the only thing I can think of if my rifle had semiautomatic feed.

Another update to my previous post, the measurements I took were from both brass fired through my new chamber, I just measured piece which was never fired in new chamber and I got 0.4723", now take a look at this picture, whatever chamber I had before was way out of specs because OD at the base is supposed to be 0.4709", with new chamber I have 0.4710"

and here is the spot which gives me all this trouble:

 

[Dgd6mm]

Small Base Die should make it go away.

 

[LR_Shooter]

Since my local stores don't have small base dies in stock, I tried fdshuster method, but without drill press, I just used cordless drill with shell holder and I turned just one brass base to my chamber specs, as the result I can cycle that piece smoothly. The only drawback it takes to long to turn with sandpaper and surface could be nonconcentric, since there are allot of play involve, because I can't pinpoint exact position of that bump using tools I have. I will probably order small base die and be done with this in a time it takes to turn one piece.

Thank you again!

 

[matorre]

So do I have this straight whatyou guys are saying...........

once the brass swells in a large chamber, it is difficult or not possible to get it szed
for a smaller chamber.

'cause its work hardened ? or it won't cram into the die ?

( I always viewed brass as maliable, hence my confusion )

Regards
Michael

 

[fdshuster]

Michael: The problem is that the case head diameter right in front of the rim is blown out to the larger diameter in that area of the previously used/fired chamber, and the "normal" full length resizing die will not reduce that diameter. LR_Shooter: Yes, I agree it does take some time to turn them down, and using a 308 small base FL die is the preferred way of doing it, if the die is available. I now have one, so will use it if needed in the future. If nothing else, by turning it down with the sandpaper you were able to verify that the case head being oversize in that area was the problem. Now you can get a small base die & be assured it won't be a wasted expense. I must have been using very consistant pressure when reducing the cases. Measured them when done using a micrometer & could not detect any significant variations around the circumference, all .470". Just re-measured the fired cases from all 5 of my 6 BR chamberings and the case head diameters go from a smallest of .4685" to .472". Two of those chambers were cut with the same reamer, back to back & that brass is interchangable. The rest are not.

 

[matorre]

Should Imperial Wax be used to minimize effort ?

Will the sanding make the case really thin ?

Michael