Well I finally broke down and bought a set of RCBS 10.75x68 dies. Sized a case and it would not chamber, the bolt will not close all of the way. Any suggestions (I know, send the dies back)? Is it just that the shoulder is not being pushed back far enough?

Thunderstick.
You dont say if it is new chambering or origional. Could be a slight head space difference between the dies and the chamber. I would take a shell holder and dress the top of it a couple of thou and gradually seat a case deeper to see if that is the problem, I did that once and it worked. It will only cost you a shell holder and one case if that is not the problem.

Von Gruff.

It is an original chambering

Or you could save a shell-holder by just screwing the die into the press an extra 1/4 turn at a time and resize the case until it will chamber.

If the case doesn't chamber by the time you have moved the shoulder back 3 or 4 times, I might suspect it is your rifle, not the die.

Do you know if the rifle has ever had the barrel set-back for any reason? If it has, the brass length may be the problem...longer than the chamber if the chamber was not re-cut after the barrel was set back.

A little case length trimming combined with the shoulder being set back as described above would tell whether that is the problem....

I know of several used rifles like that...in fact, I own one that was given to me as a free gift. The original chamber was for a 61 m/m case length. The barrel was set back to correct excess headspace, and the brass has to be trimmed to about 59 m/m length and the shoulder set back 2 m/m for it to function properly. (Loads were also very slightly reduced just as a precaution.)

send your dies back.. the rcbs dies may not work with an original chamber

contact competitor pistols and talk to Al about the 10,75x68 .. and dies!

I have them ordered but need something in the mean time. They seem busy and have alot of orders.

quote:

Originally posted by thunder stick:
I've been waiting since Febuary for my dies from Competitor.

I once had a matched pair of Mauser 10.75x 68 rifles. I loaded for them with RCBS dies which the late Jay Postman (RCBS Customer Service Rep) gave me. They worked just fine for my rifles.

BTW, when you order any such set of esoteric dies from anyone, I always recommend sending along three fired cases with your order. Most reputable companies will check your cases against their dies, and will slightly modify the dies if required...often at no extra charge. They will also return the cases with the dies. I used to do that as a matter of course.

RCBS said send them the fired cases also. Problem is i don't have any cases.

.... and where did the cases come from that you were trying to resize?

quote:

Originally posted by McFox:
.... and where did the cases come from that you were trying to resize?

They are nre Horneber cases

Thunder Stick

I have two original Mauser rifles chambered for the 10,75x68, one build in 1908 and one build in the 1930’.
The older one, of 1908 manufacture, has just bin acquired recently. As the rifle is in near mint condition, it is unlikely that it has been altered.

Reloading cartridges using RCBS dies and Horneber cases for the rifle made in the 30’, did not created any trouble.
However the new “older baby” did not chamber the latest factory manufactured cartridges by RWS, neither do my reloads fit into that specific old rifle. To be more precise the cartridges will fit into the chamber, but I was not able to close the bolt while using normal force with factory ammunition. The headspace, bolt face to shoulder, of the old rifle is just too short against dimensions which has be standardized later!

The normal procedure for setting up the sizing dies in a loading press is to screw the size die down finally until the base of it touches the shell holder. For the latest turn this could be done in ¼ turn steps - to adapt for you specific chamber. Once you are touching the shell holder with the die, no gap between the shell holder and the bottom of the sizing die should be visible. In most cases this will allow you to load cartridges which will fit into even tight chambers.

But if you now ad a lubricated case to the system, you will find out, that with the shell in place, the shell holder is no longer touching the base of the sizing die. In my case the gap has been measured 0.3 mm, or 0.012”.
I have carefully adjusted this gap to zero, which in my case has given me the necessary reduction of the shoulder to easily chamber the case and also loaded cartridges into the rifle.


Best regards
Robert

Thunderstick

Try smoking a case after sizing and then chamber. Look for signs on the smoked case of binding in the chamber. If it is the shoulder area preventing chambering and you have already adjusted the die to bump hard on the shell holder when the case is fully inserted in the die, then Von Gruff's suggestion is the way to go. Gradually facing off the shell holder will allow the case to enter into the die a fraction more and set back the shoulder.
Keeping on turning the die down as Alberta suggests won't set the shoulder back any more if the die is already bumping the shell holder.
If smoking shows the die is not sizing the base enough then unfortunately you will need small base dies. Facing the shell holder may help but then the shoulder will be set back too much and a headspace condition will result.

I would also go with Von Gruff's suggestion but subject to the following.

When you say it won't chamber do you mean that literally or it is just tight to chamber. Ifit is just tight to chamber then grind the shellholder back......just remember to mark it as such.

Lots of dies will not FLS case enough to generate a few thou of head space even when the die is just so the press ram "cams over". If the die is a bit long then resizing causes the shoulder to move forward while the body is being squeezed but because the die is too long it does not correct the shoulder position. This can result in a fired case being tighter to chamber than it was before FLS it.

But if it is not even close to chambering then I think you have a die/chamber dimension problem that is beyond just shortening the shell holder.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeMcGuire:
When you say it won't chamber do you mean that literally or it is just tight to chamber.

The case will go into the chamber but the bolt will not close.

I will try some of your suggestions, thanks everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
Thunderstick

Keeping on turning the die down as Alberta suggests won't set the shoulder back any more if the die is already bumping the shell holder.

This is true, IF you are already hard up against the shell holder with the die base .

These are always interesting situations to putz with, as they always suggest numerous possibilities of what may be wrong.

Most companies cut their rifle chambers large enough and long enough that they should chamber and function with ANY factory ammo of the respective designated European or SAAMI standards, despite minor variations in length. That being so, firing usually blows the case shoulder forward a wee hair.

In turn, most die makers cut their dies so they will set the shoulder back a tiny hair UNDER the specified standard head-space dimensions if screwed down tight against the shell-holders. In those situations, the die usually provides "just right" headspace when set somewhere not quite touching the shell holder.

So, if your die won't do that, at least one of the makers (rifle or die) has screwed up. Possibly both, but that would be infrequent I'd think.

That's no problem for me personally, as I can just chuck the die in the lathe and cut a little off the mouth end of the die. Then I have what one might call a "shorty" die, and can continue to screw it down as far as needed to make the headspace suitable. So, that's what I do.

Used to, some U.S. die makers sold "shorty dies", similar to what Butch Lambert gets specially made and sells here on AR. They can be used for either case forming or reloading (so long as the shoulder angle is close to correct).

Will be interesting to hear what finally is identified as the problem with your die/rifle combo.

Well the 4D dies came today. These do allow me to chamber the case into the rifle. Loaded 20 tonight with IMR4198. Going out in the morning to see what it will do!

The 4D dies sized the new brass just enough to chamber in the old mauser. I sized the fired brass with the rcbs dies and there were no issues.

Worked up to 58 grs of imr 4198. Not plesant off the bench but the shooting sticks were no problem. Was hoping to try some H335 but have not been able to find any online or locally.