I have an old Mosin-Nagent 7.62x54R that I reload for. Everytime I shoot and remove the brass, it's very dirty with black soot all around the cartridge. What would be causing this? I've seen it when shooting my 357 or my 38 but never with rifle loads. Thanks for your help.

Super 88, It sounds like you are reloading cartridges for that rifle for more than the first time, so if that's the case--you are using fireformed brass from that rifle-- I would wonder if it's low pressure rounds. I.E. the case isn't expanding again enough to seal the chamber.

If it's just around the neck, I see that a lot, unless someone is using neck sizing dies and really knows that his brass is really fitting the chamber of his rifle, I think this is fairly common. When partial full length resizing, your still hitting the neck to the full extent of your particular die, and that won't necessarily give you the best fit of your cartridge in the neck of your chamber.

Educated guesses--
Good Luck--Don

Sooty brass is usually a sign of a "soft" load
or using a propellant that's too slow.

what is your load?

AllanD

As has been mentioned previously, light loads that do not expand the neck to seal chamber can cause smoked necks. Hard brass, ie. brass that has been fired quite a few times and work-hardened the necks will also cause this problem.

Regards,
hm

because the 7.62x54R (or53R..same thing) have a "fluted" or spiral neck and throat. It's designed to let anything feed in and out...

it's also larger than a "normal" throat...

if you are shooting steel or early rounds, they are also not high pressure, again, designed to be a barrel rifle... smallish brass and largish chambers mean smokey necks


jeffe