Hi everyone,

I've got a batch of .325 WSM cases that will not chamber in my BLR, even after full length resizing in an RCBS small-base die. So ... do I buy another set of dies in the hope that it will correctly push the shoulder back into place, or is there another way to fix the problem?

I should mention that it's only some of the cases, and the issue definitely appears to be the shoulder angle / location.

Thanks

What kind of press are you using? Could it be springy?

1. Get a Hornady tool to check the head to shoulder length of fired cases. Check the length of the too long cases and compare to the fired brass.
2. Check your sized brass to see where the shoulder is located.
3. The cases that are too long should be sized again very slowly. Let the ram dwell at the top of the stroke, pull the ram down slightly, turn the case 180 degrees and resize it again slowly.The speed of sizing, dwell and the amount of lube can affect the shoulder location slightly. The second sizing will often move the shoulder back enough to allow your brass to chamber.

If this does not push the shoulder back you can either shave the top of your shell holder or the bottom of your sizer .002 or.003 and try again.

Always use a good tool to measure the shoulder location so you can understand what the dies are doing.

I'm assuming that the brass was fired in another weapon, not the one you're loading for, Right?
My next question: Is the brass hard to chamber or will it not fit at all?
If the brass is trimmed to a proper length and the bullet is not intruding into the lands and the brass is just hard to bring into battery, I'd just shoot it and let the rifle fire form the brass.
If it is brass that you've fired in your rifle and it won't fit after you resize it, something is wrong with your set-up.

If the brass has been fired in yor rifle a nmber of times it may be work hardened and the spring back is stopping the FLS die sholder push back from holding at the point that the dies forms it to so it cold be that yor brass needs annealing.
If you have had sucessful FLS of this brass before then this should fix the problem - providing that the cartridge oal is within spec.

Simple fix on the WSM

Buy another shell holder and grind .005 off the top and re adjust your die to touch

If this doesn't fix it....go .005 more

Measuring from the base of the case to the shoulder center datum is the only way to know if you are bumping a shoulder back....and how much you are bumping it back though

If one were adhereing to my "rock and a rusty nail" type of reloading (aka KISS) where some common sense takes the place of thingies, one can lube the case and, after resizing, tell by the lube displacement or lack of lube displacement whether the shoulders are being set back or not.
In all of my reloading, I've never had to alter a die nor a shell holder. I've never annealed a case neither.

quote:

Buy another shell holder and grind .005 off the top and re adjust your die to touch

I had a couple I had to do that for. One was an STW chamber cut to minimum. Factory would load but with my normal holder after one or two loads it would be tight. Hit the holder with a file didn't take much metal removal.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
If one were adhereing to my "rock and a rusty nail" type of reloading (aka KISS) where some common sense takes the place of thingies, one can lube the case and, after resizing, tell by the lube displacement or lack of lube displacement whether the shoulders are being set back or not.
In all of my reloading, I've never had to alter a die nor a shell holder. I've never annealed a case neither.

You must never venture into unknow territory.
That would be boring.

Update:

The brass was factory new brass, unfired.

I went out and picked up a set of RCBS full length dies and that solved my problem. The new dies are sufficiently tight that they'll resize the brass enough to chamber. I guess that I'll save the small base for reloads after the shoulder has been set by the chamber.

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. My plan B was to take a file to my shell holder.

Why are you useing a small base die? That is the problem not the brass. The die is oversizing the sidewalls and base of the cases and pushing forward the shoulders. After firering in you gun the next time you uses that SB die the same thing is going to happen.

Lol! To avoid feeding problems in my BLR. FL resizing and then SB resizing produces a case that appears to function perfectly. I'm taking the new loads to the range tomorrow, so we'll see what we see.

quote:

My plan B was to take a file to my shell holder.

Seems most problems such as yours are due to setting up the FL sizer according to 'instructions' rather than by results. Reloading is a results oriented practice, it's seldom we can follow any preset sequence or method of doing anything and obtain perfection, not with any certainty.


You will find that using a file on a shell holder or sizer die to be a waste of time.