I have been processing some 1x brass I bought from a fellow and went to make up some dummies (FL size, trim, chamfer etc)and noticed that with the 1x cases bolt would either not turn at all or way too stiff if it did. I did some measuring and testing and saw that the bases of the 1x brass has a little 'bump' just ahead of the belt. I measured this and they averaged .510 to .511. These would not chamber easily. The factory .508s etc would do just fine and my own 1x brass (nickel Federal) were fine at about .508-.509. According to what I have found the base diameter of the 375 H&H is .513.

Would this indicate I have a 'tight' chamber?

What options, if any, do I have with my brass? I ran a few through the RCBS dies again just to make sure and it does not size them any smaller. I measured as best I could the end of the die and it seemed to average smaller than the brass that came out of it, this I presume means the base of the brass does not go that far into the die making it a little fat.

Lemme know what you think!

One thing you can do is raise the ram of your press all the way up. Screw the sizing die in until it is firmly in contact with the shell holder. Then, after lowering the ram all the way, turn the sizing die one-eigth to one-quarter turn further in and lock it. Presses have some spring in them and may not size all the way down unless "going over the top" as it is called.

A definite problem could be the brass you bought came from a rifle with a slightly larger chamber than your rifle. Fired cases would definitely be on the large size. Also, heavy loads, if handloaded, could cause case enlargement. I'm always wary of other people's brass, even if from commercial loads.

Thanks for your comments.

I do the 'quarter-turn' extra and the ram does 'pop' over.

I am just getting into reloading after my brother has been nagging me to death about it and I picked up some 1x from a guy here. Brass is nice (especially after I processed it...was a lot of trimming, and flash-hole deburring and and...)

I don't have any problem if I have to get new brass, but was surprised to have this result from the FL re-size. I thought the FL die would take any case back to 'factory' spec.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Thanks for your comments.

I do the 'quarter-turn' extra and the ram does 'pop' over.

I am just getting into reloading after my brother has been nagging me to death about it and I picked up some 1x from a guy here. Brass is nice (especially after I processed it...was a lot of trimming, and flash-hole deburring and and...)

I don't have any problem if I have to get new brass, but was surprised to have this result from the FL re-size. I thought the FL die would take any case back to 'factory' spec.

"a lot of trimming"? Are you sure it was only 1x brass. Most times full length re-sizing, especially if bumping the shell holder on the mouth of the die, should size any normal fired case back to spec. Perhaps these have been fired more than once with heavy loads and expanded the head of the case beyond redemption.

This die may solve your problem? Collet sizing die

Sometimes on the belted Mag. cases, the area you described is not sized in normal FL dies. I have heard of folks taking a bit off a "special" shell holder to be able to go down a bit more but that is not without problems too as the shoulder would most likely be pushed back as well. I had a custom die made by RCBS years ago for a Ruger #1 .338 to solve this problem as there is no camming action to assist in chambering. It was not too expensive back then, about $45 or so, but I would guess now it to be a bit more...
dmw

Thanks for the ideas. As far as trimming, the brass needed a few thou taken off to get it back to trim-to length. The 'lot of trimming' referred to doing 60+ cases at once.

I have done some more fooling about and it seems that .510 'bulges' just require a push on the bolt, .511 require more force than I want to give and anything under .5095 seems to be just fine.
I also put some dry marker on the base and ran one through the die and the die makes contact with the bulge but no further. PErhaps these were more than 1x and had hot loads in them.

My nickel federal cases did 'take' a size and reduced the 'bulge' area a thou or so and feed slick.

I am taking this as the cases are just too fat above the belt for my chamber. No worries, my 1x work fine and the new brass should be easier to work with after firing since it's coming out of this same chamber.

First of all, no "full length" die other than a "small base" die is dimensioned to touch the case below the pressure ring (the point just ahead of the casehead at which the brass becomes thin enough to expand against the chamber walls). Therefore, resizing with a normal FL die will do nothing about brass that is excessively expanded near the head.

The problem you are experiencing is due either to the other chamber being somewhat larger than yours at the "pressure ring" point of the brass, or due to the previous firing having generated pressure beyond the design limits of the brass and expanding the head area. If it is the second instance, the you may have problems with enlarged primer pockets, also.

The collet die mentioned in an earier post is something of a 'pig in a poke' in that most typically it can only provide benefit if you are resizing brass which has been exposed to somewhat excessive pressure -- in which case the brass is better discarded than attempting to salvage it.

But I think you have already found your best answer: Use those cases which will chamber without excessive resistance and either discard the rest or pass them along to someone whose chamber is compatible with them -- assuming that the primer pockets are fully intact.

Thanks STonecreek. Your thoughts on the other chamber being slightly larger was echoed by DArcy Echols as well. I was told the brass was from factory rounds and I don't doubt that but it just seems the chambers were too different for the brass to be compatible in my direction.

No biggie, I'll just use the ones I can.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
I am just getting into reloading after my brother has been nagging me to death about it and I picked up some 1x from a guy here.

He must be a real prick. Bet he doesn't even own a 'big bore". Prolly just some pussy McMillan stocked 7mm-08 that shoots like a motherphucker in the rain.....

Bastid.