I have been reloading for years and now need to do something I’ve never done before. I acquired a lot of once fired brass for my 270 and proceeded to neck size and load a couple hundred rounds. Turns out, they are really hard to chamber in my Model 700. Fired one and had to use a cleaning rod to get the case out!
I think I should have full length resized since they were not originally fired in my rifle. If I pull the bullets and powder, can I safely resize with the primers still seated?
Never done this before. Advice?

quote:

Originally posted by horsefly2:
I have been reloading for years and now need to do something I’ve never done before. I acquired a lot of once fired brass for my 270 and proceeded to neck size and load a couple hundred rounds. Turns out, they are really hard to chamber in my Model 700. Fired one and had to use a cleaning rod to get the case out!
I think I should have full length resized since they were not originally fired in my rifle. If I pull the bullets and powder, can I safely resize with the primers still seated?
Never done this before. Advice?

Only if you remove the decapping rod first.

Need only remove the decapping pin, the rest needs to be there to open the neck of the case.

quote:

Need only remove the decapping pin

And actually you should be able to just back the decapping rod out far enough that you don't actually have to remove anything. Just back it out enough so it doesn't contact the primer. I've done it a few times.

As an aside: The hard to chamber often happens in your situation however, once fired, the cases shouldn't be hard to extract as they would be fire formed to your chamber's diminsions. Check the cleanliness of your brass and chamber and what load are you using?

Don't forget to check case length size as well. Too long and you can't close the bolt as well.

quote:

Originally posted by z1r:

Only if you remove the decapping rod first.

I said this because I once told someone to just remove the pin. They did, but reinstalled the rod and it was bottoming out in the case.

I buy bulk once fired Lake City 5.56 and 7.62 cases and use a small base die the first time the cases are sized.

You can also try using a standard FL die and pause for 4 or 5 seconds at the top of the ram stroke.

The pausing reduces brass spring back after sizing. Just remember to full length resize any once fired brass or range pickup brass.

Nothing is written in stone and chambers and dies vary in size. I have a standard Lee .223 FL die that will reduce case diameter and push the shoulder back more than my RCBS small base die.

Not sure if this is kosher but, having once expanded the shoulders on some 338WM cartridges by ham-fisted bullet crimping, I took out the decapping rod and managed to partially resize the shoulders of the loaded cartridges to a point where they chambered.

quote:

Originally posted by horsefly2:
I have been reloading for years and now need to do something I’ve never done before. I acquired a lot of once fired brass for my 270 and proceeded to neck size and load a couple hundred rounds. Turns out, they are really hard to chamber in my Model 700. Fired one and had to use a cleaning rod to get the case out!
I think I should have full length resized since they were not originally fired in my rifle. If I pull the bullets and powder, can I safely resize with the primers still seated?
Never done this before. Advice?

I'm sure you realise your folly now but I hope the first thing you have never done before was reloading brass not fired in your rifle without full length resizing (you've obviously done it once now). I'm very surprised you did not know this even from just reading reloading manuals. Second mistake was not trying an empty neck sized case in your chamber before you ventured off and loaded up a couple of hundreds rounds.

Your question "can I safely resize with the primers still seated?" is again showing some lack of knowledge of reloading. As other posters have said and obviously done, including myself, of course it is perfectly safe to full length resize cases after you have pulled the bullet and dumped the powder BUT you must of course remove the depriming pin first.

You can safely deprime live primers if you ever need to in your FL sizing die by leaving the pin in place and then by taking some simple precautions. Clear your bench of any powder, wear safety glasses as you should always when reloading, keep your spare hand away from the die as you work the press handle slowly to resize the case and eject the live primer. DON'T work the press handle like a bull at a gate. The primers can be reused if you wish.

This practice is not recommended in reloading manuals but is practiced as the need arises by experienced reloaders. Sorry to preach but had you said you did not have much experience reloading I could understand your folly. Just be safe.

I bought an after market barrel in 264WM for a TC Encore and tried to use brass that had been fired in my FN Mauser with a Shilen 264WM barrel and had problems. I sized the cases in a FL sizer but they wouldn't chamber in the Encore until I resized down until the belt started getting deformed. I gave up and bought new brass and all was well. That is the effect of a generous chamber in one rifle and a not so generous chamber in another one.

Spot on. Best suggestion so far.

Another suggestion is to buy a Hornady head space / OAL comparator tool that you attach to a pair of calipers. After 20 years of handloading, i got this tool and it has made life so easy with full sizing, shoulder head space, bullet ogive seating depth etc.

No more guess work or multiple trial and errors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4HsgB6u2sI

quote:

Originally posted by larrys:
And actually you should be able to just back the decapping rod out far enough that you don't actually have to remove anything. Just back it out enough so it doesn't contact the primer. I've done it a few times.

Same answer.Remove the decap pin. One step further considering the cases in question if were fired from the same rifle,is to use a neck die W/ graphite.

Anneal the brass first and then full length size, even full length sizing may not swrink it enough without annealing first. Vmack

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
I'm sure you realise your folly now but I hope the first thing you have never done before was reloading brass not fired in your rifle without full length resizing (you've obviously done it once now). I'm very surprised you did not know this even from just reading reloading manuals. Second mistake was not trying an empty neck sized case in your chamber before you ventured off and loaded up a couple of hundreds rounds.

There's an old saying: "you learn more from your mistakes than your successes".

The corollary to this is: "learn from the mistakes of others - you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself".

I bet dollars to donuts some of that 270 brass was fired in that all time favorite
Remington 742 Jam-o-matic. The brass has expanded more that if it were fired
in a bolt gun. I NEVER neck size brass that have not been fired in MY rifle first.

Muskegman, The quote from Otto Bismark was."I don't wish to learn from my mistakes,I wish to learn from the mistakes of others."

You need to remove the pin that punches out the primer and full length resize since they were not fired in your gun. and be sure and check the trim length, they may be too long and that's dangerous..

I would not remove the decapping rod just the pin, as you need the expander ball on extracting the case..