Guys,

What has been the experience with 9.3x74R case life?

I remember that someone mentioned that these cases have a pronality to head separations and should only be fired a few times. What has been your experience?

As usual AccurateReloading.com is a blessing ... thanks!

I am using new 9.3x74R to make .338x74Keith loads. I have been seeing head seps. @ 5-6rds. I'm not sure if this is the brass being too thin in the web or the fact that I can't reach the lands w/ a bullet to support the case on initial firing.

Case life in doubles is prone to early failure as a rule or rather as compared to a bolt gun...I figure on 6 reloading with mild loads and 4 or 5 with 16 ton loads.

I think you are referring to the thread I started on the head seperation of Norma cases. This is apparently a prevalent issue with Norma in the 9.3 at any rate. 2-3 reloadings. I through out about 50 cases and now only use RWS.

mstarling
In my Chapuis I only get 2 firings. They will split on the third, sometimes giving complete incipient case head seperations. Several others have reported the same thing in several different brands of doubles. This is with Norma cases. RWS cases are reported to give longer life, they weigh more than the Norma cases. I just got a new batch of Norma cases and they weigh more than the previous batches. Maybe they will give longer service.
It doesnot matter if I load new cases or shoot factory Norma ammo and reload them, two firings is all I get.
I will weigh some cases when I get the chance and post the findings here.

450 NE No. 2,

About what weight range are the light and heavy Norma cases running?

thanks,

I use 9.3X74R to make cases for my .400/.360 NE. I haven't used Norma in 12 years or so, so I can't comment on what the quality of the current stuff is like. With the Norma stuff that I used, I would lose a few after the second firing and load the rest a third time. After that, I would pitch 'em - too many bright rings.

I then switched to RWS and haven't thrown away a case due to failure since. Some of my current batch have been loaded over a dozen times.

Congratulations on the Chapuis. I thing you'll have fun with it.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

mstarling
The old lot of 9,3 cases I have average @ 201.6grains, the new ones weigh @ 220grains. When I first use them I will drop the powder charge a few grains and work up untill I ger proper Regulation without pressure signs.

400 Nitro Express,

Where do you purchase your RWS brass? I don't see it listed at Huntington's site these days.

I've had a somewhat irrational desire to have a rifle in .400/.350 for some time. It seems to me the steps in forming the brass would be 1) trim, 2) anneal, 3) form, 4) trim, and 5) thin the rim. Have you found any troubles in the process? Do you have to ream or turn necks to get a uniform thickness there? Thanks,

Karl

In the mid 1980's, Ken Howell gave me 100 rounds of RWS 9.3x74 ammo. I have been re-loading it since using the 286 gr. Norma RN and 57.0 grs. IMR 4064 (the old Dupont version) and have yet to lose a case. I would guess I am on the 6th-8th go 'round.

AC

Karl:

First off, .400/.350, .350 No. 2 and .400/.360 Purdey (which is what I have) have identical case dimensions except, of course, for neck diameter. I've used unaltered .400/.350 brass in my .400/.360. All of these use an .050" max rim thickness. Rim thickness of old Kynoch cartridges I've measured have run .045 - .047". The Evans, Fraser and Westley Richards .400/.360s are also the same, but use .045" and .065 rims respectively.

The 9.3X74R is dimensionally identical to the .350s and the .400/.360 Purdey except for length to shoulder and overall length and uses a .055 rim. However, actual rim thickness of the several lots of RWS 9.3 I've had has never exceeded .050", current batch is .047". I've never needed to thin the rims. It is possible that a given batch of 9.3 with thicker rims and a .350 or .400/.360 Purdey rifle with tight rim seats might require it though.

As to forming, what you describe is way too complicated. I run the 9.3 case through the standard .400/.360 FL sizing die, trim from 2.93" to 2.745" and load it. Done this way with RWS brass, case life is outstanding. Neck reaming is rarely necessary. With the first batch of RWS I had, the brass was thicker in the shoulder than in the neck. When the shoulder was set back in the .360 die, a "belt" at the bottom of the neck resulted and reaming was necessary. This only happened with that one lot.

I've always gotten my RWS stuff from Old Wester Scrounger, but I'm told that they are no longer carrying RWS. Look aroung the net, it shouldn't be too hard to find.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Thank you, kindly, 400 Nitro Express. I've copied your comments to my notes on this cartridge. No joy at the Scrounger or via google. I'll look further. I've yet to pick which rifle project is worthy of this old classic...

Don�t Norma and RWS now belong to the same group Ammotech? I�d wonder if they fabricate still 2 kinds of cases for the same caliber.