Finally had received my nice new shiny Horneber 600NE brass.

Slide a un-resized case into the right chamber - rim wont touch the extractor.

Pull it out and try the left - same thing - last few mm too tight.

Resize a few - go in a bit furhter so rim now on the extractor but action won't close.

Pry out the cases and look at nice shiny ring just above rim on case showing where tight fit prevents seating fully.

Length - 3.00:
Diameter on calipers 0.70" (micrometer is packed away).

Does anyone have a few cases that they could mic and tell me what you get? Don't know if I am dealing with tight chambers or oversize brass from Horneber.

I left a message for folk at Huntingtons but bummed since I had visions of rows of loaded 600 NE for this evening and some fireworks on Sunday

Thanks,
Paul

Paul,
PM Cal Pappas, he is THE 600NE genius

Steve

paul

CIP states that the dia. just before the rim is 17,78mm at most and the same place in the minimum chamber should be 17,81mm

i hope that will help you, i have only good expirences with horneber cases, but you never know

if there is anything else just ask.

best

peter

Thanks Steve and Peter.

Yep - Cal is "da man' and am enjoying his book on the 600.

Just got off the phone with Huntingtons and they suggest I get a few cases resized with a RCBS die and see if they chamber then.

Of course problem is finding someone with an RCBS die in 600 NE nearby.

Per recommendation from boys at Huntington's, I am going to try an RCBS resizing die.

Actually the suggestion was to send RCBS some brass and have them re-size a few with one of their dies first but I am too impatient to wait for the turn around doing so (assuming they would agree at RCBS - Huntington's game me names of a couple of people with whom to deal).

Dimension drawings for ya.

The case I have here shows .6995" on the body and .7645" on the rim. 2.987" LOA.

Thanks for the drawings and dimensions

I'm having RCBS folk send the resizing die 2-day express - hope that means I have it by Saturday and not Tuesday.

CCMDoc:
Send an email or call via my website and I can go over with you the dimensions of a dozen .600 cases of different makes, vintages, and headstamps. I don't know millimeters however, and all my work will be in .001". Perhaps I can send you a scan of the page in my book with the dimensions. What make of .600 do you have?
Cheers and good shooting.
Cal

Email sent, Cal.

I do have your book on the 600 too - signed copy, no less

Great read

Thanks,

paul

So I ordered an RCBS resizing die on Wednesday and asked that it be sent two-day to have it for the weekend.

Paid an extra $30. Do I have it yet?

Of course not!

Machined down the base of the CH4D resizing die - took off the bevel that was so deep that the die didnt resize the last 1/8th inch of the case above the rim. Put the barest of rounded profile on the inner edge and now ... good to go.

Just loaded a handful of 600 Nitro Express with 750 grain GS Custom FN, 800 grain Macifej FN, 900 grain Barnes Banded Solids, 800 grain American Hunting Rifles X-Bullet, 717 grain Robgunbuilder semi-spitzers and 900 grain Kodiak soft points.



In order above:

Macifej-Kodiak-RobGunBuider-260Rem-GS Custom-Barnes Banded Solid-AHR X
Paul

Hey NFMike!

Hope your pondering a .620 to add to the photo above at some later date

Now THEMS are PICTURES!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by BigFiveJack:
Now THEMS are PICTURES!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Jack!

Got the RCBS sizing die today - glad I paid for 2-day delivery on June 30th!

Sorta solved the chambering problem - still tight but not as much

Two developments worth sharing:

RCBS has excellent customer service. I know, not a surprise especially if you, like I, have a life's worth of their reloading equipment.

I had ordered an RCBS resizing die in 600 NE on the Wednesday before the July 4th weekend and asked it be sent two-day mail so I could reload and shoot over the weekend. It didnt arrive until the following Tuesday, as Monday was the "official" Federal holiday. I was bummed and wrote a repectful email describing what had happened and my disappointment. Customer Service apologized and offered to refund the $40 shipping charge. That's excellent (and all too rare these days) customer service.

Second:
Horneber brass with which I have always had good experience in the past, was the source of my problems. I resized the brass with my CH4D dies - last 1/8" too tight to easily slide into the chamber and tight on extraction. Bought the aforementioned RCBS die and while it was slightly better and I could now close the action albeit with some effort, still tight on loading and extracting (unfired for the latter) cases. Fired cases ejected with authority.

Still not clear on whether the web in the Horneber brass was preventing the proper resizing or perhaps causing the base above the rim to "spring back" after resizing, i asked Ken Buch if he had anything laying around I could try.

Ken sent me some Kynoch brass. I resized it and - slide right in. Fell right out when I tipped the barrels up. Just the way it is supposed to be. I sent an email to Huntington's from whom I purchased the Horneber brass with a description of these events and a request for an exchange of the Horneber brass for Bertrams which is the only other brass they have. I'll follow up with a phone call later to see where that may go.

Paul

The Bertram brass I have in 600 Nitro, loaded by Superior measures .698" to .699" on a Brown and Sharp dial micrometer.

These rounds chambered and fired in a Heym 600 Nitro.

Fired cases measure .698".

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Paul

The Bertram brass I have in 600 Nitro, loaded by Superior measures .698" to .699" on a Brown and Sharp dial micrometer.

These rounds chambered and fired in a Heym 600 Nitro.

Fired cases measure .698".

Thank you.

How do you like the Bertram brass/ Any issues with it?

Just got off the phone with Huntingtons.

They want me to send some fired frass and my RCBS dies to them so they can send them to RCBS. Then RCBS can use my fired cases to measure my chamber size and compare to their resizing die.

I realize I am not all that intelligent, not an engineer and not a gunsmith. While I understand the idea of using a once-fired, unresized case to get an idea of chamber size, I have already shown that one brand of brass is fine (Kynoch) while another doesn't fit (Horneber).

Does the request that I send the dies and brass to them make more sense than simply accepting that the brass was made out of spec?

Quite frustrating.

I have only fired the Bertram 600 brass one time.

But I use Bertram brass in my 450 No2 and have some cases that I still use for pig hunting that have been fired at least 25 times. I have never had any problems with them.

I have also used some Bertram brass in my 450/400 3 1/4", they have been fired maybe 7 to 10 times, same story no problems.

If you send them a few fired cases, what RCBS will do is make a sizing die that will size YOUR brass to fit YOUR gun...

If you do this be sure and let them know which cases were fired in the left and right bbls as many times the chambers will be different.

You want all our ammo to fit either one of your barrels.

Paul

Also something else to check, you might have done so already is the fit of the rim to your rifle.

The rims must not be too large in diameter, nor too thick.
Take your barrels off the reciever and put the case in to the barrels backwards, ie checking if the diameter of the rims is not too large. Then measure the rim depth with the dial caliper of the barrels, then neasure the rim thickness of your casses, or if you can, push a resized case into the barrels and see if the rim is flush with the back of the barrels.

Thanks again 450.

I realize what you are saying and if I had a vintage 600 double that might be slightly out of spec, then I would definitely go that route.

In my case I have a modern double in which one brand of brass resized with two different manufaturer's dies does not fit while another brand of brass does.

I've just bought some Bertram 600 NE brass from Huntingtons. If this fits as well as the Kynoch did, then it is clearly a problem with the Horneber brass. If it doesn't then either two sets of dies are wrong or the chambers are not up to specification. I am betting the problem is the brass.

We'll see in a week (which is how long it will take the brass to get to me).

Well, these are interesting developments for sure! I can understand
how you ask yourself if your chambers need to be enlarged in their
diameters, or is there a brass issue, or a reloading dies issue, or a
combination of these factors? I appreciate your sharing these details
and I look forward to the resolution of the difficulty. I expect it will
soon be over.