Looking for some help. I bought a .404 Jeffery on a CZ 550 MAgnum action with a Pac-Nor barrel. I loaded up some rounds using an RCBS full-length die sizing set using RWS brass. I went to chamber the rounds and they wouldn't chamber. Actually they would, only the bolt closed VERY stiffly. I almost couldn't get the bolt open. I had to smack the bolt hard (ouch!) with my hand to get it to open and them another whack to eject the loaded case.

After several calls to Rusty, I got out all the empty, unloaded brass I had, a mix of RWS, Hornady and brand new Norma. Only some (about 20 pieces) of the RWS would chamber.

This morning I took the following measurements with my calipers:

RWS (will chamber):
OAL: 2.820
bottom of case: .537
base: .540
below shoulder: .537

Norma: (will not chamber)
Case Length: 2.868
bottom of case: .539
base: .539
below shoulder: .527

Hornady: (will not chamber)
Case Length: 2.878
bottom of case: ..541
base: .540
below shoulder: .532

I think the chamber is slightly undersized. What can I do? I want it to chamber and fire Hornady and Kynoch factory ammo.

Al

These empties that won't chamber, are they new or been fired in another chamber. Check your dimensions from the base to the shoulder junction. They might be long for your chamber if fired in another chamber. Sounds like you might be long at the shoulder.

Why isn't this showing a reply in the main directory?

I contacted the guy who sold me the rifle. He said he had the chamber cut on the lower end of SAAMI specs. He said I would have to fire form the cases. I took what I had loaded up to the range, fired off all the rounds and then went home and resized the cases. All those cases will now chamber.

Is there someone who can open up the chamber 1 or 2 thousandths so I can chamber factory rounds? I wanted to practice with reloads and take factory rounds with me to Africa.

Here's a lazy way....on a piece of fired breass, take out the primer and thread it..oh..1/4 - 20. Then use is as a lap in your chamber...be careful not to get any compound on the shoulder (unless you want to increase headspace!)...use maybe 220 grit with a gentle back and forth motion while spinning with a low speed drill motor.

Check frequently...This can remove a surprising amount of metal

Duane I thank you. You have inspired me to work on the feeding of my 404 myself and it now works. On the brass issue I have noticed my RWS brass was a fair bit shorter than Norma. My once fired RWS had a small crack in the neck about halfway down going around the neck. Then the neck starts in the right place but ends up being longer than factory and the angle is off. My primers on two of the four had come out of the case. I was using what I thought was a mild load of 82gr of H-4350 under a 400gr Woodleigh.
I guess I will have to get some calipers as mine were borrowed years ago and have never been seen again.

I recently put together a 404 and found nothing STANDARD about the available brass or chamber specs. I had 2 boxes of RWS Loaded factory ammo and virgin brass. The datum line on the RWS brass was .028 shorter on average than the Norma PH and Hornady factory ammo or the virgin brass from either company. Of the 3 the Hornady had the longest datum spec. I chambered my 404 using the Norma and Hornady brass as the std rather than the RWS. If your chamber was set up to use the shorter RWS brass you will play hell trying to get any of the Hornady or Norma ammo into your chamber unless you radically modify your shell holder or the base of your die to compress the shoulder enough to allow them to chamber. If the chamber was cut Min Spec did the also shorten the Neck ? are your cases bottoming out on the OAL neck call out. Min spec reamers used for a 404 or similar case are a hassle from the start and if it is a true min spec chamber your pressures will spike much sooner in the reduced chamber. If it was me I'd find someone in your area with a Std 404 reamer such as Ralf Martini and have the chamber opened up and head-spaced to except the longer non RWS cases to begin with and as the 404 has a short throat jam a long seated bullet in to the lands and fire-form those RWS cases to bring them to the proper length and remove the excessive head-space with that first firing. Then your life will be much less complicated.

+1 on that.
Butch

I have 1917 Enfield barreled and chambered by PAC-NOR in 404J. For the longest time I could not work out what was going on as there was very high pressure spikes with starting type loads. I also had a hard bolt close. What I evenually determined was that the my case necks were approx 30,000th too long (or the chamber was cut 30,000th too short). As the brass seemed to be right (A-Square sized with RCBS dies) I determined the chamber was at fault. I contacted PAC-NOR but was unable to get anywhere, so I cut my brass necks back 30,000th, fire formed the brass and now my loads pretty much follow books charge levels and velocities. I also only neck size (just kiss the shoulder) the brass and hopefully they will last a long time, because trimming 50 pieces of brass .030" is a nuisance!