After having waited since February for my loading dies in 9.3x62 I finally received them today. I went directly down into the basement to load up some rounds (moose season starts in a few weeks).

The first case I put into the sizing die took a considerable amount of arm strength to push in. I then examined the sized case and didn�t exactly like what I saw�. The case breast hadn�t been touched at all (sizing stopped ca 1 mm from the breast) and the case was really shiny at the base (removed brass). The case also had tell tale marks of being out of round (oval). As the rifle they had been fired in has its firing pin a little off center (it has never clicked in the ca 800 rounds I�ve fired in it) it was easy to see (after a few more cases) that the case was always �shaved� at the same place.

I playing a little more with the rifle I also discovered that I couldn�t seat the available bullets (norma 286 grain alaska and plastic point and norma 232 grain vulcan) to even come close to the lands.

The rifle is an Husqvarna 640 (FN action) built in �52 that I have bedded in a Mcmillian stock. It is accurate and shoots inside an inch with all normas factory loads (at 80 meters) even though the bullets must have at least 10 mm of free travel before they meet the lands.

This is my second Husqvarna with a bad chamber and my third over all (once had a brno with a gigantic chamber).

Well I guess my only way out of this is to have it rechambered or rebarreled (I�m not sure it worth it).

K9

Is the rifle bad or the dies bad? Have you tried running an unfired case through the die to see how it goes in?

OK now I'll try to be dignified here, but by "breast" I assume you mean shoulder. Believe me I know how frustrating it is to get within 1 mm of touching a breast! err, I mean shoulder... But that points to a problem with the die, the shoulder can't really get set back like that in the gun, unless the bolt gets closed by a gorilla..

Have you taken a micrometer and measured the cases before and after? that might be a good starting point to help figure where the problem is.

Tjenare K9!

I think the very long throat on 9,3X62 is in the design of the round. I have a BRNO ZG-47 with the same huge freebore. It shoots ok in spite of this strange throat thogh. I chambered a 9,3X62 on a Tikka actin a few weeks back and the reamer was borrowed from a friend. The JGS reamer also had this long throat section and there is no way to get a bullet that not are in the 800 grains area or so to toutch the lands

Old HVA rifles sometimes have strange chambers but useally shoots really good. My advise is to keep the rifle as it is if it shoots that good.

I bougth my BRNO second hand and the rifle was not taken care of in the best way. I have polished and reblued it. The inside of the barrel is another matter..... It does indeed look like you have landed on the moon when you look thru the bore scope. It shoots OK still so Im not planning to change anything yet.

Good moosehunting!!

I got one last Sat.

Stefan.

First, I'd make a cerrosafe cast of your chamber and Mike it carefully to determine how far out it is or isn't. If you can't do this have a gunsmith do this for you. Don't be suprised if the chamber cast really looks fine, just mikes out on the large size of the SAMI dimensions. Look carefully for a crooked match of the lead/throat to the neck of the cartridge. It sounds like your chamber is a little large and the extractor is holding the case to one side in the chamber resulting in off center firing pin marks when the case is fired. This is very very common in factory rifles. If the rifle shoots as well as you describe,I suspect the problem is a overly large chamber. The dies simply can't compensate for this and shave brass. You might see if putting a rubber O ring around the base of your sizing die compensates for some of this misallignment. Worst case is you will have to only load new brass. I'd also chamfer and polish the base of the dies to possibly minimize brass shaving. Sounds like there is a sharp edge involved on the dies.-Rob

Ooops, my mistake�� The Swedish word for �shoulder� is �breast�. I guess that caused a few laughs..

A few results from miking the cases:
Unfired case, sized: upper part of neck: 9,82 mm
Lower part of neck: same as above
Base: 12,01 mm
Lower part of shoulder: 11,28 mm
Length of neck (app): 7,46 mm

Fired case, sized: upper part of neck: 9,82 mm
Lower part of neck: same as above
Base: 12,01 mm
Lower part of shoulder: 11,30 mm
Length of neck (app): 7,46 (ca 0,8 mm of shoulder app. same diameter)

Fired case, unsized: upper part of neck: 10,10 mm
Lower part of neck: 10,40 (ca 0,8 mm of shoulder app. same diameter) Base: 12,03 mm
Lower part of shoulder: 11,60 mm
Length of neck (app): 8,39 mm (part of the shoulder is now neck)

There is also some expansion ca 6 mm up on the case (11,96 mm unfired/sized and 12,12 fired/unsized).

The neck is somewhat conical on the unsized fired cases. The rifle seem to headspace OK. I�ve fired primed cases in it and the primer doesn�t back out. I�ve also tried to insert very thin strips of brass between the cartridge and the bolt and then tried to close it. I can�t. This leads me to believe that headspace is OK.
To me it seems that the chamber is somewhat large overall and the neck part especially. There seem to be enough room there to let part of the shoulder expand to the same diameter as the neck.

Part of the idea of reloading for it was to save in on the ammo costs so using only new brass is not an option.
I�m not sure where to get cerrosafe but I think I have a book somewhere describing how to do a sulphur cast. Is this an option? I don�t think our local smith does chambercasting.

Rob
I think you are correct in assuming that the size of the chamber lets the cartridge be somewhat �off center� at ignition.

Stefan
Congratulations to the moose!! Down here an 8-pointer would be called a monster�� The moose population is severely abused and I�m not sure if it ever will be normal again. I�m on my way to sell two of my rifles and replace them with two Brno ZG 47. One in 9.3x62 (I admit to being addicted to this one) and one in 30-06 (huge chamber � will be rechambered to 300 WM and get another barrel in 458 WM � long term project�..). I really like the looks and the feel of this action!!!
K9

I think your measurements tell the story although since Brass springs back considerably, I can't be absolutely certain. It would appear that your chamber is on the large side, but since the cartridge headspaces on the shoulder, its clear that you don't have a headspace problem. You can buy Cerrosafe from Brownells or Midway and making a chamber cast is both easy to do and very very informative.Just plug the bore with cotton past the beginning of the rifling ,pour in the melted Cerrosafe, allow to cool and pop out the chamber cast with a cleaning rod. Measure it with a Mike within 2 hours and you will know the truth.
As for you dies, I'd get a dremel tool with a fine abrasive on it and chamfer/polish the mouth of the dies. I'll bet this stops the brass shaving problem. If the neck is too loose to hold a bullet, I'd consider buying a bushing type neck sizer from Redding or Sinclair. From the measurments of a fired case, you will need a bushing that will compress the neck about .003 inches. These bushings are about 10 bucks each. Good luck.-Rob

It is amazing that the Swedes have managed to maintain their population, if they can't tell a shoulder from a breast, who knows what else they confuse? LOL

Just kidding, guys.

K9:

Seriously, I am wondering why it took you so long to get your loading dies? Do you have some kind of government regulations that you have to fulfill before you can order them. If not, any American could buy you some in practically any caliber and have them to you in less than a couple of weeks, assuming there is not some import restrictions. Let me know if I can help.

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkWhite:
Believe me I know how frustrating it is to get within 1 mm of touching a breast

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Gato
The reason I had to wait so long for the dies is the Swedish importer of Hornady stuff. They keep telling you next month...next month.... It is rather frustrating!!!!!!!! Otherwise there are no restrictions on loading equipment etc.
By the way: don't you realize that the reason that we keep telling people that we can't tell a shoulder from a breast is just a way to get some more practice......

Rob
I gues I just have to order some cerrosafe from Brownells and have a go at it!

Thanks
K9