Redding Re-sizing issues?

[rumlover]

I've been loading 220 SMKs at 1.98" OAL and 240 SMKs at 2.0" OAL and some of the rounds are getting stuck in the chamber, not allowing the BCG to close completely. After looking at the most recent round that got stuck, I don't think the bullet is hitting the lands, but instead the shoulder is too far forward.

Has anyone else had trouble with redding dies not pushing the shoulder back far enough? Is there an adjustment to the die I don't know about?

Also, with the 240s, the round is getting stuck in the seater die. As I lower the ram, the bullet is being pulled back out of the case by as much as 0.100".

Thoughts?

[TCCrewchief76]

You need more neck tension if the bullets are pulling out. Is your ram camming over on the die when you resize?

Kevin

[amafrank]

Are you sure that its not the necks stopping the chambering? What brass are you using? Some types have thicker brass that interferes. Otherwise I'd check on what the chief asked, are you getting the round far enough into the die?

Frank

[TCCrewchief76]

One more thing: do you have the JD Jones chamber that takes 1.4" case lengths, or the 1.355" case lengths? If you can't close you BCG, that might be the cause.

Respectfully,

Kevin

[Scalce]

It sounds more like a neck thickness issue.

My redding sizing die bumps the should just enough when my Rockchucker cams over.

[rumlover]

Yea, the ram is camming over when I re-size the brass. The brass is mixed, mostly lake city.

I loaded 20 rounds last night and took them to the range today. 4 of the 20 would chamber without assistance. 7 more had to be forced in with the forward assist. The rest would stop short of chambering. I pulled them out and found marks on the shoulders of most.

The chamber was supposedly cut by spook, so I don't think it's the 1.4" chamber. Also, I tried loading the same rounds in a encore barrel and they wouldn't chamber in it either. It came from virgin valley several years ago.

[flashhole]

Whose shell holder are you using? You might try a Redding shell holder if you don't already have one. I've had Redding dies that were on the long side and didn't bump the shoulder back as much as it should. Keep in mind Redding makes the shell holder set that allows different sizing depths when using their dies. You would think it would be universal with SAMMI specs but you can still run into problems. I've taken shell holders and lapped material off the top to allow the FL seat die to move the shoulder back a couple of thousandths and that allowed for reliable chambering. I've also lapped the bottom of the die with the same results.

[rumlover]

The shell holders at made by Lee. I think I have an RCBS that I'll try tomorrow as well as some corbon factory loaded ammo buried somewhere. I'll take some measurements off the factory stuff before and after trying to chamber it in the AR.

I'm also going to have to try some different loads. 8.8 grains of AA9 were pushing 220 SMK's past the sound barrier. Picked up some Lil Gun on the way home, so if I can get the chambering issue resolved, I'll load up some rounds with lil gun.

[sha-ul]

is this in a bolt gun, or semi auto?
is it possible you need to run the brass through a small base die?

[rumlover]

It's an AR.

Tried the Corbon Factory loads last night, they wouldn't chamber completely either. Going to pull a few pills and trim the brass down further after resizing using the RCBS shell holders v/s the lee holders I used last week.