rounds sticking in chamber

[interceptor]

Someone with more reloading expierence than me, PLEASE HELP ME OUT!

Got my brass in from David Davis and I'm trying out seating some Sierra 155gn hpbt Palma Match. Load is 17gn of H110, o.a.l. is 2.20". Problem is, the round sticks, really sticks, in the chamber. Soooo, I'm thinking the long taper is contacting the lands, so I try seating one a little deeper. I go down (in steps) to 2.060", same story. Then I'm thinking maybe my neck o.d. is too big, so I pull out the decapping pin and run a new piece of brass through the full lenght resize die (brass is already primed from D.D.) and seat another bullet starting back at 2.20". Same thing again, stuck like Chuck.

So what's going on? Any one got ideas?

[320pf]

Interceptor,

I had a similar experience when my upper was brand spanking new. If I remember correctly, other people have also had similar experiences with new uppers.

First one question, have you tried to chamber just the brass without any bullet seated? Then I suggest you seat a bullet in the brass and then pull it (the bullet) and see how just the brass fits. This should give you an idea if you chamber too tight.

Here is what I did. I cleaned my barrel with white gas and a bronze brush and the again with Hoppes... I mean a really good cleaning. (I am not trying to insult you... that last time I recommended this to some who was having the same problem, they responded like I was asking to do bad things to their wife and/or mother :))

With my barrel, before my first shot I ran a patch with Break Free through the barrel. It came out pretty clean... so off the the range I went with my first reloads. I fired the first round, a good "safe" starting load, and the bolt cycled but left the brass in the chamber. I used a cleaning rod to get the brass out the the barrel... it was all stained with a black residue. Any way to make a long story short, my barrel had a pretty thick coating of cozmoline in it and once I gave it a good cleaning the problem went away.

One other thing. The QuickLoad calculations that I had Randall at AR Barrels.Com do for me suggest that you have a pretty good chance of making major with that load. However, you are very close to max (~55000 psi). I suggest that you start at about 15.5 gr and work up by 0.5 gr increments.

You might do a bit better with W296. I found that in my gun it works better that H110. I have also had good experience with Hodgdon Lil'Gun.

Good Luck

320pf

[interceptor]

"As the world turns..."

Day two. Talked with Redding customer service/tech and he suggested that I take a loaded round and color it completely with a Sharpie magic marker, chamber it, extract and see where the contact points are. Did it, and bullet itself is contacting the chamber, marks are right at 0.210" from the case mouth. Model 1 suggests that I send it back to them so they can test and evaluate.

And I was soooo looking foreward to test firing this weekend!

Before I send it back, as per your suggestion I will give it a hell of a cleaning and see if that helps.

[pug]

I got my barrel today and had a little problem myself. The headspace checked ok but when I tried one of the dummy rounds it wouldn't chamber. After checking a few things I tried one of the .223 cases I had resized and to my delight it chambered fine. To make a long story short none of the preprimed brass that I bought will chamber but if run through the fl sizer die with expander (modified) it chambers fine and after measuring it appears my sizer bumps the shoulder back just a hair further. Just more food for thought and I hope you get yours going.

[interceptor]

Originally Posted by 320pf

Interceptor,

Here is what I did. I cleaned my barrel with white gas and a bronze brush and the again with Hoppes... I mean a really good cleaning. (I am not trying to insult you... that last time I recommended this to some who was having the same problem, they responded like I was asking to do bad things to their wife and/or mother :))


Good Luck

320pf

Well, i tried it last night and it didn't work worth a damn. Rounds still sticking. In fact, after the cleaning last night I loaded another dummy round --no powder, just bullet and case -- chambered it and when I went to eject it the case came out but the bullet was left stuck in the chamber.

.......

[320pf]

Interceptor,

That stinks! It sounds like there may be little or no lead in your chamber. Have you tried to chamber just resized brass, sans bullet?

320pf

[interceptor]

Yeah, brass goes in and out with no problem. Talked with my smith today about my problem. Next week I'm gonna bring it back and he wants to try a reamer, clean up the throat a bit. Till then I guess I'll just have to solace myself with another gun, I guess. I did just get a new CZ 452 American in .17HMR, so I can go try that one out.

[keith__davis]

Hey, David Davis here you got the brass from me and i need to make this right but not sure its a brass problem, I got your messgae and you resized it ?? that should do it, but given your bullets are pulling out of the case tells me that its your chamber. I'll send you more brass free of charge that has been checked in a SSK Inc. headspace gage just the brass you have has been. if you think it will help. Also you said you have a gunsmith looking at it, I'm willling to loan you a set of reamers and headspace gages for him to clean up the chamber or I'm willing to do it for you. But you got the brass from me and I'm feeling bad about this, drop me an email, I'll do what ever i can to help.

keith__davis@yahoo.com

[interceptor]

Thanks! Slight correction to your earlier statement: Yes, I did get the brass from you, BUT I don't feel it's your need or responsibility to "make it right". The general concensus is that, like you said, it's not the brass. From the marks the upper/barrel leaves on bullets, there is a physical problem with the weapon. (see earlier post, this thread) My gunsmith thinks we need to work on the throat of the chamber, and he says he's got something to do that with. Before we do that, however, I will ask him if the reamer you offered would do the job better. I should find out about Tuesday. I appreciate the offer.

[keith__davis]

You paid good money for that barrel think about returning and let them fix it.