How is your BRASS doing?

[bergermeister]

I'm getting two deep scrapes longitudinally on the casing neck being inflicted during extraction. Going to shorten case life substantially for reloading.
The lugs in the breech of the barrel have to be doing the scraping. It must be a sharp edge burr but it is pretty much inaccessible to correct. The ejector spring is stiff enough to add to the problem.
Wondering if everyone is having this happen and if it will disappear with use.

 

[CVF]

I had a similar issue, IIRC the cause was the feed lips on the magazine.

 

[copemech]

I'm getting two deep scrapes longitudinally on the casing neck being inflicted during extraction. Going to shorten case life substantially for reloading.
The lugs in the breech of the barrel have to be doing the scraping. It must be a sharp edge burr but it is pretty much inaccessible to correct. The ejector spring is stiff enough to add to the problem.
Wondering if everyone is having this happen and if it will disappear with use.

Couple of scratches on the neck comes from feeding up the ramp and the sharp edges on the top of the lugs. This would be normal by most accounts I have seen including mine.

I figure a bit of steel cased **** ammo has a better chance of wearing these edges a bit than the soft brass, but I have heard some advise to leave it be as long as it feeds properly, as you cannot replace metal on the ramps.

As far as reloading this brass, I give it 2-3 runs at best between the scratches, the ejector and the dings from the hump thingie.

 

[MichiganScott]

I find that I get 3-4 loads before I get neck cracks caused by the barrel breech scratching the neck. These are semi-autos. They beat up the brass anyway. I really don't expect to get more loads than I already do.

 

[webfarmer]

Huh - not seeing the neck scratches but rather a couple little dents on mine. What takes a real beating for some reason are the rims - it's quite rough on them. Have up to 6 reloads on some cases.

 

[rojodiablo]

Huh - not seeing the neck scratches but rather a couple little dents on mine. What takes a real beating for some reason are the rims - it's quite rough on them. Have up to 6 reloads on some cases.

That extractor is really hustling when it takes off backwards, and the brass is still a touch swollen in the chamber, leading to rim bites.
6 reloads is a really good life for semi auto rifles.

As tot he feed ramp scrapes.....Copemech nailed it. Run steel thru it, it will buff those ornery edges much quicker, and it's no great loss to scrub out the steel and not sweat reloading.
In truth, I save the brass ammo for hunting only. I know the rifle shoots a pie plate at 150 yards with steel. Good enough for target shooting and depredation work. When I want to really hunt with it, or zero a scope? I will scavenge a box of hunting ammo and use a half dozen to do the trick, and save that brass for reloads.

 

[LlindeX]

Who's steel case loads are you using? Do the bullets also have steel or "bi-metal" jackets? Don't profess to be an expert, but, I've heard from numerous reliable sources that tests have shown steel or bi-metal jacketed bullets will reduce barrel live by as much as 30 - 50%.

 

[Palmetto-Pride]

The main thing I get is a little dimple on the face of the base of the case that I think is caused from the ejector slamming into it when the bolt slams home. It does cause problems putting it into a shell holder when reloading.

 

[LlindeX]

The main thing I get is a little dimple on the face of the base of the case that I think is caused from the ejector slamming into it when the bolt slams home. It does cause problems putting it into a shell holder when reloading.

What type of ammo are you using when you're getting this "ejector dimple"?

 

[Palmetto-Pride]

I have mainly been using factory Hornady 168gr A-Max match ammo and reloaded ammo with Hornady match cases with same bullet also some 168gr MKs, also shot some cheap 7.62x51 ammo in it, it does it with pretty much all ammo.

 

[LlindeX]

The main thing I get is a little dimple on the face of the base of the case that I think is caused from the ejector slamming into it when the bolt slams home. It does cause problems putting it into a shell holder when reloading.

Palmetto-Pride,
Have you checked to see if you get the "ejector dimple" if you extract an unfired round from the chamber? If so, maybe your ejector spring is somehow "too strong" or the ejector rod is either too long or binding in some manner as the bolt is closing on the cartridge. Have you removed your bolt & pulled the ejector out of the bolt to check things out? If you check an unfired cartridge, and the "dimple" on a cartridge isn't there before you fire the cartridge, then its created at firing, not as the bolt closes. That would be an entirely different cause and need a different corrective action. If only present after firing Is the "ejector dimple" a depression INTO the case head, or is it a "pimple" OUT of the case head?

 

[Palmetto-Pride]

It is a very slight depression and I am about 99% sure it is from the ejector. If I load a round manually by pressing the bolt release and pull the charging handle back to eject the round it doesn't leave a mark. I am sure when the rifle actually cycles from firing the bolt probably comes home just a little faster. I checked the ejector rod, it will push back in the bolt and it does feel pretty strong, but I think that's normal. I tried to take a picture, but I couldn't get the *** camera to focus. I will say the more I shoot it the less it seems to happen so I am not to worried about it.

Wow are we that sensitive on a gun forum that the language filter actually blocks P O S? Gee fellas lets put our big boy pantys on and not get too offended.....lol

 

[rojodiablo]

Who's steel case loads are you using? Do the bullets also have steel or "bi-metal" jackets? Don't profess to be an expert, but, I've heard from numerous reliable sources that tests have shown steel or bi-metal jacketed bullets will reduce barrel live by as much as 30 - 50%.

Those nice folks at the USMC, USN, USAF, US Army.... and even the folks playing around in the shallow water and in the kiddie pool (AKA USCG) all tend to use FMJ ammunition. As in, full metal jacket.

If you are not running the rifle at warp-9 speed, the steel is not going to hurt the barrel.
Those who are harping about Bi-metal rounds are talking about steel coated with copper. Sounds a lot like most hunting ammo to me; a steel skin wrapped around a lead core.

If you are talking about steel cases, there are folks who INSIST on spending more money than they need to, to make a rifle go 'BANG.'

You are not going to wear out a barrel prematurely using Wolf ammo unless you totally rat-fink abuse the rifle. The cost of the ammo alone would make that a prohibitive shooting session......