Resized brass will not chamber

[WildBill3/75]

I'm new to reloading and am using a Forster FLS die. After resizing the cases measures 1.519" but will not chamber in the rifle. What am I doing wrong?

[mongoosesnipe]

you are not bumping the shoulder the die is not set down far enough

[WildBill3/75]

I've raised the ram 100% then screw the die down tell it touched the shell holder.

[pds]

I'm new to reloading and am using a Forster FLS die. After resizing the cases measures 1.519" but will not chamber in the rifle. What am I doing wrong?

WB,
We could use more detailed info! Are these new (unfired cases) or fired cases? Empty or seated bullets in them? 6.5 Grendel or 7.62x39 cases?

PDS

[WildBill3/75]

Thanks for the responses.
They are once fired cases from hornady 123gr factory ammo I was shooting. I deprimed, tumbled them, let them dry, sprayed them with hornady one shot and sized them with the ram all the way up and the die screwed down tell it touched the shell plate.
For the chambering;They are empty brass, just resized. I attempted to test fit in the chamber of the Grendel with the ejector removed from my bolt. That's when the bolt would not lock shut.

[bwaites]

Turn the die down until it touches, then 1/8 turn more and check. If it won't chamber, go 1/4 turn and try. If it won't chamber, then you may have a problem with a mismatched shell holder and die. In that case, the shell holder won't allow the die to completely resize the case.

That has happened in the past, and people have had to take their shell holder to a machine shop and have .005 machined off.

[WildBill3/75]

Yeah still will not work. I'm using a lee #12(the one for 7.62x39) shell holder with the Forster FLS. Is there a possibility it could be the die? Or more likely the shell holder? I ordered the forster ultra set from midway and in the box it also had a lee crimp die and when inspecting all the dies the seater had some copper in it....I'm thinking they might have sent me used dies that were returned because of a defect?

[NugginFutz]

Yeah still will not work. I'm using a lee #12(the one for 7.62x39) shell holder with the Forster FLS. Is there a possibility it could be the die? Or more likely the shell holder? I ordered the forster ultra set from midway and in the box it also had a lee crimp die and when inspecting all the dies the seater had some copper in it....I'm thinking they might have sent me used dies that were returned because of a defect?

I'd get in touch with Midway and arrange for a replacement. Too many peculiarities with that order. Midway has consistently been very good about exchanges and refunds. I'd also check to see which shell holder Forster recommends, and get one, if different.

[mongoosesnipe]

its hard to diagnose the problem without being first hand if your not particularly attached to the dies and not in a hurry you could return them to midway as defective and get the redding die set which is also in stock an 10 bucks cheaper and then buy a redding #12 shell holder or rcbs #32 to insure that that is also in spec or you could modify the die or shell holder if you have the means

[Tedward]

Yeah still will not work. I'm using a lee #12(the one for 7.62x39) shell holder with the Forster FLS. Is there a possibility it could be the die? Or more likely the shell holder? I ordered the forster ultra set from midway and in the box it also had a lee crimp die and when inspecting all the dies the seater had some copper in it....I'm thinking they might have sent me used dies that were returned because of a defect?

Sounds like the wrong shell holder. I bought the Grendel holders. haven't used it but it calls for the right cartridge.

[mseric]

I would be willing to bet it's your Forster FL die. Measure the web of your sized cases.

I have a Forster 6.5 Grendel die and had the same issues.

No matter how far I bumped the shoulder back I had cases that would not chamber. I even cut the shoulder off a few offending rounds and even these would not chamber.

What I found was the Forster die does not size the case body at the web down to SAAMI specs. I believe this number is .441, my Forster die would only size the body down to .444.

I replaced the die with an RCBS small base die and that was just the opposite, too small.


I sent the RCBS SB die along with 5 fired cases back to RCBS. They replaced the SB die with a standard FL die and all is well. I believe the Case web measures .438 or .439 after sizing with the RCBS die.

[Drifter]

What I found was the Forster die does not size the case body at the web down to SAAMI specs. I believe this number is .441, my Forster die would only size the body down to .444.

If I'm looking at the correct dimension, the number is 0.4433, which would mean that your Forster die is working reasonably well.



Link to source: http://www.6mmbr.com/cartridgediagrams.html#65Grendel

I do not know whether that image correlates precisely with what was submitted to SAAMI, but I'm guessing that all Grendel dies were designed prior to SAAMI acceptance.

I would also guess that your chamber is a variant of the Grendel (264 LBC perhaps?), and / or those cases were previously fired at excessive pressure.

Obviously, I'm speculating to some degree. My apologies if I'm off course...

[mseric]

Just above the rim at the web is .441 according to this.

http://www.saami.org/PubResources/CC_Drawings/Rifle/6_5%20Grendel.pdf

[Drifter]

mseric- Which chamber is your barrel, and did RCBS modify the standard FL die for your brass?

No intentions of making irrelevant claims on this chamber vs that chamber, or this die vs that die. Just wondering if we can learn something here...

[WildBill3/75]

Just got off the phone with midway. I'll be returning the set/shell holder and going to exchange with a Redding type S sizing die/redding #12 shell holder and pickup a Forster Ultra seater elsewhere. What bushings y'all recommend? I was thinking about picking up .288 and .287. Also my once fired necks measure around .300 is it alright to resize with a bushing die straight from .300 to .288?

Thanks for the help