Ring around the case

[biodsl]

I'm getting a slight visible ring around the case about .13" above the the case head. I'm pretty sure this is happening during resizing. Thoughts? Is my resizing die not set up correctly?

Grendel Ring.jpg

[1Shot]

Looks like you could have a chamber on the large side which allows the case to expand quite a bit and then the sizing die brings is back. Or it could be that you are sizing the case too much. You might be bumping the shoulder back too much which makes the case react like you have too much head space which stretches the case and will eventually cause the case to separate at that spot.

[Klem]

bio,

That's where the solid web changes into the walls of the cartridge. The issue is not longitudinal headspace, but axial headspace. So, it's not about the case stretching longer of shorter, but ballooning out and being squashed back in from the sides.

We measure headspace by longitudinal case stretch so it's easy to forget that it is also about diameter. Your die is squashing the cartridge in down at the web, perhaps a bit too much. What brand is it?

(NB: if it was longitudinal headspace leading to case separation you would see evidence further up the case where your fingers are).

[biodsl]

I'm using a Redding Type-S Bushing full sizing die. It the only die I've ever owned for the Grendel. Been using it close to a decade or so.

[Klem]

OK, not the die then...too much lube causing the same thing? New brand of brass?

[biodsl]

I lube with One Shot from Hornady. I don't think I'm over lubing. I wet them down and wait a few minutes.

I questioning the barrel. It's a BHW .264 LB. Bought it 3 years ago and had to send it back because cases were cracking in the same place, the web as you describe. The sent me another barrel. I wondering now if the problem really didn't get fixed, just not as drastic as the original barrel. Fire a new piece of brass and it comes out of the chamber looking fine. Size it and you see a faint ring. Does this sound plausible?

[biodsl]

Oh, I've been shooting Hornady brass exclusively.

[Klem]

Narrowing it down...The chamber is too fat. New or out of spec reamer. Too much expansion caused by the chamber, not over-squeezing by the die or lube. regardless, it's expanding and being squashed back too much.

[centerfire]

What does the mouth of the die look like? I've had a few lemons from different die manufacturers. I've got a Forster sizing die that sizes brand new brass down .002 at the web and Forster seems to think its OK. I've had Redding dies that needed honing before too.

[ricsmall]

[Lemonaid]

I would opine that unless you can feel something it is normal, perhaps time to clean the sizing die. My brass often looks like that.

[A5BLASTER]

I'm getting a slight visible ring around the case about .13" above the the case head. I'm pretty sure this is happening during resizing. Thoughts? Is my resizing die not set up correctly?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16716[/ATTACH]

Every ar grendel barrel I have had does that after a few firings and resizings.

My newest barrel is doing it very badly, so much so I'm probably going too see about a replacement for it.

Only grendel I have that doesn't do that is my cz grendel.

I'm useing foster and Redding dies for my grendels.

[Happy2Shoot]

Really? All this chit chat and detective work?

The answer is:

It is completely normal.

Your die is over sizing the case body.

Why, because die manufacturers assume worse case scenarios.

If you had the thinnest case walls and shortest case head, and a rifle with the tightest chamber you would be glad your die is cut this way.

Normal chamber, normal brass and you get what you have.

What do you have here?

A die trying to size down the beginning of the solid case head.

Normal.

[biodsl]

After reading Blaster's and Happy's posts, I inspected some shot 7 times Lapua brass. Not a ring to be seen. All this brass was shot in a Lilja barrel. The BHW barrel has seen nothing but Hornady.

So while it may be normal, it will vary from chamber to chamber. Happy's explanation makes sense. In other words, it's similar to a tolerance stacking thing?

I'm running an experiment. Five rounds each of American Gunner shot out of my BHW and AA barrels. I'll reload, re-shoot and track making sure the cases are always used in the same barrel. I'm interested to see if the AA barrel rings the brass as well.

Lemonaide...I'll clean the die as well. It's past due I'm sure.

[biodsl]

Five rounds of American Gunner in both the BHW and AA barrels yesterday. AA brass looks fine. I thought the BHW brass looked good until I notice this very faint ring on one piece. Can you see it? Not my imagination, is it?

Grendel Ring_first.jpg

Cleaning them and reloading today.