Trouble with Alexander upper

[pdq5oh]

I've got an Alexander Arms upper with a 16" barrel. It seems I need to have the chamber measured to check specs? I loaded some Hornady 123 gr SSTs at 2.255 & 2.245 COL. Some wouldn't let the rifle go fully into battery at either length. It was real work to eject them. The last one I had to tap the charging handle with a rubber mallet. The last one that did this, I measured after getting it out. It was 2.223" COL. The 95 gr VMaxes I have to load at 2.300 COL. These do seem to have a fatter ogive profile than the SSTs. Does it seem normal to have to load these so short? I'm fairly new to reloading. Am I missing something? Brass is Hornady and AA Arms. Thanks.

[Whelenon]

I've got a Saturn/Liberty 18" barrel, with a .020 jump I'm loading the 123 SST @ 2.215.

Measuring you chamber would be in order.

[PA_Allen]

I seat the 123 SST at 2.23" to be just short of the lands in my 16" Liberty barrel, so my chamber dimensions are likely close to Whelenon's. You likely just need to seat your bullets deeper.
Best,
PA

[MrDraco]

I've got an Alexander Arms upper with a 16" barrel. It seems I need to have the chamber measured to check specs? I loaded some Hornady 123 gr SSTs at 2.255 & 2.245 COL. Some wouldn't let the rifle go fully into battery at either length. It was real work to eject them. The last one I had to tap the charging handle with a rubber mallet. The last one that did this, I measured after getting it out. It was 2.223" COL. The 95 gr VMaxes I have to load at 2.300 COL. These do seem to have a fatter ogive profile than the SSTs. Does it seem normal to have to load these so short? I'm fairly new to reloading. Am I missing something? Brass is Hornady and AA Arms. Thanks.

How does factory ammo do? And have you tried loading up some dummy rounds at factory length?

It may not be your COL that is the issue, you may just need to bump the shoulder of the brass back some more.

[jkvert]

I've had a similar issue with my AA upper. Turns out the chamber was reamed with a "worn" reamer, meaning .264 bullets that might be 1 or 2/1,000 oversize would not chamber. Hornady told me to shoot a couple hundred rounds of facory ammo (usually will chamber/be on spec) and the wear would take care of the chamber. Sounds a bit like bs but better that sending it back.

Mr. Draco: if you use the Hornady head space gauge, what measurement do you try for after bumping the shoulder?

[bwaites]

Hold on. It is unlikely that it is a bullet issue, and much more likely it is a case issue. What you are describing is more likely due to not having set the shoulder back quite far enough.

Try loading a factory round if you have some, AMAX's and SST's have the same ogive. If not, take one of your sized cases WITHOUT a bullet, and drop it in the chamber and slowly let the bolt go forward. (You can't just drop the bolt because the case without a bullet might size itself in the chamber with the force that dropping the bolt has.). If the case chambers ok, then it may be a chamber issue, or even a lot issue with those bullets.

It is much more likely that you have not sized the shoulder quite enough than it is that you have a bad chamber. (AA and every other manufacturer does function test with spec cartridges.) Occasionally one slips through, but they are rare.

[Drifter]

bwaites is right. Make sure your cases are sized correctly.

That being said, I get best results with 123gr SST's seated to ~2.230 COL, though 123gr Amax's do fine at ~2.250".

Can someone share the COL of factory 123gr SST ammo? Just curious...

[VASCAR2]

I'm using Hornady dies and the instructions state to raise the ram to point where it is about to cam over, then screw the sizing die down until it touches the shell holder. It appears the stem in the die is for adjusting the decapping pin. Using the Hornady dies can you adjust the die to set the shoulder back further if the die is already touching the shell holder? I decided to order a chamber gauge to determine where different bullets hit the lands so I can determine best seating depth on my reloads for my two Grendels.

[pdq5oh]

Thanks everyone for the help. This has been the forum with the most helpful people I've run across to date. I'll check dimensions on my brass. Some is once fired, some new. The new stuff I didn't think I needed to run thru the sizing die.
bwaites, would the shoulder not being set back enough cause the bullet to be shoved back into the brass .020-.030? COL was 2.245 & 2.255 before chambering. After i got it out, 2.223. Thanks.

[pdq5oh]

bwaites, I tried your idea with the brass. I used 2 each resized Hornady and Alexander. Also, 2 new Hornady. The bolt wouldn't close on it's own. It did if I pushed the forward assist. I scrubbed the chamber as best I can and no difference. Could the extractor be keeping the bolt from closing? Thanks.
Best I can measure my brass, it seem to be in spec dimensionally.

[koden]

I have hornady dies and if I follow the instructions (running the die down until it contacts the shell holder) it over sizes the brass and I get a bulge in the brass at the case head. I am ~1.5 turns from contacting the shell holder to get correctly sized brass.

I wrecked ~200 cases before figuring it out.

[tackdriver]

I did the same thing this week with some .308 brass

[babaganoush]

I have hornady dies and if I follow the instructions (running the die down until it contacts the shell holder) it over sizes the brass and I get a bulge in the brass at the case head. I am ~1.5 turns from contacting the shell holder to get correctly sized brass.

I wrecked ~200 cases before figuring it out.

+1

With the Hornady dies, mine was a similar experience as Koden's, except I got lucky and caught the bulge on the first case. I don't see anywhere where the OP mentions which dies he is using, but this condition can easily cause a case to jam in the chamber, thus matching the symptoms described, regardless of bullet seating depth.

On the plus side, though, I would rather have a die set which allowed you to oversize a bit, than one which contacts the shell holder at a point that leaves you just short of where you need to be (at spec or not).

[VASCAR2]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I will back off the shell holder, maybe I was over sizing because I got a bulge on the A-A brass but not the Hornady brass. Makes sense if the A-A brass is thicker.

[pdq5oh]

I have Lee dies. Does anyone know the COL of Hornady 123 SST or 123 AMax factory ammo?
The fact that the bullet was pushed back into the case .020 would seem to be the bullet jamming in the lands when chambered?