Cartridge Chambering Problem

6mm06

6mm06

Well-known member
I have been reloading ammo for 50 years now and for multiple rifles and calibers. Today I experienced something new that I have never seen before.

I purchased a brand new Weatherby Vanguard 25-06 and today was its maiden voyage. I opened a sealed pack of new Remington brass and instantly began having problems with chambering. Some rounds (not loaded, new brass) would chamber easily. Others are a bit stiff and yet others won’t chamber at all. THEN I tried the brass again that wouldn’t chamber and of all things, now some will. I cycled the brass a few more times and that same brass that chambered all of a sudden wouldn’t. I have never seen anything like this.

I thought perhaps some brass might be longer than others, but calipers showed well within specs. So, I opened a brand new pack of Norma brass and had the same issues. Some chamber OK, others a bit stiff and yet others won’t chamber at all. Then later when trying again, brass that chambered all of a sudden won’t and vice versa. I am beginning to think that something is wrong with the rifle.

Nevertheless, I managed to load and fire a few rounds, neck sized with a Lee Collet Die. I have been neck sizing brass with Collet Dies for many years. After firing, some cases won’t rechamber while others will, on and off, chambering and not chambering. I considered that perhaps a particle or something might be causing the bolt not to close properly, so I cleaned it and don’t see any obstruction.

What say ye?
 
To me it's definitely a rifle problem. My best guess is the extractor is having issues popping over the rim sometimes. That's all I can think of that would do that.
 
First thing clean the chamber/bore. A black markered case chambered and removed should show where any tight spots are. I either FL size or mandrel the necks of new brass before loading. Could be the empty brass doesn't feed correctly, try a few live rds with the firing pin removed or make up a couple dummy rds.
 
I by far am not that knowledgeable on this stuff but also started reloading in high school and would say that the problem lies in the rifle.
Keep us updated
 
Some loaded rounds do the same, and once fired rounds do too. New brass has always been smooth as a baby’s bottom in chambering during my 50 years of reloading. This is perplexing. What leads me to believe it’s the rifle is that sometimes a particular piece of brass will chamber, and then later won’t, or is stiff.
 
204 AR said:
My best guess is the extractor is having issues popping over the rim sometimes. That's all I can think of that would do that.
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Has to be something mechanical in the rifle that changes; what else besides the extractor changes from one "shot" to the next? Check the extractor face for burrs, free movement and bevel on face. Bet Russ is right.
 
hm1996 said:
Has to be something mechanical in the rifle that changes; what else besides the extractor changes from one "shot" to the next? Check the extractor face for burrs, free movement and bevel on face. Bet Russ is right.
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I agree and would disassemble the bolt and remove/clean the extractor and ejector because micro pieces of brass/debris can cause issues.
 
Interesting post. I'm anxious to hear what the problem is. I first thought it may have been brass but doing the same thing with two different types of brass killed that thought. Just about has to be a mechanical problem now. And not 100% sure about that.
 
I would also clean the chamber and BOLT LUG RECESSES. On a new rifle, occasionally there is some sort of "duff" stuck in the nooks and crannies from the manufacturing process. Maybe there are metal shavings or something in a bolt lug recess that sometimes the bolt can cam over and sometimes not depending upon the unsized brass dimensions. I unpacked a new rifle once that had an accumulation of styrofoam granules mashed into one of those bolt lug recesses.
 
GC said:
I would also clean the chamber and BOLT LUG RECESSES.
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A good douching and a tiny dab of grease to the lugs would be the very first thing I did.

Very first thing I do with any new gun right out of the box is give it all a good cleaning then lube the few parts that need it like the lugs with a very tiny amount of grease. They pretty much all come with some kind of crap on them for a anti rust/corrosion oil. The worst I've personally ever had were my CZ's. I'm not sure what they coat them with for the long boat ride over but it's some of the nastiest thickest stickiest shit I've ever cleaned out of a chamber/barrel. With those I'd pull the bolt tip the barrel down into a bucket and spray parts cleaner down it till it ran clean out the muzzle and the first few seconds the fluid running out would pretty much be black from the crap they coat the insides with.
 
That would be frustrating. Yeah, maybe a speck of metal shaving in the lug recesses or something on the bolt face possibly. Clean it up thoroughly and FL size your brass to start I guess. I had a Sendero with an extremely tight chamber. Had it rechambered and purposely kept tight. Any hint of dirt or anything else in the chamber or bolt face and it wouldn’t close with neck sized brass.
 
Some cases chamber then some don't. Then ones that did now won't. Just my WAG, its something with the bolt. Maybe extractor/ejector sticking???? Just my WAG. But I think something is wrong in the bolt.
 
UPDATE: Yeah, the issue has to be the rifle / bolt or whatever and not the brass. Today I stopped at Bass Pro and bit the bullet (no pun intended), sucked it up and bought a box of Hornady American Whitetail 117 grainers. I surely did hate to pay today’s ammo prices (I’m only used to loading my own), BUT - of the 20 rounds, one won’t chamber at all, 18 were stiff on bolt closing and only one was fairly smooth chambering, but not as smooth as it should be.

So, I’m going to have a local guy I know fairly well, who does some gunsmithing take a look at it and see if it’s something simple. If not it will go back to Weatherby.

Thanks to everyone who responded in trying to figure out this dilemma. They say there’s always a first time for everything, and this particular issue is the first for me in 50 years of reloading.
 
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Interesting side story, my bil bought a new 7mm-08, I think a Ruger, and a box of Hornady ammo. Next thing I know he's calling me saying it won't chamber a factory round. Tried and tried, finally looked at the round and somehow a 308 round got put in the box of 7mm-08 and that's the first round he tried.

I know that's not the issue here, but it just shows that weird crap happens sometimes.
 
Do you use shoulder bump gauges and if so have you measured the base to shoulder length on a piece of brass that easily chambers then compared that measurement to a piece that won't chamber. Then I'd do the same thing measuring the neck length, neck thickness as well as the diameter at the shoulder and down at the base. Kind of a process of elimination as to what and where the difference/s are with brass that'll chamber versus those that won't. You don't by chance know anyone with a go/ no gauge for that cartridge do you?

I'd do everything I can to figure out the problem yourself before sending it back. I would hate to see you take the time to send it back and wait however many weeks or months it takes to get it back just to have them check it out with some rather undersize brass or ammo then send it back to you saying they check it out and couldn't find anything wrong with it.
 
If your gunsmith friend has headspace gauges, check the headspace. Sounds like a tight chamber to me. Since it's a new rifle, checking with the manufacturer and having it fixed under warranty might be a good option.
 
This morning I contacted Weatherby and received a return shipping label. Sending it back is probably the best. Hopefully they will take care of it.

Thanks again to everyone for your input.
 
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