Author Topic: chamber length tool  (Read 335 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline hoot619

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
chamber length tool
« on: January 08, 2007, 06:42:18 PM »
 Need instructions to make one. Search is down!   Did not trim my brass and found out later about case length dangers.  NOW I AM WORRIED Have 4 boxes loaded -.17 rem with 25 gr Hornadys with 22.3 g of RL 15 done this week .  I shot 7 of these and liked what I had.
TodayI've checked  my  fired cases .  7 cases - 2 were ok 2 at 1.800 3 a little more.  max is 1.796   
 I had been working up loads last year  with Varget started at 22.4 and worked up to 23.7 or 9. Was showing some pressure signs at max. -primer and bright mark near primer.   10 rounds at each stage.  a box and 1/2.    2 1/2 boxes were factory loads
Needless to say I haven't reloaded much just damn glad I caught it. Especially before I tried them in my new AR .17.  The loads were fired in my rem classic .  Ken

Offline NavyLT

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: chamber length tool
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2007, 03:05:31 AM »
I wouldn't worry about it myself.  If you are concerned, I would measure each rounds OAL with calipers.  Chamber each round carefully noting if there is any difficulty locking up the bolt.  Carefully eject the round and measure OAL again.  If the OAL goes down, the bullet may be getting pushed in by the lands of the barrel grooves, otherwise if the feel OK chambering I would say you are good to go.

If it was me, and I had already shot 7 of them with no problems, I would not hessitate to shoot the rest.

Offline wncchester

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3856
  • Gender: Male
Re: chamber length tool
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2007, 02:55:37 PM »
hoot, I suspect you are aware that the hazards of too-long cases is much different from any effect of cartridge OAL.  "Crimping" a bullet in a too- long case will surely play havoc with chamber pressures!  Actually, you probably are okay now because MOST chambers are quite a bit longer than normal max case lengths, sometimes as much as .030" longer!  But, the risk of of being wrong here is pretty scary.

I lathe turned some "Sinclair" type case plugs for each caliber I load.  I just turned  a half inch long section of brass rod to bullet diameter, then turned the last 50 thousants to a bit over the maximum case neck diameter so it won't pass the chamber mouth and cut it off square. 

To use, I trim a case 60 thousants short, seat the plug long, and chamber the "cartridge" to seat the plug to the actual chamber neck length.  Then remove and measure the chamber length with a dial caliper.  I do this a few times to make sure I have an accurate reading but, so far, the lengths are pretty consistant each time I do it.

It's easy to make the little plugs but, unless you have access to a lathe, I'd suggest you get them from Sinclair.  Individually, they don't cost much.

Failing that, you might make a chamber cast that will give you a mirror image of your whole chamber.  I make chamber casts with melted drug-store "Flowers of Sulpher" (a "brimstone" flammable yellow powder!) but the best stuff is low temp "Cerrosafe" casting metal from Brownell's.

Either way, using a chamber cast or a case length plug will let you measure with some accuracy the neck length of your chamber so you will KNOW what your safe maximum case length is! 
Common sense is an uncommon virtue

Offline hoot619

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: chamber length tool
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2007, 03:45:43 PM »
Yes I was aware of it (pressure after reading about it.    On one loading forum it said just to brush inside of case neck no lube, I did maybe a 1/2 dozen that way and found out they were sticking. I maybe stretched the necks at that time. I went back to lubing them. The case body was lubed.  They chamber ok and locking bolt down no problem , no effort to do it.  The ones I shot I had no trouble extracting them and cases looked good.  I will trim them all to min. length before reloading them.   There was a chamber length tool on one of the forums but information was a little sketchy . you  cut a chunk off neck chanfer and deburr  slit piece you cut off. Would like all the instructions on this that is what I was looking for.
 Looks like I probably will shoot another 10 rounds so I have a full box of emptys to reload the right way so I can get the AR .17 rem going.   Thanks for the help, Ken .  It was greatly appreciated    I found the article made one up and chamber checked out ok .I don't think I will forget to measure cases again before loading. I will shoot these off in my Rem Classic and for the Ar .17 I found a new bag of 50 nickle plated. I will  load these one time and probably get rid of them. Suppose to be hard on dies etc.  Thanks for the help. I feel better now. Ken