Cartridge Sticking in Chamber

There is proven facts about not polishing a chamber that point to less load on the bolt. It really does nothing to polish it. I used to test fire after using a new reamer I made like this: Take the extractor off the bolt. Fire a round. Open the bolt and lift the rifle straight up and down. GENTLY tap the stock on the table. The case should easily fall out. Actually, most cases fell out just by picking the rifle up. I mostly used 0-1 tool steel for those hard to find reamers and wildcats. Not the best for a mirror finish, but not too bad either. If you have trouble checking this way, there is more than a finish problem going on.
 
The loaded rounds will go in and out of chamber with ease, but once fired will stick unless lubed along the cartridge length.
Anyone have any ideas on why these cartridges would be sticking in the chamber after firing?

One of the ugliest threads covered this information on a bench rest forum. I did not get involved. Two schools of thought; one group lubed their cases when fire forming. Then there was the one that thought lubing the case would render the rifle scrap when the trigger was pulled. I did not get involved because I do not fire form, I form first then fire. The thread went on for 40+ pages. Who won?

As always with belted cases no one knows the amount of clearance ahead of the belt, no one knows how far the shoulder of the case is from the shoulder of the chamber and no one measure the diameter of the case at the extractor groove and in front of the belt.

F. Guffey
 
I have read what you all have said and took another look at the case after firing, and measurements of some of the other things said.

This is what I can see now that I know what to look for (thanks for the great INFO)..

Total COAL to Lands :3.397 Bullet over all coal 3.325, from the belt to the shoulder is 1.838 after fired, before 1.836 to 1.37 at most, but the main point I now looking at is the fine marks that go some all the way around the case to some only part way from 1.530 to just in front of the belted case.

I have to hold the cases just right in the light to see them, in bright sun they are all but un seeable..

I need to find out if the chamber has been polished, I didn't think it was from over load or too hot cause even light loads stuck but not as much..

I came to this site for advice after reading other posts and seeing the wealth of the others on here..

I wish I could get a picture of the cases or know how to post them will let you know if it is or not the chamber...

thanks again to all..
 
I vote for a rough or "ringed" chamber. If the bolt opens fairly easily but case doesn't extract, that's most likely cause.
 
Maybe went in with a reamer that was under size of the first reamer. Now have a "Bend" in the chamber. I dunno, it takes a heck of a lot of scratches to stop extraction. If you lift the bolt handle on most bolt actions, the extraction process has already started. That is what cams the case loose. (I know this from experience. When I was younger, I got the idea to remove the cam areas on a receiver-Long story). Anyway, you said the bolt handle lifts easily. What is up with that?
 
I'd take the gun back to the Smith and get him to have a good look. Something isn't right, and I'm thinking it might be the chamber. And maybe it's a combination of the chamber and over pressure.

I had a rifle rebarreled a short while back. I started load work ups and was getting pressure signs at the low end of the powder charge range. I've been reloading for decades and could not figure out the problem. Took it back to the Smith and discussed the problem. Turns out that he had given me a really tight match chamber. Really tight. He opened it up a bit and all is well.
 
After all the discussion we've had on this rifle, you are duty bound to eventually tell us what the problem was determined to be.
 
I started having the sticking when I was working out my load .
Click to expand...

I will assume while you were working 'UP' your loads you had cases that did not stick. I am the fan of 100% contact between the chamber and case. Just like new tires on a new highway. The new rough surface of the highway is going to add distance to my stopping ability. Then there is bolt lift most call bolt opening. Most bolts have a design camming action that pulls the case back as the bolt opens.

Because I want nothing between the chamber and case but air I do not have the problems created with lubed cases that slide and glide. But if I did I would clean the chamber by removing residual grease left by the slide and glide case forming.

What does that mean? Without the case locking to the chamber because of the lube when fired the case is allowed to form in both directions. I want my cases to lock onto the chamber. When my cases lock onto the chamber I control case stretch. My case stretch is confined to an area between the case head and case body. If I built the rifle the amount of stretch will be confined to (about) .003". I can maintain the same amount of stretch by measuring the length of the chamber from the shoulder to the bolt face and then sized cases to off set the length of the chamber.

And then there is the other scenario, this one just about drives the reloader to the curb. There are many times my cases do not stretch.

F. Guffey
 
I will let you all know what it was..

With out a light oil all cases would stick, some more then others..And I did clean the chamber many times, as well as the hole barrel all through the brake in..
 
I got it shooting.

It was not too hot, but the chamber had to be polished just a little..

Not sure if pictures can be posted or how..It shot a 3/4" group 5 shots at 200yards with my load..

Many thanks to all..

bassrods
 
Thanks for the feedback. We were all interested in the problem. Troubleshooting is enjoyable, particularly if it's someone else's trouble.
 
Bassrods, you wrote above:

"It was not too hot, but the chamber had to be polished just a little..
"

Your load with 4831 is way over maximum in the Hornady book and others.

It is hot, sticking and potentially dangerous!
 
Up date on my 7 mag..Just shot at 1,000 yards and had a 6.55" group in 5 mile hour wind with Night force scope in 15x55..
 
RCBS

Just a thought, are your dies correctly set?

Though the COAL measures within spec, improperly set dies will move the cartridge shoulder forward or back.

The "short" shoulder cartridge would easily drop into the chamber but after firing the cartridge can be caused to stick.
 
Let me see. The gunsmith "tightened the chamber" by setting the barrel back and rechambering. ("He took about 1/8" off the end of the threads and re chambered it, before that it was so long I would not reach the lands till the bullet was out of the case.")

And his reamer (or the chips) likely scored the chamber enough to cause hard extraction. You can try polishing the chamber and see if that helps.

Jim
 
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