Problems with 25-35

[weasel 21]

I have a Win 94 in 25/35. I used 30/30 to make brass with 2 form dies from Redding. After forming I ran the brass thru Rcbs full length die & trimmed to minimum length. I then loaded w/ Trail boss powder & seated a 85 gr bullet. This was all within the max overall length. Today I went to the range to fire this gun & none of my rounds would fully chamber as the lever would not fully close to fire. The round is maybe 1/32 from fully chambered. I went home & ran the rounds thru the sizing die to see if I could bump them a little. Even brass without a bullet wont chamber. Help!

[RickinTN]

When you did your final sizing in the RCBS full length die did you have the die bumping the shellholder hard? Sometimes that last bit if sizing is needed. If you were, and they still won't chamber you may have to take a few thousandths off of the top of the shellholder so you can get the cases to size enough.
Good Luck,
Rick

[dtknowles]

Take one of the cases and blacken the outside of it. a black sharpie marker will work or one of the products machinists use or even soot from a candle flame. Chamber it as far as it will go, extract it and see where the marks are on the case. Then we can start to see what might the problem be. If the problem is the cases then there should be a mark.

Tim

[weasel 21]

Another thing I thought of,I have a Rcbs die with a Hornady shell holder. Does this matter?

[Reg]

Another thing I thought of,I have a Rcbs die with a Hornady shell holder. Does this matter?

It shouldn't. The industry standard for shell holder depth is .125 but that doesn't mean that good ol human error didn't inter in to it.

[texassako]

Check the neck while you are at it. Sometimes necking down makes the brass in the neck to thick. Was it new brass? Used brass may have had a little spring back to it unless you annealed it, moving the shoulder back up a bit.

[weasel 21]

I spoke with a tech at Redding who advised to turn the resizing die 1/2 turn farther in. Cases now chamber. Made up a dummy round - chambers fine. Thanks

[runfiverun]

if that didn't work.
grinding down the top of the shell holder is a lot easier than the bottom of the die.

[RickinTN]

if that didn't work.
grinding down the top of the shell holder is a lot easier than the bottom of the die.

Run,
I also learned long ago......always cut or grind on the least expensive part!:wink:
Rick

[beagle]

I've had that problem with .25/35 brass. Mine came from using fired .30/30 cases to form the brass. Evidently the brass swelled enough just in front of the rim when fired in a sloppy .30/30 chamber to keep a formed case from chambering. New brass or brass fired in this rifle worked fine. Mine was a newly cut chamber and probably to minimum specs.

I searched through my dies until I found a tight .32-40 sizing die that wouldn't take the once fired cases. Using an "anvil" (a blank shell holder) I pushed the lubed case into the tight die and sized it all the way to the rim. Then, I tapped the case out using a 1/4" rod. (Be sure and remove the decapping apparatus in the die before you do this so you'll have access for the 1/4" rod) The once fired cases then formed and chambered just fine. Sounds like you have a similar problem. In time, as my chamber wore in a bit, I had no more problems./beagle