6.5 Norwegian ??

It started when I was shooting three 6.5x55s, a Win featherweight, a Swedish 38, and a 1912 Norwegian Krag carbine. My reloads chambered and shot fine in the Winchester & the Swedish 38 but would not chamber in the Norwegian. I didn't do much about it except to size cases in two other die sets. They wouldn't chamber either even after polishing the chamber. The gun is so pristine I didn't want to bugger any screws removing the barreled action from the stock. That's where things remain. I just bought an old Easton seating die labeled 6.5 Norwegian and started wondering if the Norwegians specs were slightly different than the Swedes. I wish I could find an Easton full length sizer. I did a cerrosafe cast of the seater & the base is .495, shoulder is .446,and the neck is .303. This compares with a sized case: base .478, shoulder .441, & neck .299. From this it seems the 6.5 Norwegian is another name for 6.5x55 but until I can get a full length sizer I won't know for sure. If anyone here can shed a little light on it, please do.

Bob

Hnmmm.....I can't shed any light on it. I've got 6.5 mm Swedes and a 6.5 x 55mm Norwegian Krag, and both use the same ammo.

I believe your problem may lies in the sizes. Most books Group th 6.5x55 as one. In Howell's book Custom Cartridges he lists 3 different sizes for the 6.5x55MM.All Have a Different size From Rim to shoulder. He does not differentiate between Norway, Swedish or Mauser varieties
I am not saying That this is correct But that is what it Lists
Sal

You might ask RCBS.
About 30 or 35 years ago I ran across a a set of RCBS dies marked 6.5 DK. I wondered why they would be different than 6.5X55 Swede but at $50 they were too expensive for just curiosity to play with.

Have you considered doing a chamber cast?

Three44s

The OP said he did a cerrosafe cast.
Was the Casting complete enough to get a case length?
You might try removing the decap/expander rod out of your current size die. Back it out about a bit more than an1/8 inch.
Set a case on top of the shell holder. Run it up in the die. You will need a long punch to extract the case. Try to chamber the case in the rifle. If it doesn't chamber, adjust the die down in small increments till it does chamber.
If it does chamber back the die out till a case just chambers.
Then measure the case from base to shoulder and to base of neck.
This will give you something to compare to a case that functions in your other rifles.
You may find the dimensions of your tight chamber is too short to chamber other cases. If so you can carefully grind a shell holder shorter to let a case go farther up in the die you have or grind a bit off the die to let a stock shell holder push the case further up in the die.
I have a similar issue with the 250 Savage I put together. I screwed an ER Shaw barrel into a Savage II action. I didn't have a go/nogo gauge, so I used a 22-250 case. I put two layers of clear packing tape on the head of the case when I screwed the barrel in. When The barrel just touched the case I snugged up the barrel nut. I then torqued the barrel down tight.
After I got done I found some loaded 250 ammo. They chambered and shot fine. But when full length sized, nly about half would chamber. I got the head space a bit tight. I took a shell holder and using my diamond coated knife sharpener to grind off enough so the cases got sized enough so they chamber.
Worked for me.
If you do modify a die or shell holder plainly mark the shell holder or die. Don't want to push your shoulder back on cases for the other rifles.
Leo

Leo,

I read that he cast a die?

Best regards

Three44s

Hello midnight,

I had to measure my loads for my Swede, I came up with .473" base,
.433" shoulder, .293" neck, and case length of 2.16", this was unfired Remington Brass.
I have reloaded which measure .476" base, .434" shoulder, .293" neck, 2.164" length,
again Remington Brass but reloaded a few times with a set of Herter's full length dies.
I have specs of .477" base, .435" shoulder, .297" neck, and 2.165" case length.

Hope this helps, AntiqueSledMan.

American made brass is the wrong dimension size at the base. All of the metric brass made here suffers from this. Use PPU or S&B and you will be fine.

I added a comment, but it was about the wrong stuff.
Please disregard.

AntiqueSledMan.

I went back and reread the first post. I guess when I read cerrosafe cast I must have skipped over the part about the die. Just assumed he did the chamber.
I would suggest doing a cerrosafe chamber cast. Be sure it's done long enough to get a case length measurement. Then you can measure the rim, just ahead of the rim, head to shoulder and head to neck measurements as well.
That might be easier than trying to push a shoulder back as I mentioned before.
Leo

I have 100 6.5x55 PPU cases coming from Grafs. If they don't chamber I guess I'll have to remove the barreled action from the stock & do a chamber cast. With the use of clay dams I will be able to cast the throat & the whole chamber. With the action out of the stock I can warm the chamber a lot without the stock acting as an additional heat sink. A good smooth cast should result. Hopefully then I'll have answers. I still would like to find an Easton 6.5 Norwegian full length sizer.

Bob

Hey, I cross up my reading all the time. I missed the casting altogether until you brought it to my attention. Lol!

Best regards

Three44s