Grrr, cut too deep

[gunguychuck]

Why do think you ruined the chamber. Just measure how much farther to screw the barrel in. Most prethreaded and chambered barrels come with a chamber .010 to deep. It is a simple matter to headspace the barrel to the action.

[bruce drake]

Well, I dusted off this project for a little bit last night with a little bit of Internet Research.

There is a 6.5-257AI Wildcat that would clean this chamber up and keep the cartridge length within the M48 action limits. I'll be renting the reamer sometime this week and we'll see what a few twists of the reamer does to clean up the chamber. I've got a ton of 30-06 and 8mm cases that I can reform to the cartridge as well. The cases will have to be fireformed with some Unique and some Lead Boolits to blow the shoulder out but it will get the barrel shooting again.

The RCBS dies new cost more than the barrel did so I'll use the reamer to also cut an old (spare) 6.5 Jap resizing die to match.

So... the NRA long range rifle project continues.

Bruce

[garandsrus]

Bruce,

Aren't the sizing dies hardened? If they are, I don't think a reamer will be able to cut it without first annealing the die.

John

[flounderman]

I have a 6.5-284 and I am going to have to break down the loaded cases I have and anneal them. necks are splitting and it's new brass. also 284 brass isn't that common compared to 243. I have hunted with a 260 with a model 7 barrel the last two years and I like the caliber.

[bruce drake]

Well, If it doesn't work I still have the 260 Rem sizing dies to seat the bullets.

Chucking dies in lathes to cut custom sizers has been done before so it should work. It will be the first thing I cut with the reamer and the company says they do it all the time when they do custom die sets.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

Here is a picture of a 6.5x257 Roberts cartridge and two of my fireformed and blown-out 260 Rem cases (note the cracks in the case body) compared to a standard 260 Rem cartridge (all are dummy rounds).

What I am planning to do is to make the chamber a 6.5x57AI which will blow the shoulder forward to the neck at a 40deg slope. This will basically take the 6.5x257 Roberts case with its sloping case taper and fireform the case into a straighter taper like the 260 Rem has while moving the chamber length forward 6mm.

I've ordered the reamer and with this short of a cut it will all be done by hand so the chance of my overcutting the chamber this time will be a lot slimmer (and I also will do it while wife and kids are away so I don't get distracted...)

Now for those reloading snobs who will look at the picture and say there are wrinkles in the shoulder of the 6.5x257R case, well you are right. I just lubed up the 8mm case and ran it up the 257 sizing die and then used a 260 Rem Sizing die to open the neck of the case up to allow a 140gr 6.5 bullet to be seated into the dummy round with a 260 Rem seater die.

After I recut the chamber, in the absence of the $140 RCBS dies from MidwayUSA, I will use the 260Rem Sizer to resize the neck of the parent 7mm Mauser case and then blow the shoulders forward with a fireforming charge and a 140gr lead boolit. After they are fireformed, I'll necksize them for all future reloads until I can get a Sizing die recut to match or have LEE make me a custom necksizing die set ($60 with a 2-6 month production time) off my fireformed dummy cases.

Well there are small steps but this rifle will get shooting again...

Bruce

[hickstick_10]

Bruce,

Aren't the sizing dies hardened? If they are, I don't think a reamer will be able to cut it without first annealing the die.

John

I was thinking the same, if they are your reamer will be ruined.

[bruce drake]

you guys are right on the reamer in the sizing die. I called PTG dies in OR and they confirmed that.

[Dark Helmet]

Which is, I beleive, done with a 6.5 Gibbs reamer run in short.
Shorten 6.5 Gibbs dies and you are done.

[bruce drake]

6.5 Gibbs -- That's about what the shoulder is supposed to look like. With the M48 Intermediate-length Action, I need to keep the cartridge length at 57mm or shorter for proper feeding from the magazine.

The reamer and headspace gauges should be in my mailbox by Monday so hopefully I'll cut the chamber by Tuesday and get some ammo loaded and shot by next weekend.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

The Reamer Rental Shop just called this evening and I'm on backorder. The previous renter jacked the reamer up by dropping it on a concrete floor and they have to make another one before I can cut the chamber.

So... the project continues but with a little delay.

Bruce

[Dark Helmet]

Look here for some Mini coop info-it's on the 6mm Rem. or 7x57 RWS case

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/e...2494#895102494

[bruce drake]

RCBS 6.5 Gibbs dies cost the same as the actual RCBS 6.5x257 AI dies.

Bruce

[Dark Helmet]

Hornady Custom Shop or a neck sizer only maybe? 6.5x257 dies would work if you didn't bump the shoulder, have seen them for sale used.

[leadman]

A couple of the companies sell blank dies. IIRC there was a blank die listed on the Midway site. I think there was an ad in the Handloader mag also.
You could call Lee and ask if they will sell you a blank.
Just looked in the Midway catalog and they list a Callahan do it yourself die blank with pilot hole for $24.99, without PH for $16.29. You can use the reamer on this. Part number for piloted 6.5 is 786-397. This is 7/8 thread to fit a reloading press.

[Mk42gunner]

The problem with using a chamber reamer to make a set of dies with is that the neck portion of the die will be the same size as the chamber; thus no resizing. I thought about this when I was making a 6mm-300WSM.

IIRC Roy Dunlap recommended using a roughing reamer to make dies with.

Robert

[bruce drake]

So you are saying that using a Chamber Reamer on a Die Blank effectively creates a Neck Sizing Die for once fired brass?

I haven't bought the blanks yet because I'm debating on just saving the money to buy the actual dies versus potentially buying several blanks before I successfully create one die...

Bruce

[Mk42gunner]

From the PTG website:

Chamber reamers are furnished in three basic sizes - Finish, resize, and rougher. Finish reamers are precisely ground to cut minimum size chambers and seating dies. Resize reamers are used as precise full length resizing die reamers and can double as precise roughers.

And if this works, here is the link: http://www.pacifictoolandgauge.com/r...2.htm#solidhss

Basically, what I was saying is that a finish chamber reamer will cut the same size chamber in a die as it does in the barrel, so it will not squeeze the brass down any. It would be just like rechambering a fired case in your rifle.

I really think the best and easiest way would be to just save the money and order a set of dies from CH4D, They list a 6.5-257 Improved 40 degree shoulder for $83.01. I do not know what their quality is like now, but I have a couple of sets of carbide pistol dies from them that are probably thirty years old and they work fine.

Robert

[bruce drake]

that price is about $40 dollars less than RCBS! And well within the operational budget of this project.

Bruce

[Dark Helmet]

Saw your mention of this project in another thread, how goes it?