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Thread: 43 spanish delimma

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    43 spanish delimma

    Last week went to the range with 2 of my 43 Spanish Rifle. PeabodyModel 1874? and my Remington Lee M 1882
    I have shot both before with Reclaimed Original cases Remington Berdan primed . Over the winter I broke down and Purchased 50 Case Of Bertram . New .. Loadeded Both Lots 40GN / IMR3031 with Paper wad and reclaimed Remington lead boolits.
    The rem Case I primed with 6.45 MM rws berdan primer
    Bertram were CCI Large rifle, all new primers
    Every one of The rem Cases went Off . while Non of the Bertram cases fired. In both Rifles.
    the primer strike was very strong On the Remington Cases. while the strike was very week on the bertram. Since Both these Headspace On the Rim. The bertram Brass was quite different on Visual inspection.
    anyone else have had this problem
    Enclosed Photo's of Both rifles
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  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    Saw 43 Spanish as the topic and assumed you had a 1879 Argentine Remington Rolling Block. I've owned one of these since the later 60s. All I can say is compare the rim thickness of your two brands of brass. Last time I bought any 43 Spanish brass was about 10 years ago and found some at what I recall was a place called Cry of the Wolf in Minnosota? They claimed to make their brass based on their study of what should be the correct thickness of rim....that other brass was not right. Anyway, never had a problem with their brass, but kinda disagreed with their claim on rim thickness.

    Not anything I recommend, but you might be able to use 43 mauser brass (for 1871 German rifle) in your 43 Spanish. Least ways I could in my rolling block 43 Spanish after trimming back the neck about an 1/8 inch. Their is a difference in the location of the shoulder of brass, with Mauser 43 being a little lower than a 43 Spanish, but shooting the brass fire formed shoulder to correct height.

    Always used regular boxer primers in my 43 Spanish brass.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Is boxer primer on the bertram seat to the bottom of the primer pocket?
    if not, the FP hit may merely be pushing the primer in more
    because the primer has some room to move deeper.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    The primer On the Bertram was seated to the bottom. .
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    My Peabody shoots the Bertram brass with no problems. Other than split cases and the usual Bertram problems.

    How deep is your rim seat in the chamber? Some of the old folded-head ammunition had pretty "thick" rims, which would easily crush down because they were hollow. The solid rims of the semi balloon and solid head could be a little thinner.

    You might try seating your bullets out a little, for a slight crush fit in the chamber. That should keep the primers against the breech block when the action is closed. The firing pin should then reach deep enough to fire the primer.

  6. #6
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    I didn't have that problem with the 12.7 x 44 Bertram brass I bought for my Swede roller but, I had to file the bases on about two-thirds of them to be able to close the action enough to let the hammer down.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    To add more to the confusion. Today I took my Argentina Carbine M 1879. with the same Bertram cases loaded from Before
    . all Loaded and Fired Fine
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Perhaps its a case of firing pin tip geometry.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    PS to the above.

    I've read that the Lee bolt action rifles supplied to Australia long before the Lee Enfield was adopted were sent back due to misfires and other problems which were later found to be due to defects in the ammunition supplied with these rifles.

    If head space is in limits and rims not too thin then firing pin protrusion is the next thing to check. Hard primers are a possibility.

    If the diameter of a primer is reduced in size it takes slightly more impact to produce the same indentation if the primer cup is of the same thickness.

    I've had problems with an Officers Model Target getting incomplete ignition when the LGS ran out of pistol primers and I substituted Small Rifle primers.

    A firing pin strike that is fine for a large diameter fairly soft primer is not so good if a harder or smaller diameter primer is used.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    To fireform a case that is "to" short for an action that headspaces on the rim i do this:
    Add an O-ring of proper size right in front of the rim. That will hold it back against the boltface instead of "sinking" down the chamber. Now the shoulder is fireformed to the rifle and need only a necksizing to hold the bullet.
    You only need the O-ring the first time after that the shoulder has moved forwards to fill the chamber and take up headspace.


  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I have tried Your Method and That works. But Currently i do not Or find an O- ring That will close The Chamber
    Quote Originally Posted by 17nut View Post
    To fireform a case that is "to" short for an action that headspaces on the rim i do this:
    Add an O-ring of proper size right in front of the rim. That will hold it back against the boltface instead of "sinking" down the chamber. Now the shoulder is fireformed to the rifle and need only a necksizing to hold the bullet.
    You only need the O-ring the first time after that the shoulder has moved forwards to fill the chamber and take up headspace.

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  12. #12
    In Remembrance



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    If you can't find an "O" ring the right size to hole the case against the breech block, try seating a bullet way out so you experience difficulty in closing the breech. As you close the breech against the resistance of seating the bullet more deeply, it holds the case head against the bolt face and allows the shoulder to blow forward and set the headspace.

  13. #13
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    ...........I to have a 1879 Remington Argentine contract rifle in 43 Remington Spanish. Never had a problem with failures to fire, and per your post, neither did you with yours. The idea of the rubber 'O' ring is sound, as was the suggestion to seat a slug out far enough to engage the rifling. Don't know how your Peabody and Lee is chambered but my Remington has a very long throat.



    The above photo shows the length from case mouth to the beginning of the bore.



    Dan @ Mountain Moulds designed the slug on the left in an attempt to reach across the throat. The right photo shows that it just barely makes it . The only other option I can think of for your other 2 rifles is to have a brass washer made up. One that has a large enough ID that a fired (expanded case) won't bind and pull it out, and large enough in OD to solidly seat (good press fit) in the rim recess of the chamber.

    ................Buckshot
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check