What caused a ring of lead?

[elginrunner]

I had these fall out of my rifle after a hard to open bolt. No excessive pressure signs on primer. It's the 308-165-sil bullet in a 308. Neck sized only brass, the boolit is gas checked, and powder coated. OAL is 2.550, and the bolt closed easy. No shearing or damage of boolit while seating (that I could see). I sized to .309 with the lee sizer. Note: they did not all fall out at once, when the bolt was hard to open, I stood the rifle on it's butstock and the ring would fall out....

[JimB..]

Dumb question, was it clean when you started? Trying to determine if the material must have come from the current bullets.

Not that the response will give me any great insight, I haven’t a clue, but maybe it’ll trigger someone else.

[Bazoo]

Looks like brass shavings from a seating die.

[nvbirdman]

If the case was a little too short to reach the end of the chamber I think that could happen. Similar to firing a .38 spl. in a .357 mag. revolver.

[elginrunner]

Dumb question, was it clean when you started? Trying to determine if the material must have come from the current bullets.

Not that the response will give me any great insight, I haven’t a clue, but maybe it’ll trigger someone else.

I cleaned this gun thoroughly before I started. It's a krieger bbl, so not much is needed. I've never shot anything but jacketed bullets out of it before now, but all carbon and copper was removed... clean patches...

[elginrunner]

It's defenately lead... shaved lead with a bit of blue from the powder coat....

[Martin Luber]

Did it roll up on the case when you seated the bullet and was left behind in the chamber after firing?

I have had this experience.

[cwtebay]

Any chance these rings were on the cartridge (from the seating process) before you chambered them?

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[M-Tecs]

Looks like brass shavings from a seating die.

That would be my first guess also. The case mouth needs more of chamfer or bell. Or the crimp adjustment needs to be backed off or done separately without a seating stem

[charlie b]

That kind of thing happened to me with a 9mm. There was just a small amount of space between the throat and the cartridge case mouth. My take on it was the pressure was forcing the lead to fill that gap, which then sheared off the ring of lead. I also had a bit of powder coat on the lead rings, and also a bad case of leading in the barrel since the PC was gone from part of the bullet.

I'd take a chamber cast and consult with Doug Guy in here to see if his throating would fix the problem.

And, no, there was no lead ring on my loaded cartridges from the seating process.

[elginrunner]

no led ring on my brass prior. I belled the mouth of the case prior to seating....

[Bazoo]

What about a lead ring from seating gas checks? I've had partial rings like that from gas checks that were very tight to install.

[tomme boy]

The end of your chamber is causing it. It has a sharp edge on it.

[cwtebay]

The end of your chamber is causing it. It has a sharp edge on it.

I've thought about your point before. How do you prove that? If they pass.a.plunk test? And then, how do you remedy that?

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[rockshooter]

I have the same issue with a Ruger Blackhawk 10/40. The problem is most evident in the .40 cylinder. I suspect that the edge on which the case headspaces is slicing a little bit of lead and PC when the round is fired. With cleaned chambers, I can usually fire the first 6 rounds, and from then on the rounds no longer fit. After picking the little rings out of the chamber, I can fire 6 more rounds. I have fiddled with RN, TC, Keith SWC shapes, as well as different sizing. All works well with plated or FMJ bullets, but nothing cast. With the 10mm cylinder, I finally found a NOE WFN that works ok. An ongoing struggle. I also am considering contacting Doug Guy to see what he can do.
Loren

[tomme boy]

Run your brass as long as you can to fit in your chamber. Forget what the book tells you to trim to. You trim just under what your chamber measures.

What chamber do you have? I had a 308 bisley chamber in my shilen. Mine started out as a cast bullet shooter. You may have to go a little smaller if it is a tight free bore. Was it a regular 0.300"x0308" or was it a tightbore? If it is a 0.298"×0.3075"that may be your problem. You will need to need to talk to whoever made it to find out.

[elginrunner]

What about a lead ring from seating gas checks? I've had partial rings like that from gas checks that were very tight to install.

I installed checks before coating, and resized again after coating....

The chamber is a palma match chamber with a tight neck.... a regular 308 will not chamber. The neck has to be turned to fit....

[Wayne Smith]

It's probably a lack of a leade into the barrel, just a sharp edge instead of a moderate slant. Send Krieger the pics and ask them.

[Thumbcocker]

I have the same issue with a Ruger Blackhawk 10/40. The problem is most evident in the .40 cylinder. I suspect that the edge on which the case headspaces is slicing a little bit of lead and PC when the round is fired. With cleaned chambers, I can usually fire the first 6 rounds, and from then on the rounds no longer fit. After picking the little rings out of the chamber, I can fire 6 more rounds. I have fiddled with RN, TC, Keith SWC shapes, as well as different sizing. All works well with plated or FMJ bullets, but nothing cast. With the 10mm cylinder, I finally found a NOE WFN that works ok. An ongoing struggle. I also am considering contacting Doug Guy to see what he can do.
Loren

Had the same thing with 9mm cylinders. Doug fixed them right up.

[Tripplebeards]

I get the same type of lead rings, left from my PC boolits, in my cases at times. I would have never knew it was happening if I didn’t save my fired cases. I believe it’s from crimping to hard. All my boolits are GC’d that this happens to. I get them also when using my lee collet crimp die and I crimp folding my brass over the crimp groove loading Lyman devastators short to properly feed in my Ruger 77/44. I believe it shaves a ring of lead when the boolit releases and shaves it blowing out of the case. It does not lead my barrel, cause leading, or deter accuracy. I’ve shot sub MOA with my “shaved” loads. I just lighten my crimp a little and it seems to go away. I posted on it a few years back and it seems you and I aren’t the only ones that have the same experience.


Here is a 300 grain 45 colt boolit I pulled last year I crimped aggressively(to hard). The crimp folded over the crimp grove as you can plainly see and cut a ring in the boolit and scraped off the PC in the process. Imo when it releases with a crimp like this I’m guessing it scrapes a lead ring off.




I always wondered if my “soft” lead boolits were getting scraped down when resizing during the firing process. Either way it doesn’t lead my barrel or deter accuracy. I always worry about lead shavings getting stuck in my action causing misfires or cycling issues. I believe most of the shavings blow out when cycling.



I use to wonder if they were getting shaved from seating, and, or releasing crooked? I had an old post years back if you can find it with photos similar to yours.