Norwegian Krag hard to eject fired casing….

[Dante]

I do appreciate all of the input here from other members. I have not fired factory rounds in it yet as I was informed not to. Apparently factory cartridges give too much pressure for the Krag action. This morning I used steel wool on my dowel and spun that in the chamber as well as another spin with fine emery cloth. I then cleaned everything up. I loaded the three spent casing from yesterday going with 120 grain jacketed and 16 grains of 2400. At my range I oiled the first. It ejected with only a minor bump to the bolt so I ran the second with oil and had to bump it so, not wanting another extreme extraction I also oiled the last. All were about the same making me shy of trying stronger loads without the oil treatment.
Next I placed three layers of scotch tape on the head of an unfired factory cartridge and found the bolt did not want to close so I expect the head space is OK? I am running out of gas here! Dave

[LAGS]

I take it that since you tried the three layers of Scotch tape to check headspacing , did to see if it closed on two layers ? Or even one layer.
Three layers should be about .009"
That is .001" over Max headspacing.
But if the bolt won't close with minimum pressure.
That means the headspacing is Safe.
But that is still at the Max.
If it closes with one layer on , but won't close with two layers on , I would think that is way better.
And even better if it closes on the new case, but not with One layer of tape on the case.
Now,
How is the bore ?
Have you Slugged it to find out the true rifling size.
That could effect the chamber pressure if rough or is too tight for the bullets you are using.
If you are shooting jacketed bullets,
The bore rifling size should be very close to the jacketed bullets size.
Cast slugs should be about .001 or .002 larger than good rifling dimensions.
Another thing that I have found that makes the bolt opening hard is Set Back or Dents in the area of the bolt lugs on the receiver.
Mauser 93s are known for that.
The recess in the receiver can show that the headspacing is good because the bolt will not close just before the bolt rotates to the recessed area on the receiver.
But when the cartridge is firing.
The bolt is closed over that dimple.
That then let's the case stretch a little more.
Then it is having to compress the shoulder of the case when the bolt is open.
There are many things that can cause the issues you are having.

[TD1886]

I take it that since you tried the three layers of Scotch tape to check headspacing , did to see if it closed on two layers ? Or even one layer.
Three layers should be about .009"
That is .001" over Max headspacing.
But if the bolt won't close with minimum pressure.
That means the headspacing is Safe.
But that is still at the Max.
If it closes with one layer on , but won't close with two layers on , I would think that is way better.
And even better if it closes on the new case, but not with One layer of tape on the case.
Now,
How is the bore ?
Have you Slugged it to find out the true rifling size.
That could effect the chamber pressure if rough or is too tight for the bullets you are using.
If you are shooting jacketed bullets,
The bore rifling size should be very close to the jacketed bullets size.
Cast slugs should be about .001 or .002 larger than good rifling dimensions.

If you're shooting lubed cast shoot them as fat as they will chamber. If PC size to throat size.

Heres something you can do Dante. If you have another caliber like 30-06 or 308 you could bump up the neck of one of your fired cases. Just as long as the bump includes the base of the neck. Then I want you to lube and size it in your 6.5 die, but firt screw the die out some from where you have it set. What we have here is a larger false shoulder so size the case down and then try it in your rifle. The bolt shouldn't close. Then turn your sizer die in, in small increments and size it again. Again try it in the rifle. What we want is the bolt to barey close with moderate pressure. When it does that, that about zero headspace. Next compare that case with another fired case you didn't size or do anything to. Put them on a flat surface and eyeball they good. Especially the case wall shoulder junction. We'd like to see them the same, but I feel the expanded neck sized case is going to be a tad higher. I hope not.

As far as what power range to load for your 6.5 Krag I definitely wouldn't load for the Swedish Mauser 6.5x55. I don't believe I would shoot 6.5 factory Swede loads in it either. Your Krag only has one lug and the Mauser is much stronger with two lugs.

[Dante]

I have not slugged the bore. I do have cast here to try from a Lyman 266469 mould. They are lubed and gas checked. The rifle is accurate. Lots of rifling and somewhat dark in the grooves. I may be on hold for a bit as we have family coming tomorrow for three weeks. Cast bullets are 266.5 Shoulder diameter….factory 433.5 …..FL resized 439.5 ….fired 440.0
Case diameter half way base to shoulder factory 454.5, FL resized 459.5, fired 460.0. Case length factory 2.16, FL sized 2.156, fired 2.162.
Dave

[LAGS]

Have fun with the family.
As you can see , We will still be here to help you when you get back to your project.

[Dante]

Thanks so much. I love the rifle. I love the calibre. I hate the problem. I will be back. Dave

[uscra112]

Firt off the pound cast doesn't do the chamber. It does from the neck forward.

Why did you suggest it then?

[TD1886]

Why did you suggest it then?

Because I wasn't thinking! LOL While we are on this the OP has never said anything about any kind of marks or marking on the fired cases. He has polished the chamber two times that I know of. He also doesn't have too much of an extraction problem when he oils the cases. The only reason I wanted him to try oiled case was to see of the primer would remain flush in the case after firing and also to get the whole case to obturate to the chamber. I think that it accomplished that. He hasn't said anything about viewing anything in the chamber nor any markings on the brass. I'm afraid, and I hope this isn't the case, that perhaps he may have a swelled chamber. What do you think?

[LAGS]

There could be a swelled chamber.
That is why I suggested doing a chamber Casting.
I had a Krag years ago that did the same thing.
It was discovered that it had a receiver that was tweeked.
So it would bind on the bolt after firing.
But that was EVERY round.
It probably got tweeked when someone replaced the barrel.
Or only having one Lug on the bolt might have caused issues if too high of pressure round was fired.
But the rifle I had was not Norwegian like the one he has.
Mine was a 30/40 and rebuilt before I ended up with it.

[uscra112]

"Another thing that I have found that makes the bolt opening hard is Set Back or Dents in the area of the bolt lugs on the receiver."

Good possibility. Not a lot you can do about it, either.

[TD1886]

"Another thing that I have found that makes the bolt opening hard is Set Back or Dents in the area of the bolt lugs on the receiver."

Good possibility. Not a lot you can do about it, either.

That's certainly true, but why would oiling the case body lightly make it much easier? Without the oiling it's sound like the case is very difficult to extract. Another, now that I think of it, is it the opening of the bolt the hard part or it the actual extraction of the case? On the Krag type actions you can see that single lug and where it goes.

[uscra112]

Yah, oiling the case should make it worse.

I'm still hoping he'll ink up a case or two as I suggested earlier. Extracting those will tell us where it's sticking.

[TD1886]

Yah, oiling the case should make it worse.

I'm still hoping he'll ink up a case or two as I suggested earlier. Extracting those will tell us where it's sticking.

I believe he posted the oiled cases extracted easier. That action you picture what is it?

[uscra112]

That action you picture what is it?

Don't know. Plucked the pic off the Innertubes many moons ago.

[TD1886]

Don't know. Plucked the pic off the Innertubes many moons ago.

LOL okay, thanks

[Dante]

It has zero to do with the single lug on the bolt. The bolt handle moves easily at first with the lug coming out just fine but as soon as the bolt is in extraction mode it becomes difficult. If there was a swell in the chamber would I not see markings on the casing? I will try the trick of using marker to coat a casing and the fore it and extract. That may show. Dave

[uscra112]

It has zero to do with the single lug on the bolt. The bolt handle moves easily at first with the lug coming out just fine but as soon as the bolt is in extraction mode it becomes difficult. If there was a swell in the chamber would I not see markings on the casing? I will try the trick of using marker to coat a casing and the fire it and extract. That may show. Dave

OK, got that out of the way. Let us know that the ink test shows if anything. Do it more than once.

[7br]

Can you post pictures of oiled fired cases and unoiled fired cases?

I have never dealt with a ringed or bulged chamber, but I could see where they could be the issue. The oil could flow to the fat part of the chamber and keep the cases from expanding into them.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

[TD1886]

OK, got that out of the way. Let us know that the ink test shows if anything. Do it more than once.

Great, now we're getting somewhere I hope. Another question that popped into my head is do fired case fit back in to the chamber easy? If you turn them and put them in that isn't the same position they were in the chamber when you fired them?

[Dutchman]

Don't know. Plucked the pic off the Innertubes many moons ago.

Photo is mine. Showing the m/1895 Chilean Mauser.

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/1895Chile.html

Dutch