5.7 Johnson cases????

[abunaitoo]

I've been helping a friend get his Johnson carbine shooting.
I'm forming cases out of range find 30 Carbine brass.
I've had a few cases blow just above the base.
Graf list 5.7 Johnson cases.
Question is....
Is there any difference between the Graf and reformed 30 Carbine brass????
Any thing I can use to form cases, that might have stronger cases????

[Blackwater]

Don't know about the Graf's brass, but the separation just above the head tends, I think, to indicate your sizer die is set down too low, and is pushing the shoulder back too far. Then, when fired, the shoulder blows forward, and the place where stretching occurs is just above the base, and that's where it cracks.

The way to adjust your die is to screw it down all the way onto the shell holder, then back it off at least a turn or two. Then, get your gun, making sure it's unloaded, and size a fired case. Then see if it'll fit into the chamber and the bolt close on it. If it does, back it out more, and then try again with a different fired case. That one shouldn't fit and allow the bolt to close fully. That's good. Now, you just screw the die down in small increments (1/8 turn at most) and keep trying until it just fits and allows the bolt to close fully. You'll then have your die adjusted for THAT rifle and its headspace. I've heard of some of those conversions having excess headspace, but have only heard that, and have no direct experience with it. Have always thought that little carbine would be a really fun gun, and not unuseful in my neck of the woods. Who wouldn't like that sweet little lightwt. carbine?

Hope this helps?

[abunaitoo]

This is a semi auto, so full size is what I've heard is required.
Could be the dies.
The set I have is one that someone made out of a RCBS .223 die set.
5.7 Johnson dies are hard to come by used.

That's how I adjusted the shells for head space.
I've read that, sometimes, these rifles had a head space problem.
This one is not to bad.