Annoying issue/Screwed Up Bigtime

[Jasonacer]

Tested varget up to 20.5-21.0 grains. Was cycling my Sig 516 well, no problems. That was last summer. NOW, no cycling, boolits stuck in chamber, aaaarrrggghhhhh. Loading singles at home, I can chamber and eject most of them easily. Some still stick, though. Especially coming out of pmags. Ramps look ok. All measurements within spec. Cartridge overall length, COL, boolit diameter, neck, shoulder and base. Boolit from NOE 225-70-RN. Water quenched, linotype. Frustrated, do I just ditch 1000+ reloads cause the powder isn't 23.5 (Lyman rec. starting load)? And why did it run perfectly last year and horrific this year? TIA.

[osteodoc08]

When was the last time you used a proper chamber brush to clean the chamber area? Is there rifling marked on the boolit? Is it getting stuck in the throat? Did your seating die come loose while loading?

[bedbugbilly]

+1 ^ ^ ^ ^

Check what osteodoc08 says . . . . eliminate each possibility at a time. Easy enough to cycle and see if you are getting rifling marks on the boolit . . . take a black felt pen an coat the heck area an cycle . . . if there is binding someplace, it should show .. . . and above all .. . make sure you have the right cartridges for the right gun .. . :-)

[Outer Rondacker]

Jasonacer welcome to the forum. How did you lube the bullets? Sounds like the cases could be a bit long. Osteodoc08 has good tips to check.

[Sweetpea]

Are these rounds from the same loading session, or from another time, when the scale may have been read differently?

[crowbuster]

Maybe a bit long as stated or not enough neck tension. As stated, same loading session or a yr apart? Need more info, these fellas will help you !

[Thumbcocker]

Does lino swell as it ages?

[Jasonacer]

Good idea on the brush cleaning, though haven't put many rounds thru her over the winter. The rounds were all made within a few days of each other, maybe a week. There are shiny flatter spots on the tips of the boolit, but the cartridge overall length is 2.25 in. Perhaps due to round nose, it's grabbing the tip at the lands? Thanks for the welcome, by the way. It is possible that my seating die moved, but wouldn't that result in different length boolits? Mine are all within 2 mm variance. For lube, I primarily used one shot case lube and for a few of the i used unique. The cases themselves COL is 45mm. Virtually no changed or variance in the, as they are all measured, trimmed, deburr ed, and camfered (sp?). When reloading them, I would spot check the powder every 50-75 rnds. It's possible the scale read wrong but I pulled ammo from the beginning of the run and from the end of it and the powder was within 0.1 grains of each other. Thanks for the questions and ideas. Going to clean and brush the weap and try single shots here in a few minutes. More to come.

[Jasonacer]

Well, problem is over. I'm not saying this is what happened, cause if it did. . . Wow, would THAT be embarassing . . .
Say, though, by chance, you had taken the gas pressure switch out and cleaned it and lovingly returned it to its rightful place. Offhandedly, you MAY have set the switch to the "off" position. Could be done by anyone, it's only about a 1/4 inch turn. Again, not sayin I did or anything, cause that would be a real embarassing moment.
But I cleaned the barrel with the wire brush and she operated like the dream she was last year.
Thanks to all for the great suggestions.

[nicholst55]

Well, problem is over. I'm not saying this is what happened, cause if it did. . . Wow, would THAT be embarassing . . .
Say, though, by chance, you had taken the gas pressure switch out and cleaned it and lovingly returned it to its rightful place. Offhandedly, you MAY have set the switch to the "off" position. Could be done by anyone, it's only about a 1/4 inch turn. Again, not sayin I did or anything, cause that would be a real embarassing moment.
But I cleaned the barrel with the wire brush and she operated like the dream she was last year.
Thanks to all for the great suggestions.

We've all had those moments...

[osteodoc08]

Glad you got it figured out. I’ve got a 516 and 716 and have run both in the off position but it didn’t affect loading of the round. Whatever it was I’m glad you got it figured out.

Someone asked about Lino swelling. It’s been told that lead does change a little after sizing and lubing but I’ve never experienced it myself. How many of our folks on here have loaded lead ammo 50-60 years old without issue?