15 thou. headspace on M1917... what to do?

[CouldBeWorse]

If I neck-size only, should I trim to a non-standard length? In 3 firings, cases have stretched beyond max length.

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[Patrick Chadwick]

In 3 firings, cases have stretched beyond max length.

Sounds like you really have got a rifle with a larger than specified headspace.
But if you were a reloader for original blackpowder cartridge rifles, you would be used to the idea that every rifle has to be treated as an individual. Especially if you want to get the best performance out of it.

But a case that becomes so long that it jams up at the mouth is bad, because this causes extra pressure by hindering the expansion of the mouth and the release of the bullet. - If you force in a slightly overlong case, the mouth will be crimped! So I would trim the cases to the standard length. Once you necksize they will grow very little. I have lost count of the number of times I have reloaded my match set of Geco cases (cases from the same lot, weight matched to within 1 grain), but it could well be into double figures, and only now are some reaching the maximum length. Good cases will last so long with necksizing that there is little point in keeping count. Just retire the whole set if any splits occur (I have never had one with my 30-06 cases).

[jmoore]

In 3 firings, cases have stretched beyond max length.

That's not normal.

Are you lubing the insides of the necks to ease expander ball pull out?

[fguffey]

.015"? I have an Eddystone with a chamber that is .016" longer than a minimum length, full length sized, new factory loaded round, My chamber is longer by .016" than new (SAMMI) ammo. In the perfect world one school of thought says my chamber should be .005" longer than a minimum length sized case, that would make my chamber go-gage length and my new ammo minimum length, problem for everyone else, not me.

I am a case former, I am not a fire to former, I form first then fire, I am the fan of cutting down on all that case travel.

My favorite case is the 280 Remington, the 280 Remington is longer than the 30/06 from the head of the case to the shoulder of the case by .051", By adjusting my sizing die off the shell holder .014" I can off set the length of my chamber with the length of the case. I have sizing dies, I have forming die, the forming die is the best choice to start with, then finish with the sizing die. again, I adjust the die off the shell holder by setting the die gap with a feeler gage, after sizing I chamber the formed case to determining if the case will chamber.

I do not secure the lock ring to the die, I secure the die to the press with the lock ring.

The P14 and M1917 has a unique design, a go, no or beyond gage is not necessary when I determine the length of the chamber from the bolt face to the shoulder of the chamber, a smith at the Utah Arsenal took a lot of flack from other smiths, he did not use the go-gage, he did not use the no go-gage. I do not use any of the three.

When forming 280 Remington cases the reloader with a good understanding of the incline plain has 51 options from .000 off the shell holder to .051" off the shell holder, with 51 choices I can not see how they can miss.

I am the fan of forming cases from new/unfired brass, I have no problem using fired brass for determining the length of the chamber.

F. Guffey