Bulge on fired 30-06 casing?

[ChevyGuy7]

Hey i recently bought a 1903 springfield, high serial number safe to fire, got it checked out by a local gunsmith he said it was in good condition and safe to fire but just to check the first casing from the first round i fire to check if the primer was struck clean by the firing pin, and it was but i noticed on all of the spent casings there is a slight, and i mean slight, bulge about a quarter inch from the base. Is this something i should be worried about or is it normal? I figure it would be caused by to much head space but then wouldnt that mean the primer wouldnt have been struck clean? I will check with my gunsmith again as well just wanted to see if this is something you guys have noticed in other 03's?

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[Chuckindenver]

case squat is normal..if indeed he checked headspace correctly..you should be ok

[browningautorifle]

Chuck's a gunsmith so you can take that to the bank...

[ChevyGuy7]

Yeah i talked to my gunsmith again as well and he told me that its normal, just means i cant use the brass to reload.
Thanks for the reply's guys!!

[Patrick Chadwick]

its normal, just means i cant use the brass to reload.

A touch of explanation:
The slight bulge means that the case has expanded to fit the chamber of your rifle.
(BTW, try measuring the bulge diameter. You will probably find that the increase over a new case is smaller than your eyes tell you.)
Fully resizing the case thus means that the brass is being worked more than if there were no bulge.
So just neck-size the cases and you will have no problem if they are only used in your rifle.
And if you haven't (yet) got a necksizer, try simply backing off the normal sizer about half a turn. This leaves a small section at the bottom of the neck that has not been resized, and will actually help to center the necks when the reloads are chambered.

[Chuckindenver]

why cant you reload the brass?, its done all the time.. iv been reloading brass shot in a 1903 for years.

[browningautorifle]

I agree, I reloaded all my milsurp brass. It lasted just fine.

[WarPig1976]

I think you misunderstood your Smith, restuff those bad boys an send 'em...

[ChevyGuy7]

Well my smith may have misunderstood me, he may have thought the bulge was bigger than i explained. I never actually showed him a spent casing in person.....

[Johnny Peppers]

The cartridge case must be smaller than the chamber, and allowances must be made for millions of different chambers. Upon firing the case swells out and seals the chamber. After firing the case contracts somewhat, but in the area of the thick web of the cartridge it is noticeable where the case expanded above the web of the case that did not expand. As the others have mentioned, nothing wrong with reloading the brass.