Can U figure this one out?

[CoyoteHunter]

Rifle: Rem. 700 - 338 mag.
Problem - Once fired factory brass will not fit back into chamber and be able to close the bolt!

I was helping a friend trying to figure out this problem. I checked headspace and it was good. I resized the casing down as far as the die could go - still not work! I thought maybe a small base die might help, nope.

I did find out what the problem was after I took it to our local gun shop.

So lets see if anyone here can find the answer. I will come back later and see if anyone got the answer.

 

[Renton Indian]

OAL
Every swinging richard should own a Hornady Chamber length tool.
There is one for semis and one for bolts. You can use the semi one in some bolts, but not the other way around.
You get a special case that is your caliber. That case is trimmed to SAMMI spec.
It will fit into your chamber. See how much longer you necks are on the once fired.
Trim baby, trim them cases down.

Remember you have over all case length & Over all round length.
Both must be within spec of your chamber.

 

[Karate_kid]

Did you check whether the rifle has a chamber designed specifically for magnum-length brass? Sometimes even properly resized factory cases still won't chamber if the rifle's throat or freebore is slightly tight.

 

[CoyoteHunter]

Did you check whether the rifle has a chamber designed specifically for magnum-length brass? Sometimes even properly resized factory cases still won't chamber if the rifle's throat or freebore is slightly tight.

The rifle is a factory 700 BDL 338 mag., there have been several boxes of factory ammo shot through the gun. Once a shell has been shot and the fired casing put back into the chamber - then the bolt will not close.
The problem is not in the throat or case length.

 

[Renton Indian]

Factory ammo is set to a generous slack between the end of the pill and the chamber throat.
The cases are cut as short as they can be, they will stretch when fired.
Thats why you have to trim them to the proper length, or they may not fit in the chamber.

So you get the tool listed above and you measure your chamber, then you can trim your cases to your chamber's size.

 

[CoyoteHunter]

So you get the tool listed above and you measure your chamber, then you can trim your cases to your chamber's size.

Like I said above, "it's not a problem with the C.O.L. or head space".
In my first post, "I said I took it to a gunsmith and he figured the problem out".

 

[CoyoteHunter]

Well, I see there are 84 views and no correct answer yet.

So here is a clue: the problem was with the bolt.

 

[Renton Indian]

Well the rest of us are blind

 

[Rimfire Fanatic]

Like I said above, "it's not a problem with the C.O.L. or head space".
In my first post, "I said I took it to a gunsmith and he figured the problem out".

Is your primer sticking out?

 

[CoyoteHunter]

Is your primer sticking out?

No on the primer. The problem lies with the bolt.....

 

[CoyoteHunter]

OK - here is the answer: the extractor was "oversized" and would not allow the bolt to close on a once fired casing. The gunsmith replaced the extractor with a smaller size and no problems after that. He said somehow the wrong size extractor was inserted from the factory.

So, there you have it, keep this in mine in case you may come across something like this yourself.