303 British SMLE Cases |
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Ranch Dog
Groupie Joined: February 21 2018 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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Posted: September 09 2018 at 7:27am |
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When shot from your SMLE, do your cases look like those in the image?
Both my SMLE's produce the same results as pictured. I'm in the process of special ordering a custom die from Lee Precision to address the "blow out" in the neck area so that my case shoulders aren't worked everytime they cycle through a full-length sizing die. I'm considering ordering 25 dies vs paying the setup fee of $150. If I did this, the cost of the order would be $21 a die and I would probably sell the rest through eBay or other sources. |
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Yup, perfectly normal on some L-E's. That's the "generous" chamber they were famous for.
What
I do is to back off the F/L sizing die a little so they don't
constantly push & blow the shoulder out wrecking the brass. All the gruesome details here: That (Partial full length resizing) is my preferred technique. |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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SW28fan
Special Member Donating Member Joined: July 02 2007 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 2951 |
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Why not just neck size?
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Have a Nice Day
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Stanforth
Senior Member Joined: January 08 2017 Location: Oxford England Status: Offline Points: 773 |
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If you are only using one rifle, the fired case is NOW correctly sized to your chamber. Back off the sizing die so that you just size the neck. You will then have cases that are far better suited to that particular rifle than factory cares.
In my .303 rifles (SMLE III and No.4 1*) the chambers are quite different so I keep the cartridge cases separated.
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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.
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Ranch Dog
Groupie Joined: February 21 2018 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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Thanks for the reference Shamu! Got it done. In the image, you can see the start of the thin "bright" line on my smoked case. Used about six cases just to make sure I had the die setup. With the Lee Pacesetter die, it ended up being half a turn off she!! holder contact (.0355").
Well, turned to the Lee Collet die for that but it is a true neck sizing die and I could not chamber the rounds as the case's web made chamber contact. Back to the bench and range.
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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Ranch Dog,buy one of these,it is RCBS. Follow the set up directions and you're good to go...
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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I actually just purchased that very same die! And have been keeping my new (well, once fired now) PPU brass in specific containers to that specific rifle!
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Ranch Dog
Groupie Joined: February 21 2018 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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I appreciate the suggestion, but if it is a true neck size die without body contact, I'm not sure it is going to solve the issue I'm having. As I noted above, I have the Lee Collet Die, and it does a great job on the neck and makes no other contact below the shoulder. What is preventing me from using the Collet die is I'm unable to chamber the brass. I need a bit of sizing somewhere aft of the shoulder and .035" above the base of the cartridge. The .035" comes from the full-length Pacesetter die being one turn off the she!! holder. That is the math of the thread pitch and verified with a gap gauge. I'm kind of curious if I will be able to use the Collet die after the next round on the brass. The fit issue might be some effect from the aggressive fireforming that takes place. I use the Collet dies with bolt guns chambered in 30-30 Win, 300 Sav, 308 Win, 7.62x39, and 35 Rem.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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There are 2 reasons why I don't just neck size. 1: You eventually have to F/L resize anyway as the body expands a tad every time its fired. Consistency being everything in reloading I prefer to not suddenly swap back to a F/L resize periodically. 2: by just backing the shoulder of a hair the round chambers more easily. RANCH DOG You might want to bring your resize die down a hair, the shoulder "ring" should just completely encircle the shoulder.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Ranch Dog
Groupie Joined: February 21 2018 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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I understand that. With the 300 Sav, 308 Win, and 35 Rem; I never return to the full-length die before the case necks need to be retired (tossed). The 30-30 Win is just like the 303 Brit, very similar cartridges and bolt, so it will be worth the fine adjustment on the sizing die. Have levergun 30-30 Win AI that I will do this same adjustment with.
Okay, thanks, I see what you are saying. Probably just another 1/16 or 1/8 of a turn.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Sounds good, sneak up on it don't overshoot it. |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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