17 Rem FB brass Problem

[john300exc]

I do not understand the behavior of my reloaded 17 FB brass from a Rem. SPS rifle. I also reload for 9 other cartidges and when trying for accuracy my procedure is to neck resize only. When I try this on the 17FB, I generally cannot close the bolt. If the case will chamber and fire, the bolt often leaves the case in the chamber. If the bolt holds on to the case I will need to knock out the case with a cleaning rod. The case lengths are in spec. I find that I need to full length resize every case after every firing. Also a resized case that chambered and fired normally cannot be reinserted into the chamber and have the bolt close on it. My loads are at the lower end of recommended powder volumes and lower than recipes recommended on this board. Is there something wrong with the chamber of this rifle or am I doing something wrong?

[Chickenthief]

Oval chamber or something like that.

If you want to try necksizing only then try indexing 10 cases and see how it goes.
Give them a dot with a permanent marker and make a dot on top ot the chamber edge.
Now the "void"/bulge in the chamber and on the case will lign up next time you shoot.

[john300exc]

Thanks for the tips. I have to full length resize every case now. I am assuming that I am bumping back the neck when doing so. I talked to the RCBS experts about this problem and they advised me to be sure to over-cam the loading handle when resizing. The last time I shot this rifle, my reloads chambered without resistance and extracted normally. I wanted to check the trigger pull after shooting so I inserted a freshly fired case back into the chamber. I could not close the bolt on this case which stuck and had to knock it out with my cleaning rod to free the bolt. I just have never had a rifle act like this before.

[Daryl]

Originally Posted by john300exc

I wanted to check the trigger pull after shooting so I inserted a freshly fired case back into the chamber. I could not close the bolt on this case which stuck and had to knock it out with my cleaning rod to free the bolt. I just have never had a rifle act like this before.

THIS is typically due to an oval chamber, just as Chickentheif noted.

[john300exc]

I will try to index cases; great idea which I did not know about!

[Hog Patrol]

I've owned three .17FBs and now down to two. The factory barrel chambers were WAY oversize/off center/throated too long and eventually went the "for sale CHEAP" route. Like you, I tried neck sizing and it didn't work. My advice is throw that barrel on the burn pile and buy a Lilja, PacNor or Shilen in a contour you can live with. You will never stop fighting that factory barrel. IMHO, they are JUNK.

[john300exc]

Hog Patrol, we're they Remingtons?

[Hog Patrol]

Originally Posted by john300exc

Hog Patrol, we're they Remingtons?

Yes, stock Remingtons. They now are custom barrels chambered with a zero freebore PT&G reamer.

[218bee]

Are you sure your extractor isn't causing your problems? Do your case rims look shredded?

[Bill K]

Might I suggest, sooting/black a fired case that will not re-chamber. Then lightly lube it and if the chamber is oval, as some have said, you will see where it is off in running it into the FL die. Bill K