Trimming cases with seated primers

Fabnosh

Well-Known Member
Hi all

...and a very Happy New Year

Ok, I'm feeling a bit daft here so here goes.

I tend to make a habit of cleaning, sizing (neck only as fire formed to the chamber) and priming cases - in this instance .243 - when I have a batch size worth doing so that should I need to load some up I have them all ready for whatever load/bullet combination I need.

Here is the issue. I've just had my .243 re-barrelled and the neck sized, primed cases are marginally over length for the new chamber. New unfired cases are fine but clearly my old barrel was slightly different.

Given that the brass is Lapua I'd rather not discard it. So I'm wondering what options I have. Perhaps:

1. Ask all my .243 shooting friends to see if they can chamber the cases and, if yes, fire them and then I'll FL resize and trim to spec.
2. Discard safely and put this one down to experience (stupidity).
3. Await the wisdom of the SD to provide the answer.

I'm sure at huge expense I could get a chucked case trimmer but frankly, as we're talking about 50ish cases, it just isn't worth it.

Any suggestion gratefully received.

Thanks

FN
 
Hi FN , I may be having the same problem soon but the cases are fully loaded and ready to use (change of .243) my suggestion is to just full length size them (carefully as they are live primed) then trim to correct case length etc as normal, this will remove the new primer and then that's all you will lose if im understanding you problem correctly.

James
 
Borrow a decapping die and knock the primers out. However I'm not sure why you want to change the trim length. Regards JCS
 
Just full length size them, catch the primer and put to one side, Trim the cases !
Re-prime
Then load !

No issues

But as JC says they should be the correct length ! Its the neck sizing that is causing the loading problem
 
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On my Forster trimmer (and the RCBS or Lyman types) there is NOTHING that contacts the primer either from the inside or the outside when the case is in the trimmer. With Lee's hand held one with a pin that goes through the flash hole of course it would if a primer were seated.

I should not think that it will cause any risk IMHO. I certainly WOULD NEVER use primers that have been removed by decapping as that in itslef may crush the primer compound and/or give erratic ignition when it is re-seated and then re-used. It isn't, in theory, conducive to best accuracy and as such a waste of the bullet and powder to save 3p.
 
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Hi guys

Thanks for this - didn't realise that one could carefully remove the primers with the full length decapping die. I'll try that.

JC - the issue seems to be that that my old barrel chambering allowed for a longer case - 51.98mm (with this increase being in the neck and not from the shoulder down as I've discovered) - and the new one is spot on so despite being neck sized and fitting the old chambering the overall case length is too long for the new beast, hence the need to trim.

Thanks

FN
 
Hi all

...and a very Happy New Year

Ok, I'm feeling a bit daft here so here goes.

I tend to make a habit of cleaning, sizing (neck only as fire formed to the chamber) and priming cases - in this instance .243 - when I have a batch size worth doing so that should I need to load some up I have them all ready for whatever load/bullet combination I need.

Here is the issue. I've just had my .243 re-barrelled and the neck sized, primed cases are marginally over length for the new chamber. New unfired cases are fine but clearly my old barrel was slightly different.

Given that the brass is Lapua I'd rather not discard it. So I'm wondering what options I have. Perhaps:

1. Ask all my .243 shooting friends to see if they can chamber the cases and, if yes, fire them and then I'll FL resize and trim to spec.
2. Discard safely and put this one down to experience (stupidity).
3. Await the wisdom of the SD to provide the answer.

I'm sure at huge expense I could get a chucked case trimmer but frankly, as we're talking about 50ish cases, it just isn't worth it.

Any suggestion gratefully received.

Thanks

FN
As was previously posted. Carefully decap the cases in your FL sizing die and FL resize the cases for your new rifle/chamber. Chances are it's not the length of the case that's preventing the chambering, it's the general outside dimensions of the case itself. New chamber = Fl resize your brass.~Muir
 
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