WHY -

[TonyC]

Decided to begin a project in my R8 30-06 with some PPU 180 grain factory ammunition - bought 100 rounds and yesterday tried to see what they will do - not one of the 20 I tried would do anything but the infamous "Blaser click", anyone got any ideas. Other rounds/makes fire ok.

Don't need the Blaser kicking mob to pile in !!!!

 

[Tim.243]

Decided to begin a project in my R8 30-06 with some PPU 180 grain factory ammunition - bought 100 rounds and yesterday tried to see what they will do - not one of the 20 I tried would do anything but the infamous "Blaser click", anyone got any ideas. Other rounds/makes fire ok.

Don't need the Blaser kicking mob to pile in !!!!

The primer starts the whole process so could you take a few empty cases and set the primer not so deep?
Then test fire for a strike?

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Interesting, I can only imaging it has something to do with the primer seating. Can’t think of any other reason as the infamous click only happened to me once (R93), due to user error.

 

[NullMac]

Bit of crap in the bolt stopping the firing pin striking hard enough? Got that t-shirt

 

[markyw]

(Overly) hard primers? Have you tried any other PPU ammunition?

Regards

Mark

 

[takbok]

Sounds like the cartridges are out of spec (headspace) and not allowing bolt to engage enough for proper function. Return them to shop and buy different ammo brand.

 

[Tim.243]

Bit of crap in the bolt stopping the firing pin striking hard enough? Got that t-shirt

Not surprising......

 

[TonyC]

Gone back to look at the PPU cartridges and found they were two different batches (2 boxes and 3 boxes) and measured them

Offending PPU Batch #21
Overall Length - 3.201" Case Length 2.495"

Other batch #125
Overall length - 3.400" case Length 2.694"

SAMMI SPEC: overall length 3.3402 and case 2.4941

So overall length difference between batches is 0.20" so the second batch have a longer case, I now need to try the #125 batch at the weekend and see if they will fire.
If not there will be an interesting conversation in Pudsey.

 

[zambezi]

PPU 180 grain factory ammunition - bought 100 rounds and yesterday tried to see what they will do - not one of the 20 I tried would do anything but the infamous "Blaser click"

I have a Blaser R8 and only ever experienced the dreaded click during early ownership.

In 100% of my experiences of this [on my rifle] I had not fully homed the boltface.

I close the bolt very deliberately and forcefully now and have used 7 different brands of manufactured ammo in the last 9 years with no reprise of the dreaded click. [nor any issue with home loads]

So I wonder if COAL is the issue? I would have thought Blaser would make chamber commodious ennough for all brands, but maybe this batch are hampering a full seating of bolt?

 

[zambezi]

overall length difference between batches is 0.20" so the second batch have a longer case, I now need to try the #125 batch at the weekend and see if they will fire.

If the issue is excessive COAL, one other thought occurred to me: if you do ram the bolt home on a longer round, might you be getting into a jam-in-lands situation?

That was less of an issue pre-monometal copper projectiles, but over-pressure might be a byproduct if monometal projectile has zero jump space.

 

[webley701]

Gone back to look at the PPU cartridges and found they were two different batches (2 boxes and 3 boxes) and measured them

Offending PPU Batch #21
Overall Length - 3.201" Case Length 2.495"

Other batch #125
Overall length - 3.400" case Length 2.694"

SAMMI SPEC: overall length 3.3402 and case 2.4941

So overall length difference between batches is 0.20" so the second batch have a longer case, I now need to try the #125 batch at the weekend and see if they will fire.
If not there will be an interesting conversation in Pudsey.

Are you sure about the longer of the two case lengths? It’s unlikely a 2.694” long case would fit in your chamber (let alone be let out of a factory).

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Not new
PPU are famous for their upper end spec cartridges
The 08 cases other than 308 are the biggest offenders

 

[TonyC]

Managed to test fire second batch ok, there appears to be a difference in the shoulders between the batches but they work. I'll pull the other box into components and use the bullets for reloading and scrap that brass.

 

[takbok]

Managed to test fire second batch ok, there appears to be a difference in the shoulders between the batches but they work. I'll pull the other box into components and use the bullets for reloading and scrap that brass.

If you're going to do that then why don't you just resize the brass and use it?

 

[scotch_egg]

Remove stem from die and knock the shoulders back. I’ve seen it done on the firing line

 

[Rasputin]

I had a box of .270win that wouldn’t work in my r8 exactly as you described. The other ppu I bought at the time worked fine. They were so cheap I think I just lobbed them in the scrap.

 

[Heym SR20]

PPU is cheap ammo. Why? Because there is less strict quality control, and rather than batches of ammo being scrapped they are just sold. With the likes of Norma etc you are paying for very close quality control and all the ones that don’t meet the level of quality.

Bolt actions, straight pulls etc are designed to work with a good level of firmness and power behind the bolt handle.

I have noticed PPU in 223 be a bit tight in my 223. It’s noticeable when I gently close the bolt. Close the bolt firmly and all is good.

 

[kenbro]

Remove stem from die and knock the shoulders back. I’ve seen it done on the firing line

Will the neck diameter on a loaded round fit in the die?
Kn.

 

[KimE]

Will the neck diameter on a loaded round fit in the die?
Kn.

Pull the bullet before trying to size the brass, the shoulder might alredy be too short to have a good primer strike. I wouldn`t reload ppu brass its not worth the time.

 

[NP435]

The entire issue is found at the datum line, the shoulder is too far back as is. Pushing it further will not solve the problem. Some time with a micrometer is in order.