Canadian Rangers 303 Brass

[bearhunter]

Partial FL means using a Full Length sizing die in a manner that only partially resizes the case. This is comparable, and in some cases superior to neck sizing. Its achieved by leaving a gap between the die and the shell holder (I use a toonie).

The easiest way to do this is to loosen the lock nut and turn the die back half a turn and reset the lock nut. After the first sizing there might be a double shoulder where the shoulder and neck meet. Ignore it and continue on.

This is actually a common thing to do with most rimmed cases.

 

[tiriaq]

I just keep gradually turning the die into the press until cases will just chamber freely in the rifle in which they will be used, and then lock the die in place, and finish the batch.

If the cases are for my II** Ross target rifle, I use a die I made to size the portion of the case just above the rim, then proceed with sizing the body until the cases will chamber. A case fired in a Lee Enfield and FL sized will not chamber in the Ross.

The experience of others may vary, but I have invariably found cases showing signs of incipient separations when mixed range brass fired in different rifles is being inspected prior to reuse.

 

[Ganderite]

sorry im new at reloading and i know your speaking English but i honestly have no idea what you just said.

what is a partial FL?

Sorry about that. I used jargon. Cosmic explained it better than I could.

I try a few cases and find a particularly bad case that won't chamber very far. Then I back out the sizing die a long way and run the bad case into the die and adjust it so that the neck is sized about half the length. You will be able to see the sizing mark on the neck. If it won't chamber, I turn the die a rev and try again. And repeat until the case chambers. Then I give the die a half rev more and size all the brass.

When you start to get to a case that is almost sized enough, the bolt will close part way until meeting resistance. A perfectly sized case is one where the bolt meets resistance just before it is down all the way. When the bolt cams shut, it pushes the case firmly onto the chamber shoulder. This is perfect.

This way the shoulder is not sized back or is pushed back the minimum. This reduces case stretching and the brass will last longer. I have several 303 rifles, so segregate the brass by rifle.

 

[fraserdw]

i had an opportunity to pick up a couple thousand brass at a Canadian Ranger shoot but was told by pretty much by everyone there to stay away from it.
even the reg force guys turned their noses up at it.

they all said they would not trust it for reloading.

thoughts?

i understand there could be some crimped primer pockets but would the brass be that bad?

i can go grab a head stamp brand if that helps.

Basically what bearhunter said plus 9/10 Reg army guys know nothing about reloading and often repeat whatever their training Sgt in basic told 'em. Nothing wrong with that brass, I found much of it to be thicker than modern civie brass. 7/10 army guys never handle a firearm beyond what the army issues them and then only on the job.

 

[trevj]

Many Enfields do have enlarged chambers, but my 1912 No. 1 Mk. 3 has a standard sized chamber (I suspect all early Lee Enfields did as well). As does my P14, and all Rosses in original configuration (provided they weren't reamed). It was more the result of the British finding that with a rimmed cartridge they didn't need tight dimensions on the chambers rather than the cartridge being designed for loose dimensions. When you aren't reloading it isn't a big deal, in fact it can be seen as a benefit as it allowed you to use out of spec ammo (*cough* poor quality British WWI ammo *cough*).

Compare minimum spec case dimensions to a maximum spec chamber and then do the same with a modern round. By comparison to the tolerances that are expected in a modern round, the .303 could as well be measured with a wooden ruler.
Then factor in that he ammo makers generally tend to push to the min side of the tolerances, to avoid comebacks...

Just a product of their times.

Basically what bearhunter said plus 9/10 Reg army guys know nothing about reloading and often repeat whatever their training Sgt in basic told 'em. Nothing wrong with that brass, I found much of it to be thicker than modern civie brass. 7/10 army guys never handle a firearm beyond what the army issues them and then only on the job.

Ayup. Whatever they got taught in training, is essentially the 'word of God', no matter that the guy telling them is simply repeating the same BS that someone else spoke with such authority.

I would suggest that 7 out of 10 guys is a conservative estimate, based on my time in. I would have been shocked if fully 30 percent of the folks I worked with had any 'non-military taught' firearms knowledge. But most of them seem to think they are gods gift to firearms knowledge, simply because they didn't get a boot up their arse the last time they went to the range.

Cheers
Trev

 

[Canuck44]

We are talking about Canadian Ranger brass are we not? Most of the Rangers I know are not "Regular Army" types. Most I have met are pretty darn adept and knowledgeable about firearms. Locally a number of them are pretty active in IDPA and IPSC. The Lee Enfields they use have not been issued to regular army since the FN FAL was issued in the 50's.

Take Care

Bob

 

[fraserdw]

We are talking about Canadian Ranger brass are we not? Most of the Rangers I know are not "Regular Army" types. Most I have met are pretty darn adept and knowledgeable about firearms. Locally a number of them are pretty active in IDPA and IPSC. The Lee Enfields they use have not been issued to regular army since the FN FAL was issued in the 50's.

Take Care

Bob

I think the gentlemen was referring to the Ranger support staff;, officer commanding, adjutant, training officer, NCO trainers, administrators, drivers and QM are a mix of Reg and PRes Full soldiers who are posted into Ranger Groups to run them.