.303 brass
- Thread starter bangshead
- Start date
Any brass you can find. Everyone is going to have a different brand. I use most brands and PPU seems to last the longest.
Joe Amorosi
CGN Regular
- Location
- Not Where I Thought I Was....
All of the cases in the picture below are Winchester Brass failures caused by too many full length re-sizings (only 3 times...).
Use a collet sizing die or go for a shoulder bump with the full length
I prefer PPU Brass
Use a collet sizing die or go for a shoulder bump with the full length
I prefer PPU Brass
Looks to me more like a headspace problem than a brass problem.
Lol, not all 303 is just like that, but chambers on some, especially ww1 vintage no1mk3 tend to be oversize in diameter.
AND headspace can be off on any model or vintage of milsurp, because they were used and abused to various degrees. Most of my no4mk1 enfields are fine, good headspace. About half of mk1no3 enfields ive loaded for had oversize headspace issues.
When the case separates close to the base like in the photo, it is usually a headspace problem, and there are ways to make brass ladt longer.
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Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I had 2 cases separate last year in a No.4, headspace was fine. I have headspace guages and set it up, I chalk it up to unknown brass. Wasn’t sure how many firings were on them as they were range pickup, they chambered tight but the bolt closed and I was hoping to fire form them and not have to run them through a die.
Not all Enfields have bad chambers.
My no.4mk1* Long Branch has an excellent chamber, and I get great accuracy and brass life out of it.
My father's no.1 also has a great chamber as does a buddy's no.4mk1
Cat
Enfield chambers combined with crappy brass kind of results in cases that don't last long.
Buy a bunch of once fired cases, a Lee collet die and a separated case removal tool and just live with the fact the brass isn't going to last long and you will have to remove a few separated cases from the chamber. Its kind of the nature of the beast.
Check every case for incipient case head separation before it is loaded.
Buy a bunch of once fired cases, a Lee collet die and a separated case removal tool and just live with the fact the brass isn't going to last long and you will have to remove a few separated cases from the chamber. Its kind of the nature of the beast.
Check every case for incipient case head separation before it is loaded.
I only use my LE's at the range, never in a hunting situation, so I've always just run my brass until failure. Now it has me thinking, for the small brass split that forms, it wouldn't cause any erosion or damage to the chamber would it? I wouldn't think so especially since I don't reload them very hot
Your barrel would probably wear out before you would have to worry about chamber damage. I see that ring starting I get my pliers out and squash that case so it can’t get reloaded again.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Ditto. I found deals for .303BR on line and bought case amounts of both RP and PPU.
This trick recommended somewhere else. Go to the Dollar Store and buy 1000 tiny hair elastics. Double them over and slip one on each factory cartridge. Roll the elastic down to the rim. The theory is they headspace the case back against the bolt face with a compressible resistance. The case fireforms forward and the reloading stage is only needs to crimp the bullet in the neck.
It could cause damage to the chamber wall as the burning plasma essentially gas cuts into the steel. It'd need to happen quite a few times before it wold really effect the chamber surface.
