After fixing the chamber, will the gun fire

Boltcarrier

Boltcarrier

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This is a follow up to the question was whether the gun will fire after I sanded the chamber of the gun

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2135195-My-apprenticeship-in-learning-from-case-separation-to-fixing-a-chambering-problem

and here's the answer


but there appears to be another problem after that.....whether I can use the fired cases to reload....???
 
Your rifle fired because the cartridge rim is held by its "seat" - a groove, or perhaps the rear face of the barrel. The rim was seated solidly, the bolt closes, and the firing pin strikes with enough energy to fire the primer, which ignites the powder, etc. In the instance of a rimmed cartridge like a 303 British - the condition of the chamber has not much to do with whether the cartridge will fire or not, so long as the cartridge can fully seat in there.

However, upon firing, the case is going to expand in all directions and "seal" and conform to the chamber walls - should actually "grip" those walls for an instant - to direct the pressure against the rear of the bullet that is moving up the bore. The brass case should relax slightly once the bullet exits the muzzle, allowing you to withdraw the fired case from the chamber. Your video is showing instances where that bolt opening, which is also the initial movement of extraction, did not happen smoothly, like it should.

Those "lumps" that you highlighted are no doubt that brass flowing into the divot created within the chamber. Chances are good that most resizing dies will "smooth" them. However, as has been posted multiple times on this site and others, your more pressing concern about reload-ability would be "incipient" (about to happen, but has not happened yet) head separation.

You will find that by sharpening the end of a piece of a bent wire, or straightening out a paper clip, and feel inside your case - just in front of the solid case head - chances are good that you will discover a ring in there - the case walls, right there, have been thinned and the head will separate and come off right there. I saw no evidence that you accommodated the "head space" with your initial firing of the factory case - without doing that, the case stretch has been done and can not be undone. 303 British military design was to chamber, fire once, extract and eject and on to the next cartridge. Those designers a hundred or more years ago gave not one wit of concern about re-loading that case - up to us to figure that part out today, using what they had designed.
 
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On the first firing you can slip a small o ring over the case and against the rim to hold the rim against the bolt. You then set the dies to just touch the shoulder so the case now headspaces on the shoulder and not the rim lessening linear brass flow which stretches the case head causing eventual separation..
 
Take a hacksaw and section the head of the case. File the edges smooth. If there is an incipient separation, you will see a groove running around the inside of the case, just up from the transition zone from solid head to sidewall.
This can be reduced by insuring that the case head is back against the bolt face for first firing. A little o-ring placed against the rim will accomplish this. After first firing, treat the cases as if they were rimless; do not set the shoulder back any more than minimally necessary to allow easy chambering. Cases will last longer, and the risk of a separation is greatly reduced.
You have gouged the chamber. The only remedy for this is to set the barrel back and recut the chamber. This would only make sense if the bore is crisp. An added benefit is that a minimum commercial (rather than military) chamber would be obtained. This greatly reduces working of the brass, and guarantees tight headspace. Would the cost of this work be justified?
I have experienced case separations in Lee Enfield rifles. Found out when attempting to load the next round. In every instance, the separated portion stuck over the fresh round, and they were extracted together. Usually the broken case is not lodged firmly in the chamber. As you have learned, attempting to dig out a broken case can result in permanent damage to the barrel.
 
Boltcarrier said:
This is a follow up to the question was whether the gun will fire after I sanded the chamber of the gun


but there appears to be another problem after that.....whether I can use the fired cases to reload....???
Click to expand...

I didn't bother watching the video but I was not aware of any question if the rifle would fire after you sanded the chamber... but yes you will have problems with reloading brass fired in this chamber. I suggest if you have a need to fire it, use factory ammo and not to worry.
 
It is possible, when there is a dent in the chamber like this, to fill the dent with soft solder. After filling the solder is dressed down to the surface of the rest of the chamber (a chambering reamer is best for this). Confined, the solder is not compressible and will serve to eliminate the blemish on the brass. There are other corrective techniques for this as well and, just like the use of solder, all are not recommended for the novice 'smith to try.
 
Leeper said:
It is possible, when there is a dent in the chamber like this, to fill the dent with soft solder. After filling the solder is dressed down to the surface of the rest of the chamber (a chambering reamer is best for this). Confined, the solder is not compressible and will serve to eliminate the blemish on the brass. There are other corrective techniques for this as well and, just like the use of solder, all are not recommended for the novice 'smith to try.
Click to expand...

do you know the type of solder to use, wouldn't regular solder melt given the amount of heat generated by the cartridge.
 
Boltcarrier said:
do you know the type of solder to use, wouldn't regular solder melt given the amount of heat generated by the cartridge.
Click to expand...

At the back of the chamber it is such a quick flash of heat it would not melt anything... a different story ahead of the chamber...
 
Devcon Titanium Putty will do the job as well.

This isn't as strong as the Titanium but it should work as long as you follow instructions and clean the surface properly.


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Finish reamer if using a reamer.

Or if you are careful you may be able to just fill the dent with the putty Then chamber a unsized brass ( not one with a bulge) to smooth it all out and squish the putty into the dent and flatten it out. Then a light sanding on that area to take the highs down to the already cut chamber. Dont remove metal just the devcon or whatnot

I have the idea in my head but harder to type out haha.
Well its similar to doing a drywall patch on a painted wall that you would like to not have to repaint the whole wall when done. You cant use a trowel to smooth it so use a case. You could even cut a section of the case out and then spin the brass like making a D-bit
 
Use the devcon putty and a new case with a release agent on it and close the bolt. Put release agent on the bolt too! You might not even have to use a finish reamer. It will be to new case specs already.
 
I do not think the rifle that was shown in the video is anywhere near "new case spec" within that chamber. I suspect the correct "fix" is as previously suggested - turn back one thread, re-do shoulder and end of barrel, re-chamber closer to civilian / commercial standard - if the bore and throat makes such a thing worth to do. Else, as suggested, use as originally intended - fire new brass once, and move on. Those were less than $20 in mid 1960's - probably $200 or so today - not exactly rare or premium quality of rifle?
 
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