My new (to me) 9.3x57! - Need thoughts/opinions

Beautiful rifle Cory..
Your rifle may have already been glass bedded when the barrel was shortened, D&T, the bolt reshaped, and low safety lever added..
Like others have said be sure to glass bed it if it hasn't been already..
Have fun with your new classic rifle!
 
Well...I got some bad news last weekend. After inspecting my fired brass from both reloaded and factory cartridges, I noticed the primers were backing out slightly. I asked a trusted friend who taught me to reload and he said I should get it checked out by a gunsmith. Gunsmith said the rifle has excessive headspace :runaway: I sent an e-mail to Tradeex (where I bought it from), and even though I had fired the rifle and it was past 30 days, they said that they would exchange it, that's what I call customer service! :D They also apologized for my inconvenience.

Now I just have to pick a new one...

Cory
 
Cory
not to go sideways on this thread - that is a very nice rifle, espeially with the short bbl already!
But -- where did you find a butterknife bolt handle???
 
Good on them for making an exchange so easy. In the future if you end up with a rifle with generous headspace( not dangerous sloppy cases coming apart the first time fired!) that you don't want to part with, you can just set your reloading dies for the rifle.
 
Cory,

The 9.3X57 round is known for backing primers, It has nothing to do with headspace but is a consequence of the low pressure this caliber works at, wich is not enough to stretch the case completely. I have checked headspace on several 9.3X57 rifles with backing primers and none chambered the No Go gauge.
 
Baribal said:
Cory,

The 9.3X57 round is known for backing primers, It has nothing to do with headspace but is a consequence of the low pressure this caliber works at, wich is not enough to stretch the case completely. I have checked headspace on several 9.3X57 rifles with backing primers and none chambered the No Go gauge.
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The gunsmith said that it easily closed on a NO GO gauge, but thanks for the info, I'll have to remember that.

I actually found the butterknife bolt handle by posting a WTB in the EE.

Cory
 
FWIW mine acts like it has excessive headspace as well, much as anything it could be the slight shoulder the case has does not support the strike of the firing pin??????

I moved the shoulder forward on my brass and have no problems anymore.
 
When the primers protrude out and are not FLAT, but still have a very round edge, this often means low pressure.
It is accentuated by the small shoulder of the X57 but also happens with US factory loads in 8X57IS for example. Once you reload the cases to their full potential, then, the primers are just "nromal".

Factory 9.3X57 brass (especially the Metallverken) have very little shoulder and need to be fire formed to show the real chamber shape.
If this primer backing occurs all the time with the 9.3X57 I suggest using a faster burning powder (staying within the pressure limts of the said round), then, when the cases are fully stretched, you can go back to the slower powders.
The other way to get rid of it is to make a false shoulder when resizing by first using a .375" expander ball then slowly resize with the normal sizer until the case closely fits the chamber.

I can't say about the gunsmith who have checked it, but I am confident that Trade Ex will look at this too, since they have the right 9.3X57 headspace gauges. Anthony or Tony will surely tell you what result they had.
 
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baribal said:
when the primer protrudes out and are not flat, but still have a very round edge, this often means low pressure.
It is accentuated by the small shoulder of the x57 but also happens with us factory loads in 8x57is for example. Once you reload the cases to their full potential, then, the primers are just "nromal".

Factory 9.3x57 brass (especially the metallverken) have very little shoulder and need to be fire formed to show the real chamber shape.
If this primer backing occurs all the time with the 9.3x57 i suggest using a faster burning powder (staying within the pressure limts of the said round), then, when the cases are fully stretched, you can go back to the slower powders.
The other way to get rid of it is to make a false shoulder when resizing by first using a .375" expander ball then slowly resize with the normal sizer until the case closely fits the chamber.

I can't say about the gunsmith who have checked it, but i am confident that trade ex will look at this too, since they have the right 9.3x57 headspace gauges. Anthony or tony will surely tell you what result they had.
Click to expand...

+100000000
 
You'd be crazy to send that rifle back, just adjust your loading to the rifle, she's a beauty and I'm sure somebody will be getting in touch with Trade Ex to say "When it comes back in, I want that returned one, no concerns about the primer issue."

One of the nicer little '96 arrangements I've seen. I just wish they made these as 98's, can't get over the #### on closing.
 
blargon said:
Just fire-form your brass and neck size after that...
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Yup.

I got a P17 from the EE, and AFTER I got it, the seller PM'ed me, twice, to tell me have the headspace checked. Obviously something was up, so I got it checked.

Well, it would close on a No Go guage with two pieces of masking tape on the end (but not three:redface:)! My gunsmith told me, technically, the gun had too much headspace, so he could not reccomend someone use it. Since I've known him for thirty years he also told me that he's seen guys partially resize for rifles far worse than that, and they work fine.

Well, I partially resize for it and the thing shoots about 1.5" at 200 yards, and I've never had a problem with it.

BTW, the "low pressure causing primers backing out" information here may very well be your issue. I'd try laying on more powder and see if it goes away, before I did anything else. Why not?'s suggesstion of a re-chamber is also a great one, if indeed, your headspace cannot be corrected by either partial re-forming, or loading hotter.
 
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