Ar bolt sticking forward

[42769vette]

I need a sounding board here folks. I'm wondering if my chamber is not cut to tight.

Ar10 built by dtech arms with shilen select match barrel.

Typically when I do loads for any AR platform, I load them long, let it BCG stick, rap it on the ground, measure, seat shorter, rinse and repeat until I find the lands. Once I find the lands, seat to whatever jump I want, and all is right with the world.

On this one, I kept working it back until I was dead enough to make me start wondering if it was the bullet. I decided to throw full length sized brass in with no bullet, and it still stuck. I dont mean barely stuck, I mean bounce the rifle off the ground 10x to get un stuck. My brass length is 2.02 (hair shorter than spec).

What am I missing here? I'm not the AR expert a lot of folks here are, but I'm not a newbie either.

 

[Rookie]

Mine is the same way. If I have to unload, it requires two hands to pull the bolt. Factory loads, reloads, doesn't matter. He builds them TIGHT.

 

[NyleRN]

Do you hand feed your loads?

 

[42769vette]

Do you hand feed your loads?

No, I mag feed. I get the importance of a tight chamber, but not so tight it kills reliability. A buddy has factory ammo I'll try tomorrow.

 

[42769vette]

Just an update, I'm an idiot. I had my FLS sizing die in, not my small base sizing die. switched to my small base, and the brass feeds just fine.

 

[Robert Richardson]

If it were mine, I'd get that chamber opened up a little. All mine run fine using a standard sizing die.

 

[Creedmoor]

If it were mine, I'd get that chamber opened up a little. All mine run fine using a standard sizing die.

What companys sizing die?

 

[Robert Richardson]

Just about all my dies are Lee.

 

[DadSmith]

Just about all my dies are Lee.

Same here lee full length sizing die allows my reloads to runs in my AR 10 no problem. My barrel is an ballistic advantage so not high end stuff.

 

[indyblue]

I have the Redding dies and so far no problems in my Colt 6920

 

[Creedmoor]

Just about all my dies are Lee.

Your Lee Sizers that fit autoloaders like 223,243,308 and so on, are all small base dies. Thats how lee guarantees they will chamber in all firearms.
Dillons are the same.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Your Lee Sizers that fit autoloaders like 223,243,308 and so on, are all small base dies. Thats how lee guarantees they will chamber in all firearms.
Dillons are the same.

Got a link to that information?
Nowhere can I find it on the Lee site.
Dillon states their dies are at the small side of the spec but, are not true small base.
I do know that the RCBS SB Die actually measures smaller.

 

[Creedmoor]

Got a link to that information?
Nowhere can I find it on the Lee site.
Dillon states their dies are at the small side of the spec but, are not true small base.
I do know that the RCBS SB Die actually measures smaller.

Well, since the invention of the internet things like small base dies with some are always taboo. There is always the reloaders that say it over works and over sizes the brass thus deceasing its life span.
ive been loading well past 40 years and any mainstream die manufacturer that doesent make a small base die in some calibers is because their standard dies are small base.
What Dillon now says is, exactly what a sbd does.

Sizing/Depriming Die​

The sizing/depriming die is full-length and sized to minimum tolerances to size cases down to function in both semi and fully automatic firearms.

Lee states,
The set features a full length-resizing die to return brass to factory new dimensions, perfect for reloading brass fired in other guns.
Again just another definition of sbd's.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Well, since the invention of the internet things like small base dies with some are always taboo. There is always the reloaders that say it over works and over sizes the brass thus deceasing its life span.
ive been loading well past 40 years and any mainstream die manufacturer that doesent make a small base die in some calibers is because their standard dies are small base.
What Dillon now says is, exactly what a sbd does.

Sizing/Depriming Die​

The sizing/depriming die is full-length and sized to minimum tolerances to size cases down to function in both semi and fully automatic firearms.

Lee states,
The set features a full length-resizing die to return brass to factory new dimensions, perfect for reloading brass fired in other guns.
Again just another definition of sbd's.

Gotcha, I guess one could interpret it that way.
Never looked at like that in also my 40 years plus of reloading.

 

[42769vette]

I have looked at it like Creedmoor does.

FLS die is a Redding. My SB die is a RCBS.

I always use SB dies on auto loader's, I just forgot this round. Maybe its necessary, maybe its not. For me an auto loader is all about reliability, so a SB die makes sense.

 

[Creedmoor]

I have looked at it like Creedmoor does.

FLS die is a Redding. My SB die is a RCBS.

I always use SB dies on auto loader's, I just forgot this round. Maybe its necessary, maybe its not. For me an auto loader is all about reliability, so a SB die makes sense.

It funny that a die that will make so many problems go away takes a beating from the loading community

I run the carbide Dillon dies in 223 and 308 and lee with 06 and 300 win.
Between the sons and myself, lord we probability have 10 or more black autoloaders, and half or more bolts to tend with in 223.
With most of my own loads and all brass thats picked up at the range or bought off LE or military ranges. All of the brass fits all of our rifles along with running all through a case gauge.

 

[Creedmoor]

Gotcha, I guess one could interpret it that way.
Never looked at like that in also my 40 years plus of reloading.

Like you ive been doing it a long time and like you we learn things. Years ago I never had got to meet Mr Lee but I did meet Mike a dozen to fifteen times at The Creek. Small base dies was the platform many times with him and others. Its just never ending school.
I would suggest measuring 20 new rounds and fire them. Then size a few of them with different sizers like your Lee and and standard FL dies. See which one brings the brass closer to how it left the factory.
If you do it please post your findings.

 

[nucular]

Just an update, I'm an idiot. I had my FLS sizing die in, not my small base sizing die. switched to my small base, and the brass feeds just fine.

I still don't understand this. I always use the Lee fls die with no problems. Am I doing it wrong?

 

[42769vette]

I still don't understand this. I always use the Lee fls die with no problems. Am I doing it wrong?

Nope your good. My redding FLS die doe not size as small as a lee FLS die would.

 

[Hohn]

You can see the difference pretty drastically if you take a gauge pin of 0.200 diameter and stick it in the die and see how far in it goes.
If the chamber will swallow factory ammo (all of it) then it’s not too tight. You just need a bit more sizing.
There’s an argument to make that if you need more sizing then you really should have a larger chamber to ensure extraction. But this means that factory ammo is extra sloppy and expands a lot more on first firing. And this initial expansion often makes it hard to adequately size the brass even with small base dies.
It’s best, therefore to have a tighter chamber to begin with so that the first firing does a lot less work to the brass and subsequent sizing need not be drastic, even if it does require Small base. Net case life with small base and tight chamber will still be more.