Need some input with a reloading/rifle issue

[T28w]

So went all in on a rss last fall. Have prob 3-400 Hornady frontier rounds through it and 50ish hand loads of 77 tmk with starline 556 brass and 23.3 grains 8208. I worked up to 23.5 with no signs of pressure and settled at 23.3 charge weight. Everything has been pretty good until about 2 weeks ago when I could not get a round to chamber. I had noticed that it was not loading as smooth the previous time or 2 but nothing drastic and then on that day, I could not close the bolt. Tried hand loads and factory, neither loaded. Looked in chamber and it looked dirty, cleaned it out and it almost looks like rust?
rifle has never been wet or any other reason to rust. Today I tried loading one of the fired starline brass and it would not let bolt close and it would close on a frontier fired brass so I got to wondering if maybe it’s a combination of build up of something in chamber and pressure. I sharpied the case and it’s binding below the shoulder on the case body. Trying to load some photos but not having much luck. Ideas?

 

[T28w]

Just some more photos of fired cases. I don’t feel pressure is part of problem but I have notice to diff in the appearance of fired and unfired cases that starts about mid body and goes to the shoulder. I have not seen this in other brass
Also I ran a wire brush and then cleaned chamber when the first incidence of unable to load and it ran smoothly and now two weeks later I can see the chamber is starting to look dirty and would not load one of the starline fired brass

 

[T28w]

Bump for the morning crowd.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

sure looks like some type of build up inside the chamber. the teslong bore scope is super cheap, it might be worth grabbing one off amazon just to see what is going on. do you store your rifle somewhere with high humidity?

 

[Jimbee]

Case lube?

 

[Ramem7mm]

What is the specs on the rifle build? Second the idea of getting a borescope to get a better idea of what is going on.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Take a brass chamber brush and work the chamber over good. Something is built up in the chamber because you can see it imprinted into the fired brass.

Hard to imagine you would have that much excess care lube on the cases, but make sure you don’t when you’re done loading.

 

[Shortschaf]

+1 on borescope to diagnose what happened first

Then just clean out with a wire brush on a drill if its superficial surface rust/carbon/whatever.

 

[Ramem7mm]

It appears you have a bolt rifle with a 223 chamber and then firing 556 ammo which might have been the initial issue with over pressure of the first 3-400 rounds you said you fired through it which may have been depositing brass on the chamber walls. More can comment on if that may be a a leading factor. If brass is built up then using a chamber brush to help clean it might be a good idea. Others can comment on that too.

 

[T28w]

sure looks like some type of build up inside the chamber. the teslong bore scope is super cheap, it might be worth grabbing one off amazon just to see what is going on. do you store your rifle somewhere with high humidity?

Yeah need the bore scope.
No stored just like many other guns with zero rust issues.

 

[T28w]

Case lube?

Nope virgin brass.

 

[T28w]

What is the specs on the rifle build? Second the idea of getting a borescope to get a better idea of what is going on.

Stock tikka

 

[T28w]

Take a brass chamber brush and work the chamber over good. Something is built up in the chamber because you can see it imprinted into the fired brass.

Hard to imagine you would have that much excess care lube on the cases, but make sure you don’t when you’re done loading.

No case lube. I do very light lube the neck just to run an expander to true up the mouth. It’s then wiped but it is a super light layer and usually only get on the inside of case mouth.

I don’t think that imprint on case is buildup. I noticed it during load dev when I was throughly checking for signs of pressure. It just looks weird to me though.

 

[T28w]

It appears you have a bolt rifle with a 223 chamber and then firing 556 ammo which might have been the initial issue with over pressure of the first 3-400 rounds you said you fired through it which may have been depositing brass on the chamber walls. More can comment on if that may be a a leading factor. If brass is built up then using a chamber brush to help clean it might be a good idea. Others can comment on that too.

Frontier rounds are actually 223 loads. The hand loads are in starline 556 brass. Supposedly a hard metallurgy is the only diff.

 

[TaperPin]

Not cleaning works, until it doesn’t. In some groups it’s cool to avoid showers, in others not cleaning your truck. Imagine having the BOAL in your sights, only one leg blown off, an easy 990 yards to finish it off and claim it for yourself, and the bolt won’t close. Hmm….

 

[T28w]

My plan is the clean it out again with wire brush. Oil lightly and the clean oil out as much possible. My true concern is going forward how to prevent it from happening again and what it actually is.

 

[Caseknife]

Was the chamber possibly rough to start and over time has caused a build up of brass scuffed off the cases and now is causing issues? Looks like the chamber needs to be polished?

 

[T28w]

Not cleaning works, until it doesn’t. Inn some groups it’s cool to avoid showers, in others not cleaning your truck. Imagine having the BOAL in your sights, only one leg blown off, an easy 990 yards to finish it off and claim it for yourself, and the bolt won’t close. Hmm….
View attachment 680115

Yeah I’ve typically been a clean after a couple shooting sessions but I don’t believe it would have helped here unless it’s rust. I’ve only ever cleaned the bore and never scrubbed the chamber as I’m doing now.

 

[Jason Snyder]

No case lube. I do very light lube the neck just to run an expander to true up the mouth. It’s then wiped but it is a super light layer and usually only get on the inside of case mouth.

I don’t think that imprint on case is buildup. I noticed it during load dev when I was throughly checking for signs of pressure. It just looks weird to me though.

The imprint on the case is a rough chamber. Either from residue built up in the chamber or etching/pitting into it.


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[packer58]

The imprint on the case is a rough chamber. Either from residue built up in the chamber or etching/pitting into it.


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Yep, one or the other. OP has gotten some good advise here, I will just add that when done spinning a brass / bronze brush in the chamber take a bore mop of appropriate size and wrap with 0000 steel wool and finish up the cleaning process ............