The "click" when extracting a case?

F

feffer

Member
The one that sometimes happens when the bolt is lifted on a fired case and it hangs near the top. After a stronger lift, sometimes using thumb leverage on the scope ring, there is a "click" and then the bolt can be pulled back and the case ejects. I've heard/read that this is caused by cases that have been fired too hot and/or too often and have now expanded to fill the chamber and don't spring back on future firing. In Boyer's book, he mentions that this is the point where he discards that batch of PPC brass.

My question concerns a tight neck .308 barrel that is shooting very well. I have a some RWS prepped brass which shoots very well. However, it "clicks" on extraction. Full length sizing doesn't fix it. My loads are moderate and except for the "click" they extract OK...and they still shoot fine. The fuss of leveraging the bolt is annoying though. Will a "small base" 308 sizing die like the Redding one fix this? The cases show no other signs of wearing out.
 
I'd say give the Redding small base die a try and see if it fixes your problem. If it does, it's a pretty cheap fix. If it doesn't, sell the die and you haven't lost much.
 
Just out of curiosity, what do new, fired, and sized brass measure, a little above the extractor groove where you can see the end of where the chamber is on the fired and sized brass?
 
A proper die, as Mike said, will cure your problem, if you're not shooting big matches that brass will last a long time with the right die. In a fitted chamber a die, even a custom FL die is a bit of a specialty that sizes the neck and shoulder to allow proper bolt closure, and sizing at the case base to eliminate the click, especially on actions with sharp extraction cam angles. Just find a proper die and tne issue is gone.
 
Mike Bryant said:
I'd say give the Redding small base die a try and see if it fixes your problem. If it does, it's a pretty cheap fix. If it doesn't, sell the die and you haven't lost much.
Click to expand...

Not being picky but I thinks small body die. At least that is what I have for 6 PPC.
Bill Greene now at Riverbend.
 
GPat said:
Mike's right, try the Redding Small Base Die. It'll probably do the trick
Click to expand...

Geez guys I am looking at my Redding die it says "small body 2 " does Redding make a small base?
I have made small base dies for 6 Ppc they do not work. For me at least...
Come to Riverbend and I can show you my small body Redding die..
Bill
Of course I only shoot the 6 ppl so there me be some other stuff I am un awhere of.
Bill again
 
Just to increase the confusion, I have a Redding die that says "Small Base Body Die" on it.
 
Is no one listening? Why ask a question in this forum if you do not give a about the answer?
WTH? We have gone from 308 to hand gun. I will not post here again. , this is Benchrest facebook!
Bill Arcadia, Fl but residing Riverbend at the present .
Bill Greene
863-900-5737
If you'd like call me, leave message phone does not work at Riverbend.
Bill
Hell he is my email R44astro@comcast.net
 
Harold M said:
You know those dies .40 cal pistol guys use that swage down the case head? Would some sort of die that the whole case head and web could be forced through do what a small base die can't? Just a thought.

Harold
Click to expand...

I was having trouble with a click with a .22 PPC Short years ago and built a ring die that all it did was size the base. I ran a resize reamer into a die blank, hardened it and then kept cutting off the bottom until it sized the base the amount I wanted. The top was open with no shoulder area and was sizing about 3/8" only up the body when it was finished. When the cases would get to clicking, I'd run them through the ring die and the click would go away. It worked, but it's better to have a full length die that matches your chamber as when you start pushing brass around it goes other places when not supported. What matches your chamber is debatable and you can read lots of thoughts on this. Mike Ratigan's book and Tony Boyer's book both address this with slightly differing ideas from both.
 
r44astro said:
Not being picky but I thinks small body die. At least that is what I have for 6 PPC.
Bill Greene now at Riverbend.
Click to expand...

In their catalog, Redding calls it a small base body die (Part #74155) or small base full length die (Part #91355) and is also available as a small base type S- full length die (Part # 77355) for the .308 Winchester. Part # for the 6 PPC small base body die is 74319, small base full length die 91211 and 77211 for the small base Type S full length die.
 
Another vote here for Paul Bike's hardened custom ring dies for ppc and 308 family. He sends the ring die with a ground down shell holder so the base of the case is sized. I have one for a ppc. They are a little expensive but a great product.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-QW-5npXJKs


I have heard of guys using a carbide 45 acp die to size the base. I don't think it will size enough for some chambers. Pauls ring die IMO is a better choice for the job. But it takes a while to pay for itself
 
The reason that I asked for the dimensions is that to give the best quality answer, IMO more information is needed. The measurements are not difficult, and none of us are psychic. For example, if the information had shown that the new brass was too close in size to a fired case, and/or that the sized case was the same as a fired case, we could conclude that the FL die is too large at its base for that chamber, and that possibly the chamber is too close to the size of the solid head of the case. Repeated high pressure firings will gradually increase the diameter of the solid head of the case, and if there was not enough initial clearance, a smaller base die will not do much to remedy the situation. There is also the issue of chamber coverage at the bottom of the case, vs. die coverage. Sometimes the depth down to the level where the head sits in a shell holder, added to the radius at the bottom of the die, in combination to the tolerance when the barrel was headspaced, create a situation where the die cannot be adjusted to size all of the case that falls within the chamber, if it is adjusted for the proper amount of shoulder bump. The point of all of this is that there are several possible reasons for a click at the top of a bolt lift, and finding a reliable solution depends on knowing more about the particulars of the poster's situation.
 
r44astro said:
Is no one listening? Why ask a question in this forum if you do not give a about the answer?
WTH? We have gone from 308 to hand gun. I will not post here again. , this is Benchrest facebook!
Bill Arcadia, Fl but residing Riverbend at the present .
Bill Greene
863-900-5737
If you'd like call me, leave message phone does not work at Riverbend.
Bill
Hell he is my email R44astro@comcast.net
Click to expand...

Trout

Where are you?

Later
Dave
 
+1 for pauls ring die. Had to make my own shellholders because the 3 paul sent broke on the first case on each die but the die works great. Gotta have one for a ppc if you want to shoot it where it wants to shoot
 
OK, that was a lot of response quickly! Let me first respond to Boyd:
Boyd Allen said:
Just out of curiosity, what do new, fired, and sized brass measure, a little above the extractor groove where you can see the end of where the chamber is on the fired and sized brass?
Click to expand...
Many times fired RWS and Win brass: .4666
New unfired Lapua brass mics: .4692
I have a chamber cast but it may be unreliable because it does not show the "end" of the chamber (so it could mik a bit larger. But it shows .4703
I do not have any once fired brass.
The rifle has a "trued" Rem 700 action and the extractor cam does show some wear.

I was considering this Redding small base die. According to the discription:
Redding Small Base Body Dies were designed to full length resize the case body and bump the shoulder without disturbing the case neck. The Small Base Body Dies are for use with firearms with custom chamberings that are tighter than SAAMI Specifications.
Click to expand...
 
FBecigneul said:
This will do it. They work for me.


http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3794098.0

You can see on the case where it works on the ppc case.
Click to expand...
That looks like it would work, but the price is $125 vs $35 for the Redding die. The rifle is a legal Hunter Bench gun that I used in competition long ago, but now I only use it for local informal shoots and there's already a lot of rounds through the barrel, so I don't want to spend $125 on it.
 
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