Sizing Magtechs.

[Noz]

In doing my load developing that I am playing with now I discovered that some of my Magtechs do not chamber freely. They have a bulge at about the base of the wad. Running them thru both a Pacific and the sizing ring on the Lee LoadAll does nothing other than a slight touch that produces light scratching on a dirty shell.
Anyone have any thoughts? I  hesitate to chamber hone further because I'm getting quite a bit of blowback anyway.

[French Jack]

Sounds as if you have a 'jugged' chamber.  Since there is no base wad in the Magtech brass cases, the enlargement you describe is very likely due to an area in the chamber that is oversize.  I have been using the same brass cases in my shotgun for several years, and have had no enlargement of any sort.  I have never had any need to resize them at all.  -- I did have to reshape one that got stepped on and bent a bit-- that's all. 

There is no real good way to cure your problem, except to use plastic hulls and not reload them.

[Noz]

If that were the case then 50% of them would be that way. Not the case. Maybe 5%

[Abilene]

I'm thinking your chambers may already be honed too large if you are getting blowback.  I don't use magtech shells, but the various types I use (thin Winchesters, medium thickness Alcans, thick RMC) never cause blowback in three shotguns that have had minimal to no honing (TTN, Liberty II, Baikal).  Never have to clean the chambers during a match. This is with a medium load of 60gr Goex.  Plastic hulls always fly out, the brass always do except for a few that are a little out of round so they stick a bit going in as well.

Possibly something like this would size your shells better: http://davidscottharper.com/shoot/SizingTool.JPG
That is a tool I got from Nate Kiowa Jones.  The steel plate is 1/4" thick or so, and the two holes are .790" and .795", with the holes chamfered on one size to help get the shell started.  Rarely need to use the .790" size.  I lay the tool over the open jaws of a vice, pound the lubed shell into it with a rubber mallet, then turn it over and put a dowell inside and pound it back out.  I only need to do this occasionally on some problem hulls.

Good luck.

[Noz]

Did some work with a caliper on the offending shells. They are out of round. The round ones drop out fine. I worked up 35 rounds and three of them are out. I'll investigate that sizer. It might help.

[Wills Point Pete]

 Any machine shop can drill and mill a nice round hole the same size NKJ did. Stainless steel is better, of course. I had a machinist Pard do mine, it took a six pack and a box of handloads for one of his guns. If you have no Pards in that line of work the price goes up.

[Fingers McGee]

Noz - I've got an RCBS die set you can borrow.

Fingers (who's never had to resize the Magtechs yet) McGee

[Noz]

If the set is for a 20, bring it to the next Rangers shoot and Beau coup Thanks.

[Dick Dastardly]

MEC makes a unit that I use to hold my shells when I spin the roll crimp.  It's called the Super Sizer.  The thing has a collet that squeezes the brass rather than a die that the brass slides in.  I use it on both ends of the shells if the mouth isn't perfect.  I have collets for .410, 20ga, 16ga, 12ga and 10ga.  The tool assures me that my reloaded shells are absolutely round and that they will fit the chambers.

So, take a look at the MEC web site for the Super Sizer.  I think it will do your work.

DD-DLoS

[Fingers McGee]

Oops - Thought you were talking about 12 ga.  Sorry bout that.

FM