Wrong neck size on 45-75

[daxbax]

Good morning,

I have some problem with an original 45-75 with reloaded ammunitions.

My equipment is:

45-75 Lee precision classic 3 dies set
45-75 WRA CA WCF brass
0.458 diameter Bullet (flat nose but for the question it's does't matter)

When I try to fit the reloaded cartiridge inside the chamber of the gun it does't fit inside the chamber, if I force whith the lever the cartridge goes inside the chamber and when I pull off the cartridge unfired, I see that the chamber operates a resize in the bullet part of the cartridge, it's does't matter for me but I thing the efford in the lever can make some damages ( this is very hard efford).

If I mesure the diameter of the cartridge in neck part (the part were the base of the bullet stars until the end of the brass)of the unfired cartridge pulled off by the gun that is resized by the chamber, this is 0.481-0.480 so this is the diameter of the chamber in that part.

It's the chamber too smal?
It's the bullet too big (in diameter)?
It's The brass too thick? they are 0.012'' (they are WRA manufactored so I think they are correct)
are the Lee dais set not correct?

If I resize the bullet diameter to 0.454 the problem vanish, but this diameter I think it's too small

As anybody, the same problems?

Thankyou

[Shotgun Franklin]

Do a casting of the chamber and get the measurement. Check that against the bore, slug the bore to get that. You'll now know what the rifle is vs what your loading. If you're using blackpowder the bullet will/should upset to fit the bore. If it's smokeless very likely not.

[Buck Stinson]

What make is the rifle you are using these in?  If you are talking about using original vintage .45-75 WCF brass, BAD IDEA.  First of all, they are probably balloon head cases, they won't work in a reproduction gun and they are collectable pieces that proibably won't last beyond the first firing.  Buy modern reproduction brass for your reloads.

[DJ]

Measure the neck diameter of your reloaded cartridge before you force it into the chamber.  That should tell you something.

Does an empty case that has been resized fit OK?  If the resized empty case has to be forced, then the dies are too big or the chamber too small.  A new sizer die would probably be the easiest fix.

You also might try this: resize a case, expand the neck, then run it through your crimp die without any powder or bullet and see if it fits the chamber.  It's possible your neck expander is too big.

You should also check the diameter of your reloaded cartridges where they are crimped to the bullet.  Sometimes too much crimp can make a slight bulge in the front edge of the case and make it tough to chamber.

If you're using cast bullets, how hard is your bullet alloy?  It would usually have to be an awfully hard alloy to expand a case neck.

All that said, I believe .45-75 cartridges ordinarily use .456 diameter bullets.

[daxbax]

the rifle it's an original one,

how I sad before the chamber diameter in the neck it's about 0.480---0.481

[john boy]

Take the decapper pin out of the resizing die.  After you finish loading your rounds, run them into the die just down about the depth where the bullet is seated.  And also, check the OAL of your reloads

[Joe Lansing]

    If you are crimping your bullets, a strong crimp can sometimes 'bulge', and this may contribute to your problem. To check this,
micrometer measure the diameter at the crimp, and compare it to the diameter at it middle of the case neck.

                                                                          J.L.

[daxbax]

john boy,
you right, I tryed this but after resizing, I pulled off the bullet from the cartridge and it passed through the barrel without any efford, thus the  diameter of the resized bullet is too small.

[shrapnel]

Hopefully you will come back to this question as the reason is due to brass thickness in the neck of the casing. I have an original '76 in 45-75 and had to go through quite a bit of work to make the gun function correctly.

With the correct bullet to fit the bore diameter, it wouldn't chamber and I had to make an inside neck reamer to get the thickness in the neck and the correct bullet to seat in the chamber without undue force.

I went to Kirk at Shiloh Rifles and he ordered 2 neck reamers and we tried one. It didn't work correctly, so he chucked it up in a lathe and milled the end of the reamer to make it work like a pilot to guide the reamer into the case neck and further ream the inside to correct dimension.

If you would send me a case, I would be willing to ream it out for you and send it back and see if the loaded cartridge would seat in your chamber when re-sized and loaded.

Contact me at (406)579-9343 and maybe we can make this work for you, as there is a lot more to making this work than the average guy can accomplish without a machine shop and milling machine.

Shrapnel

[Trailrider]

If the inside diameter (I.D) of the chamber is .480-.481" and the Winchester brass has a wall thickness of .012", which is about average for that brand, then subtracting, .480 - .024 = .456".  But you need at least .002-.003" clearance between the case wall and the cartridge, to insure the bullet releases without running up the pressures.  The only way to get this without reaming the chamber is to either inside neck ream the cartridges or go to something like a .454" bullet, which, if the groove diameter is .456" is going to be a tad small, unless you use soft lead and BP.  Personally, I'd go with reaming the brass.