Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rifle help - new to me rifle will not chamber brass

I recently bought a Winchester model 70 over the Internet. When I try to chamber resized brass, I can't get the round in. The brass has scratches all over it.

I have not cleaned the rifle as supposedly it was new in box (would clean before shooting).

Any ideas what could be wrong? Could I have a bad chamber? I'm running to get some factory ammo now to check against it.

Did you trim the brass after resizing it, sounds like the brass needs trimmed. Lenny

Will it feed factory ammo? What caliber?

Sounds like to me the sizing die needs to be turned down just a bit more to push shoulder back.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I'm going to get some factory ammo tomorrow to test. If it feeds, then I'll bump te sizing down down even further.

The weird thing / biggest cause for alarm is the rough scratches on the sides of the cases. It's as if the chamber is rough (or maybe really dirty).

Thanks,
QD

It's a 300 WSM.

The rough scratches could be from the die itself.

Oh gee wiz.....

Have you seen my post, "Help, Bolt won't close" in the reloading section?

Are you trying to chamber just the brass? or brass and bullet?

They come through the die clean. They get scratched when I try to chamber them.

Are you chambering from the magazine or directly into the chamber?

Directly in the chamber.

It's possible when you chamber a round it's getting the scratches from the feeding ramp as it leaves the magazine.

I've had several short mags, most need the shoulder bumped back more. I had to take a couple thou off my shellholder to get the brass further into the die...

As for the scratches, it could be something in the chamber causing it, try to clean it out...

My M70 have to be fed from the magazine, otherwise the "claw" can't grab the shell, It will do it if I force it, but I don't care too...

This might be completely unrelated, dunno....

I'd give the chamber (and, the rest of the rifle) a good scrubbing and see what happens.

I would trade it in on a 300 Win Mag.

After reading all your posts, do this (in order)..

1. Thoroughly clean the chamber.
2. Obtain a box of factory ammo.
3. Place a round in the magazine and try to chamber the round.
4. If it chambers fine but, upon extraction, shows scratches, there's a burr or two somewhere.
5. IF it chambers fine from the magazine, then try to chamber a round manually. To close the bolt there should be some resistance as the extractor snaps over the round.. If it won't go without a rather forceful bolt operation or simply refuses to close, then the extractor needs to be refitted. THAT should be left to a gunsmith..

Once factory ammo functions fine, then try your reloads.. If those won't chamber it's not the rifle's fault..

Redneck,

I'm not the OP, but I just want to say I think it is marvelous how you share your knowledge and experience here. And your suggestions are always presented in logical fashion and order.

Redneck

Me too

Snake