45/90 case question

[reinert]

Hello B.P. Forum Folks,

I have a new 45/90 Sharps (don't care to mention the maker), and after firing the rifle for the first 100 rounds during testing and fire-forming cases, I've noticed that there's a very slight, what I might call an insipient headspace possibility, around about 1/2 of the case about a 1/4" above the rim (Starline brass BTW). Again, this is a very slight, almost unnoticeable, ring in question.

As I've got some accuracy issues with this rifle, I was wondering if this "ring" will be a potential problem in my accuracy quest (trying to cull all the accuracy stealing gremlins). I shoot a well constructed 80grn. load (holy black only) in the rifle using a 540 grn. Creedmoor bullet. Now, I don't have any questions on load developement, as I believe I'm on the right track on that one as to running down gremlins. So, if I could just get some thoughts on the case ring wonderment, I would truly be grateful. My one thought on the deal would be to index, to get the fire-formed case as close to aligned as possible with the chamber area causing that ring. Thanks for your time, and again, your comments will be much appreciated. Dang those gremlins anyway.

reinert

[Jim Watson]

My Starline .40-65 also has a noticeable bulge, band, or ring about .25" above the rim. None have failed in several loadings since I bought a supply to go with a new rifle. But when I needed more ammo for a four day match and no Starline to be had, I sized down Remington .45-70 to .40. They have no band but have only been used once or twice.

I wouldn't worry about it.

[radom]

Problaby the case just swelling up a bit to fit the chamber is all there. Nothing a 500 grain slug over 46 grains of 3031 wont cure.

[Don H]

reinert, just out of curiosity, have you found the cases to be lengthening? How do you clean the cases?

[reinert]

Hey Don,

That was the first thing I checked after the cases were on the second firing. They have not changed in length (I've trimmed them all @ 2.395").

I've got 20 cases that I have set aside to use for multiple firings just for that purpose, i.e., to see if there's a length issue. Haven't gotten beyond 2 firings on a case as of yet though, and again, the length has remained as trimmed. I do not full-length resize either, just neck size.

My cleaning process is as follows; In a gallon jug, I put in a good squeeze of Dawn dish soap and fill the jug about half full, or depending on how many cases I have to clean.

They sit for about an hour, and then I slosh them around until the water is really dirty black (again the "holy black"), and then rinse them thoroughly with hot water while still in the jug and slosh them around until the water is fairly clean. I might fill the jug 3 times during the "sloshing" period.

Each case then gets a scrubbing out with a neat little bristle brush that Buffalo Arms sells for just this purpose, and they really work good.

Then, I have another container that I fill with just enough hot water to cover the cases as I do the drying process that I use. Each case gets dried on the outside, and then I take half of a paper towel and roll it up to use as a wiper on the inside of the case, which cleans the rest of the crud out. I also wipe the primer pocket with with a wadded up piece of paper towel.

Then, the cases go into my RCBS vibratory case cleaner for a couple of hours using a tablespoon of "Flitz" in the media. They're good enough for me after a couple of hours.

Then I give them a good visual as to case mouths and measurement (and clean out any media that may have stuck in the flash hole). That's when I look at that slight "ring" mentioned at the beginning of this thread.

When I go to reload the cases, I just neck size. The cases load and extract as they should. That's pretty much my case prep process.


Thanks to all posting on the thread. All info is much appreciated,

reinert