E.R. Shaw chambers???

[lomfs24]

I saw another thread about ER Shaw barrels but didn't want to hi-jack that thread. I just purchased an ER Shaw barrel from Midway USA. Installed it etc... Good it to got with both the Go/No-go gauges I already had for the 260 as well as with the gauges sent to me with the barrel(it was the kit from Midway). I have not shot it yet because I have just put it on today. But what I have noticed is that while the gauges work as they should, they close the on the go gauge but will not close on the no-go gauge, it will not chamber a live round. It will lock up just like it does with the no-go gauge. Do Shaw barrels have a tighter chamber than most? Or do I need to just back it out a bit and let the bolt go just a little farther with the no-go gauge?

Right now it will close with no felt resistance on the go gauge but will lock up on the no-go gauge as soon as the bolt starts down. It's about as tight as you could get it and still close on the go gauge.

If the chambers are just a little tighter on the Shaw barrel than they are on the EA Brown barrel I already have it's not really a problem I will just have to re-set my reloading dies.

[Eric in NC]

If it is a reloaded round you probably just have it sized a little long. Or it could need trimming!

[lomfs24]

I am relatively sure it doesn't need trimming. I trim each time I reload. However, it could be sized a hair long, it was a reload for my other 260. And it works just fine. The other thing I thought about was that the reloaded case was a 140 grain bullet, and the Shaw barrel is a 1:9 twist so it looks like it is probably is made to shoot 120 grainers at most. Maybe it's just not throated out as far. If a bullet was pushing into the lands that far would it cause the bolt to not close?

[Eric in NC]

Not unless you crimped the heck out of it. Jamming the lands hard just makes the bolt a tiny bit harder to close. Your case is too long for your chamber (either brass or chamber or headspace gauges out of spec).

My guess is brass - have any factory ammo around?

[Stu]

It's about as tight as you could get it and still close on the go gauge.

As Eric Stated, it sounds like your chamber is a little tight for your brass. I've head spaced tight on a go gauge before and the rifle wouldn't chamber factory ammo. I ended up loosening the head space up so it would close easy on the go gauge and just start to close on the no go. No more problem, and, if i have more than one rifle chambered for the same round i keep the brass separated, and just neck size.

[lomfs24]

Thanks Eric and Stu! I think that I probably just head spaced it too tight. I will loosen it a little. I don't have a factory spec piece of ammo around. But I think that will fix the problem.

Thanks again.

Rahn

[lomfs24]

OK, found the problem! It would close on an empty resized case without any problem. It would not close on my ammo that is loaded with 140gr. Hornady SST's. But it would close on some ammo I have that is Berger 140gr VLD although it was stiff. So my hypothesis was that the ogive was different on the two bullets and the Berger would allow me to seat farther out without being as far into the lands. So I took a case with the Hornady bullet in it back to the bench and seated the bullet just a little deeper. And now my bolt will close. Problem solved. The throat is a little tighter than in the EA Brown barrel. Since it is a slower twist I will only be shooting 120's and lighter out of it so it shouldn't be a problem getting the bullets seated in deep enough to work with the throat.

Just wanted to let you guys know so you could sleep at night. I know you all lost a little sleep thinking about this last night. ;D ;D