Thread: Soft brass. Random sticky bolt

Originally Posted by Makros

I had exactly these symptoms in 6.5PRC when I changed to a resizing lube which was more greasy and my normal wiping on a cloth didn't clean it off properly.

I would recommend cleaning the brass with a paper towel and denatured alcohol and make sure there is absolutely no residue of anything on the case. Then swab the chamber with dry patches thoroughly as cleaning oil in the chamber can have this same effect.

Then try and see if the problem persists.

The lubed cases mean the brass doesn't grip the chamber wall and you experience excessive bolt thrust despite normal pressures. This causes brass flow at the case head. Hence the ejector marks and swipes but primers show no pressure signs. Not that I would use primers as a reliable gauge of pressure but they are part of the puzzle in problem solving here.

I went from experiencing what I would have thought were dangerous pressures at starting load due to sticky bolt lift and ejector marks to no ejector marks and light bolt lift and ending my load development with a 10% higher powder charge weight with still no pressure signs just by more fastidiously cleaning my brass post sizing.

Brand new brass, but didn’t wipe any brass down prior to loading. Just run expander ball through to clean up any freight damage and deburr primer pockets and nylon brush of neck.