Longranger

I would be very surprised if tightening the crimp would make a difference. -Longranger

MartyZ, The 55gr PMC is advertised as 3200fps and it looks like your load should be right about there also. So, maybe you're down to a question of bullet length and seating depth. I'm not sure what length bullets are in the PMC rounds or what their COL is, but maybe you're running a lower pressure if your 55gr FMJBT w/c is a shorter bullet loaded to the same COL and leaving you with more empty space inside the case? Too bad you don't have chrony data. That would surely help sort things out. If you're oh so close to a load that would lock the bolt back, maybe your reloads would work after sitting in the sun on one of those 90+ degree days and not so much on cooler days. -Longranger

MartyZ, What buffer set up are you using? Do you have an adjustable gas block? My first thought is that the load is OK, but you need to do some tuning on the SPR to work with the lighter bullet. -Longranger

Check out the attached SAAMI specs for rifle primer pockets. Looks like all of yours are pretty much in the ballpark. I'm thinking those bottom corners need to be really sharp and not have one bit of dirt, carbon, or debris. The height dimension for the small rifle primer is shown to include the anvil, which seems odd to me as the anvil is squished into the primer when seated. Seems like that dimension should be for the primer cup by itself without the anvil. That way a 0.115" minimum height primer in a maximum depth 0.123" primer pocket would give you the 0.008" max depth of the primer below the face of the cartridge case head as it's called out in the spec. I took a close look at the primer pocket uniformers I have here and some do look uhhh, let's say a little less than perfect. Ugh. I don't have any reloaded 223 on hand to measure depths and I usually just use my finger to check whatever I'm reloading to make sure there is at least some depth. Maybe the 41's are on the tall side of the spec??? Regardless, the really sharp corner at the open end of the primer cup isn't going to like being pushed into anything other than a really square corner at the bottom of the primer pocket. I'm curious to see how things work out after hitting those primer pcokets with the new uniformer and also how the brand spanking new corners on the uniformer look before you use it. -Longranger SAAMI Rifle Primer & Primer Pocket specs.pdf

OK. A few questions. Can you adjust the depth on your primer pocket uniforming tool? Do you have a depth micrometer to measure the depth of the primer pocket and the height of the cutter on the primer pocket uniforming tool? Corners on the cutter are good and sharp, not rounded? How does the primer pocket depth on the Lake and Federal brass compare to the others where you don't have as much trouble? -Longranger

What three tools are you using to prep the primer pocket? Hopefully one is a pocket uniformer that cuts to seat flat, square, and to the correct depth. -Longranger

LJ1972, +1 on the replies so far. I'd like to add that more likely than not, the OAL spec will change with a change in bullet profile. The published load data that you'll find in a manual typically includes details about the barrel length, primer, powder, case and specific bullet that were used in developing their data. All of the published data is intended to keep your chamber pressure at safe levels. Every manual that I have has a few paragraphs of preamble for each cartridge just before the data is presented. Lots of detailed info in there usually. Try to find load data for the specific bullet that you're using. Join the Handloading group at Groups.io. There's a ton of very knowledgeable and helpful people there and it's free! -Longranger

If anyone is interested and has an hour and fifteen minutes with nothing better to do, they can listen to the audio recording of the 11/20/2018 oral arguments from the 3rd Circuit of the US Court of Appeals concerning the ANJRPC v. NJ Attorney General case now. It can be found here: https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/oralargument/audio/18-3170AssociationofNewJerseyRifle&PistolClubsInc,Etal.v.AttyGenNewJersey,etal..mp3 Doesn't look like the court has made any decision yet though. -Longranger

Aargh! I reposted this in the Magazine Ban Upheld topic in the Current Gun Law Discussion forum. Sorry about that! If anyone is interested and has an hour and fifteen minutes with nothing better to do, they can listen to the audio recording of the 11/20/2018 oral arguments from the 3rd Circuit of the US Court of Appeals concerning the ANJRPC v. NJ Attorney General case now. It can be found here: https://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/oralargument/audio/18-3170AssociationofNewJerseyRifle&PistolClubsInc,Etal.v.AttyGenNewJersey,etal..mp3 Doesn't look like the court has made any decision yet though. -Longranger

I'm thinking along the same lines as Old School. Mis-adjusted die mashing the case mouth. In your photos, the case mouth looks like it has a bulge or ring at the very top. Do the cartridges look like that before chambering? Is it the bullet or the neck that's getting stuck in the chamber? Can you chamber one of your sized cartridges without any bullet seated in it? -Longranger

And the bullets are flat base, not boat tail, and they really do weigh 150gr, right? Just trying to make sure Hornady sent you the right thing and take out a few more variables. What are you measuring OAL with? Can you stand one of your reloads next to a factory cartridge and just eyeball for any obvious differences? -Longranger

MartyZ, Hornady 9th lists the cartridge OAL for the 308 WIN as 2.735" when loaded with the #3031 bullet. You can chamber a factory 308 cartridge in those guns with no problems, right? -Longranger

No worries. Yep, looks like FFLsOnly is another forum and not an email group. I'm not an FFL yet, but a C&R is on my to-do list! -Longranger

@PK90, The email group is different than a forum. If someone in the email group posts something, everyone in the group receives it. With the forum, you need to go to the forum website and see what's been going on unless you've subscribed to that particular forum or thread. At least, that's how I believe it all works. -Longranger

I recently created the Groups.io FFL group as a place for FFL holders to share FFL-related ideas and discuss FFL-related issues. All active FFL holders (including C&Rs) are welcome to join. Anyone wishing to join will need to provide FFL ID info as the membership is restricted. Here's a link to the group: https://groups.io/g/FFL Thanks, -Longranger