RWS 8.15x46r virgin brass - resizing needed?

[cotis]

So I ordered and received three boxes of virgin RWS 8.15x46r brass for my friend's schuetzen rifle. He came over with the rifle the other evening and we chambered one. It immediately got stuck when we closed the breech and I needed a cleaning rod to knock it out via the muzzle. Here is a photo of what the case looks like now (it's the one on the right). You can see a dull ring at the neck so it appears the rifle "resized" the brass slightly. Seeing this, should I purchase a set of dies and resize all the pieces of brass?

[yamoon]

I have used RWS in the past and in one of my schuetzens it was necessary to use padded jaws in a vice and run the brass in flush with the bottom of the die and knock it out with a rod. Many of the old 8.15x46 chambers vary. The brass may chamber in one & not another. I keep the brass segregated and in labeled boxes.
Mike

[DreyseM65]

With the 3 rifles I have used RWS, I have not had any problems whatsoever. With brass reformed by others I found I had to "bump" the shoulder on some of them in order to chamber them in some of the rifles. I just used a die and slowly applied pressure until the shoulder bumped enough to chamber and extract.

On older military rifles I found I had to scrub the chamber, and sometimes even use Flitz polish, to get some fine rust out in order to chamber properly. I would check the chamber.

Otherwise, yes a resizing die is what you might need.

Many others here have alot more experience than I do with these older firearms, so I am just presenting what has worked for me.

[sharps4590]

Resize them or fireform them. Either would work.

[yamoon]

Even sizing does not always solve the problem. I have a system konkurrence that will not chamber brass resized with an 8.15x46 die. I run the brass part way into a 32-40 die then fire form.
Mike

[mike ford]

cotis,
A 32-40 file/ trim or sizing die is very handy for those of us that form cases from others to have; but for a few cases you might be able to get by with the 8.15x 46R sizing die. Try removing the expander stem, push the lubed case all the way into the die( up to the rim of the case) by either using a piece of steel on top of the shell holder or using a 22 hornet/ 222/223 shell holder. Then drive the case out of the die, with a punch through the top. This usually sizes enough extra to be able to fireform the cases to fit the chamber and subsequent sizing can be done in the normal manner. Be sure to trim the cases to length, as new cases are sometimes too long. I usually anneal the cases after the forming/fireforming/trimming operations, but many people don't bother with this step. Good luck.
Mike

[Axel E]

See the article "Normalisation" in Waidmannsheil! #56. The dimensions of the 8.15x46R were standardised in 1909. Before, any gun- or cartridgemaker used his own dimensuions, so changing from one case source to another was often impossible. Modern RWS brass and RCBS fl dies are made to the post-1909 normalized dimensions, close to maximum. So new cases or those resized in modern tools quite often don't fit old chambers. A common remedy here: Grind about 1mm = .04" off the bottom of the fl sizer die, slightly chamfer and polish the "new" entrance. This will allow you to pudh a case a bit deeper into the die until it chambers free. Afterwards you may adjust the lock ring to resize the cases just enough to fit your rifle again.

[Diz]

Cotis,

Axel has the right idea about cutting the bottom of the die slightly to get the case in deeper and move the shoulder back but I find it easier just to grind the top of the shell holder to get the same effect. It's easier than trying to polish the chamfer on opening of a very hard die especially if you only have to go a small amount.

Thanks, Diz

[cotis]

Good advice, thank you everyone! Now all I need to do is find and purchase some dies. Those 8.15x46r dies are spendy, especially for as little as they will be used.