[tbaylor828]

I have had a problem with ssa 6.8 110 pro hunter round as a box of them will not feed into the chamber and will get stuck, I was hoping it was not the upper and after a go guide fit the chamber I was convienced it was the ammo. one of the 15 i had on hand fit into the chamber and ejected with no problems. I still have not fired it yet as it is driving me crazy, but my problem might be the with the casings. I just got home and yes a box of rounds were sticking, and now after i got home more than three boxes were sticking I randomly pulled 6 rounds from 6 more boxes and they stuck. Everyone of the soft points were marred but i expect that from the feed ramps, but each one of the copper jackets have the same nicks and scratches in the same pattern. So I took a 30 caliber brush and gently pushed in into the chamber to try to remove any burrs or extra metal. After that I flushed out the chamber with gun scrubber and recleaned and oiled the bore and chamber. I ran a random box of soft points, the first on fed so i cycled the gun twice more and the third stuck. after pulling it out i loaded 8rnds total and all of them cycled. Of course the SP are nicked up, but so are the copper jackets. They seem to be feeding smoother, but could a bur or anything else be the cause of this? Their is a pattern of an arch on the jackets and the marred soft points. The first two starts on the left and runs to the right down the jacket and the third fourth fifth and sixth all have deeper gouges as well as the run on the other side. The second to last on the right side has four nicks that you can see running down the jacket. As I fed 12 more from the same box all of them have similar markings one of them has a piece of the jacket looking like a thin piece of metal was shaved off, and that same round has three nicks on the shoulder of the casing. But the FACT Remains, some of the ammo feeds consistently, and some do not it is as of right now around three of every twenty that are jamming. Over pressure can be a real problem here can it not? Is it safe to shoot any of this stuff? I really need to go sight in my rifle asap. So is this ammo, or chamber? the Go guide should be larger than the bullet right? Thanks for your help.

 

[ron169]

Specs on barrel? Manufacturer? Chrome lined? Chamber type?

 

[ArtFWTx]

Specs on barrel? Manufacturer? Chrome lined? Chamber type?

Agreed.. barrel information is needed.

 

[constructor]

Agreed.. barrel information is needed.

It's one of my SAM-Rs, I told him to check the diameter of the neck of a loaded round but don't think he can. The scratches are from the ejector button pushing the cartridge and bullet into the lugs of the extension. The more you chamber and pull it out the more scratches you will get. The AR has a floating firing pin that is why it leaves little dings on the primers.

The go gage does not go up into the neck area, you need to measure the diameter of the necks of the loaded rounds.

 

[joshuades]

Do the newer SSA cases have thicker necks? SO far I've not had any problems with their ammo.

 

[ArtFWTx]

It's one of my SAM-Rs, I told him to check the diameter of the neck of a loaded round but don't think he can. The scratches are from the ejector button pushing the cartridge and bullet into the lugs of the extension. The more you chamber and pull it out the more scratches you will get. The AR has a floating firing pin that is why it leaves little dings on the primers.

The go gage does not go up into the neck area, you need to measure the diameter of the necks of the loaded rounds.

Just a process of elimination then. Hopefully it's no big deal.

 

[constructor]

Do the newer SSA cases have thicker necks? SO far I've not had any problems with their ammo.

possibly. The DMR(used in my stainless match barrels) was based on the brass size 3 years ago with .014 thick necks. I did recheck the SAAMI print which shows .307 dia and that is what the DMR is, the SPCII and DMR C(used in the XT and Recon) are .308.
I may need to change the match neck to .308 or .309 to match the brass if these problems persist.

Tim, If you want, send the upper back and I'll check it out, please include a few cartridges that would not load. I have a quick fix.
edited for clarification

 

[rushca01]

I just measured the necks on 50 rnds of factory loaded SSA 85 gr tsx's with a production date of october 2008 on the box. All the necks came in .300 or just tad under that. Does anybody know when SSA started using slightly larger necks? Does anybody have the ability to measure their necks on some new stuff?

What neck size do the RCBS small base dies resize too?

All rounds chambered by me just dropping the round into the chamber and also slid right out without any force (DMR chamber SS here as well).

So I have no problems with mine but I don't have any newer production ammo.

ETA: Baylor, H will make it right and everything will be cool, no worries man.

 

[tbaylor828]

oh yeah, I never worried about, i know he would take care of the problem. I just posted to see if anybody else was having problem with SSA's stuff. I am going to see if i can get the neck measured by the local smith here and then I'll repost. It is a bit irritating because I have not been able to fire the rifle. plus then I have to send it back and pay for shipping and then wait some more. I am going to pick up some hornady from a shop today 30 bucks a box, hopefully it will work. Just this morning I pulled out the rest of my SSA and randomly plucked two rounds from every box, every one got stuck, from 15 boxes I have not had one function properly. And after I go out of town this Friday, I will be gone a week. maybe I'll just send it in and let the pro take care of the issue. All depending on the measuring of the neck which I should get done today or tomorrow. Thanks H

 

[tbaylor828]

Ok, The one round that consistantly feeds reliebly has a neck of .345 while the one that consistantly gets stuck has a neck of .368 big difference and something you can clearly see. Mike with Jet suppressors basically said the same thing, it is a ammo problem and definately not the upper. Which is what i had concluded, but if SSA is going to use larger casings, i will be limited by one less provider. SSA is supposed to call me Friday to ammend the problem. I will let you know what happens. Thanks

 

[rushca01]

Ok, The one round that consistantly feeds reliebly has a neck of .345 while the one that consistantly gets stuck has a neck of .368 big difference and something you can clearly see. Mike with Jet suppressors basically said the same thing, it is a ammo problem and definately not the upper. Which is what i had concluded, but if SSA is going to use larger casings, i will be limited by one less provider. SSA is supposed to call me Friday to ammend the problem. I will let you know what happens. Thanks

WOW! I double checked my SSA brass again and the necks are all at .302 give or take. That is a HUGE difference compared to the .345!!! Is there a way you can post pics of this????

ETA: Think about how thick that case has to be...you have a .277 diam bullet sitting in a case that has a neck of .345. That means the case walls are aprox .034 hundreths thick. Most of my brass laying around is .010 thick.

 

[tbaylor828]

I might be able to go bother the smith again and take a snapshot, but i tried to post pics of the ammo themselves and i was unable to figure out how to post pics. Anyway, I don't think it is the case, I am pretty sure it is the bullet causing the problem and making the neck swell up. if i get the chance to post pics i will, but you can clearly see the bullet is the major diffence betweeen those two rounds i spoke of earlier. The casings are simular but the buldge in the sierra bullet is completely noticable withthe naked eye. They are obviously a defunct bullet too swollen ot be a .277

 

[tbaylor828]

Spoke with Art at SSA, The excellent company with be exchanging my 15 boxes for new ammo. Excellent company SSA, appreciate theirhelp with resolving the issue.

 

[marinesg1012]

is there any way you could measure the bullets before you send them back?

 

[tbaylor828]

possibly, but why? And one more thing as I spoke to art, he stated that .345 and .368 didn't make since but asked if it was .3068 and .3045, but I did hav jet suppressors measure the neck which his words were 345 and 368 but the round was so stuck that i had to hold the charging handle and smack the but on the ground pretty hard to release it, so much so the just by holding the muzzle in a safe direction and pulling the charging handle with all my strength (in my fingers) back towards me the the stock on my thigh I could not pull it out, it had to have a hard jar to remove the casing

 

[rushca01]

possibly, but why? And one more thing as I spoke to art, he stated that .345 and .368 didn't make since but asked if it was .3068 and .3045, but I did hav jet suppressors measure the neck which his words were 345 and 368 but the round was so stuck that i had to hold the charging handle and smack the but on the ground pretty hard to release it, so much so the just by holding the muzzle in a safe direction and pulling the charging handle with all my strength (in my fingers) back towards me the the stock on my thigh I could not pull it out, it had to have a hard jar to remove the casing

I'm with A, I would really like to know what they were. Like I said all my loaded brass measured .302-.304 and I could just drop the round into the chamber and they slide out if I tilt it back. This is very odd, keep us updated.

 

[owenslee]

possibly, but why?

Why....?

Because it is very likely that you did not receive the only oversize rounds. If the bullets are in fact oversize causing the necks to measure too large...you have an extreme safety issue.

Others who received similar rounds "might" be able to chamber and fire an oversize bullet resulting in excessively high chamber pressures...a catastrophic barrel failure... and possible injury...or worse.

Isolating the problem, determining what ammunition is affected and advising other SSA customers of a potential risk is VERY important.

THAT's why....

 

[marinesg1012]

Because I want to know if it is a bullet issue or a neck issue if the bullet isnt .277 then it is oversized, but if the bullet is right then it is a neck issue.....

 

[tbaylor828]

I tell you what I will take pictures of both the caliper on the neck and on the bullet. I will let you know exactly what they are. but as I said before, some of them fed, some do not. Out of twenty rounds five fed in the chamber and pulled out with the force of the buffer spring only, the others I had problems with. I will get pics, let me know how to post pics. I probably will not have time anyway to upload , but i did take pics, problem is they are huge files, he rounds that fit inside my chamber had a neck of 3015 while the bullet measured .277. The one that would not fit had a neck of 308 and a bullet of 278. The bullet measurement is taken from the shoulder of the rounds above the casing, I don't want t pull any as i don't have the tools.

 

[Plannerdude]

Stuck

I had a similar problem with one round of SSA the last time at the range. One round fed and the bolt did not close 100% and it took quite a bit of pull on the charging handle to yank that sucker out. But stuck it back in the mag, inserted and hit the bolt release. No problem. Just one of those things that makes me go...hmmm?