WE were comparing our brass today....

[springmom]

DH and I took the opportunity of a lovely not-too-hot day to go to the range with our rifles. Both of us own Remington 700's; mine is an older (don't know how old) .243. His is a brand new last year .30-06. We happened to notice, as we were cleaning up, that the neck of his cartridges, while slightly discolored black, were pristine in comparison to mine, which were black all the way down the neck. I dug around in our brass stash later (I really AM going to get the reloading setup done one of these days) and found older examples of our brass, and sure enough, mine are uniformly filthy down the length of the neck, while his shows nothing more than a little collar around the very neck opening.

So the question is: why?

I was shooting Remington 100gr PSP; he was shooting Winchester Supreme 180gr bonded. We also checked his .30-30 brass...clean as can be, all the way up the neck.

So what, if anything, is wrong with mine? Is this something you'd take to the gunsmith? Deer season is coming up and I don't want anything going wrong at an inopportune moment.

Springmom

 

[R.W.Dale]

I assure you there isn't a thing wrong with your rifle, Don't worry be happy

 

[eliphalet]

Sounds about normal to me.
Look here to date your Remington if you like.

http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/questions/barrelcodes

 

[springmom]

ROTFL. Well, according to the code, it was made in 1922, 1966, or 1993 . Given that it has the "Warning, read instruction book..." deal on the barrel, I'm betting '93.

Thanks.

Springmom

 

[50 Shooter]

What your seeing is carbon from the gases escaping around the cartridge in the chamber. It's nothing to worry about right now as the ammo is probably slightly smaller (neck area) then your chamber. In time it could become a problem leading you to need to have the barrel rechambered by having the chamber set back.

If you plan on reloading measure the brass at the neck and find a neck sizing die as close to the same size as the fired brass. CH4D makes dies with replaceable collets so that you can do this, it will allow for a tighter fit in the chamber. This should also get rid of the carbon build up that you're seeing right now.

 

[springmom]

50 Shooter, that was what I was wondering...

Sounds like it doesn't need to go to the gunsmith yet. Not sure quite how I'll know when it is, though.

Springmom

 

[jerkface11]

When it's bad enough to worry about it'll start splitting case necks. You can probably expect that to happen in 15 or 20 years.

 

[springmom]

ROTFL.

I'll put that on my to-do list for two decades from now

Springmom

 

[50 Shooter]

15 or 20 years.... maybe, quite possibly?

I would keep an eye on your accuracy if you start to see alot of flyers it might be sooner rather then later. Also depends on how often and how many rounds you shoot out of it. Until then I wouldn't worry about it and reloading for it will probably solve the problem.

 

[springmom]

Thanks 50 Shooter. For a hunting rifle, it gets a lot of time at the range. It's expensive to shoot (until I get the reloading set up....note to self....!) but it has always been such an accurate and fun gun to shoot that I'll pay the bucks for a box of 20 rounds and go shoot it off every once in awhile, outside of hunting season.

I'll keep an eye on the accuracy. It hasn't been great this year in comparison to last year but I wasn't sure if it's just me somehow or the scope or the rifle. But the scope rings are good and tight, so it's either me or the rifle.

Springmom

 

[rino451]

Do you shoot the same ammo all the time? Might try something a little hotter so the brass will expand to seal/conform to the chamber walls better.

I put together some really weak .223 reloads (shot in a 5.56 barrel) and that crap was "dirty." Ended going up a grain thereabouts and things are a lot cleaner now.

 

[springmom]

No, I've shot several different types over the last year (the search for the perfect deer round, you know ) and when I dug out the old brass and looked, it was the same way.

Springmom