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DPMS 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle & Brass Issue

bolline
I have been shooting the DPMS 6.5 Creedmoor with great success. Have used the 120gr, 140gr and 129gr super performance rounds with no ejection or firing problems.

I have noticed abrasions, burrs or "knicks" on the back of the some brass cases after firing. Some are just abrasions of the stamping on the back of the casing. Some burrs are sharp enough to cut your finger.

Is this an issue with the gun or the brass? Is it a gun maintenance issue? Obviously this seems to be an issue if I want to keep and reload the brass but I do not want to use any potentially damaged brass casings.

Any help would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • armilite
    If its on the bottom of the brass around the lettering it is a possible sign of high pressure.
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  • b0400879
    Are there any signs of mangled/sheared/torn rims as well?
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  • skyfish
    I would bet it is from hitting the ejector. Most of my brass from and AR has some mark, not much. But never see it in a bolt gun. If its indented more than very slightly, you may have some pressure issue. Have a picture?
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  • sandwarrior
    bolline,

    What you are experiencing is what most AR shooters experience. In order to feed and function fast, as AR's are often wont to do, brass gets dinged going in and out.
    The burrs on the rims of your cases are no doubt due to the extractor popping over the rim as the cartridge chambers and then yanking on it as it comes out.
    The 'abrasions' you talk about on the lettering of the case head could be high pressure signs or it could be rough handling by the bolt while cycling as well. pics of that would help. Typically when a load is hot in a rifle the letters will get 'smeared' or 'swiped' a little. If you see an impression of an ejector pin, you are way too hot. It is more common to see this happening when loads are hot than having a rough/dirty bolt cause this. I would re-evaluate you loads.
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  • bolline
    Hey guys...thanks for the input...I posted this at the same time as SANDWARRIOR so I am updating my response. These loads are all factory HORNADY loads. I've used about 5 boxes of either the 140gr or 120gr brand new in the box. Unfortunately after several tries, I can't get a good close up picture of the shell casings. There is no rim damage or damage to the rest of the case. What bothers me is that I am seeing these marks on about 25 out of 100 fired casings. About half of the "damaged" ones have a one or two of the letters smudged out. For example, with HORNADY, the H or O looks like someone took a file to it and scratched it off. The other half have a nick or burr in the bottom of the edge of the case, enough to cut my finger on it if I rubbed it across the bottom of the casing. Again, this nick is no bigger than from the edge of the case to the edge of the primer (like 1/8 of an inch). Enough for me to say WTH, this isn't right. If it is "high pressure", would this be an ammo issue or a gun issue and what's the fix? Thanks again.
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  • fishkiller41
    Try a box of the standard loads and see if they suffer the same type damage.
    I wouldn't think Hornady would load any round to overpressure but, firing some std. rounds should tell the tale..
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  • bolline
    Just wanted to update everyone that was helping with this issue....to FISHKILLER41....there are no "standard" loads. Hornady just has the 120gr and 140gr match loads. There aren't any other 6.5 Creedmoor loads out there yet. I have not used the 129gr Super Performance rounds yet that have the extra velocity.....

    Also just for giggles I called DPMS to ask about the problem. Clear as day, one of the "gun builders" stated that it is 100% normal for that to happen on the back of some casings where the stamping is. He said it is from the ejector but that will happen normally from time to time, that the brass is completely safe to reload and that the higher end brass (from Hornady) tends to show the abrasions more. I wasn't expecting it to be normal? Does that sounds right?
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  • fishkiller41
    I was under the impression that you HAD been using the H-Day hi velocity/super V rnds.My mistake.
    As far as "normal", i'd say U got it "from the horses mouth".
    If DPMS says No Prob. GO FOR IT MAN!!!
    Good luck and happy shooting!!
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  • nononsense
    bolline,

    I set up some testing this morning to see if your problem was repeatable. I used the same factory ammunition, brand new, in the box.

    I got the same results as you did to a certain extent.

    The problem is one of timing and pressure. The bolt is unlocking at the peak pressure. This results in the smearing and sharp burr which is created by the edge of the ejector hole.

    The solution is to cause some form of delay to occur. You can't lengthen the gas tube without changing the barrel so the next best thing is to use something along the lines of the Tubb Carrier Weight System. You can also modify the buffer but this is a gunsmithing proposition.

    If you need to shoot factory ammunition, this is about it. If you can reload, a slightly faster powder will cause the pressure to peak faster and start to decrease before the bolt starts to unlock. You can also experiment with lower pressure loads.

    Best.
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  • bolline
    Thanks Nononsense. I appreciate the help. I found the Tubb CWS at Midway. I will give it a shot.
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