The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Again it sounds like it's not OAL that is the issue it sounds like you will need to neck turn all your brass for use in this rifle and it won't accept factory ammo either
Once you have neck turned you will be able to establish a correct COAL and go forward from there
For a case to get COAL with the lock &Load/ hornaday system will need to be a neck turned case drilled and tapped to fit the rod

[quoteAgain it sounds like it's not OAL that is the issue it sounds like you will need to neck turn all your brass for use in this rifle and it won't accept factory ammo either
Once you have neck turned you will be able to establish a correct COAL and go forward from there
For a case to get COAL with the lock &Load/ hornaday system will need to be a neck turned case drilled and tapped to fit the rod][/quote]

I have the hornady system and can drill and tap my own cases for it with out a problem I also have a couple of cases with slit necks to try as well. May be I need to order a 6.5x55 gauge from the shooting shed.

No it does not like factory ammo. Some of them it wont chamber at all. I have tried several makes with out much success. I don't know anything about neck turning sounds like I need to read up on it. I might invest in a neck turning tool all though the process sounds decidedly dodgy to me deliberately thinning case necks does not sound right to me.

If factory ammunition won't load then there's something odd with the chamber, a set of 6.5x55 go/nogo gauges would be a first step, if they won't chamber then either the chamber is wrong or it's been set up as a wildcat in some form like reduced neck diameter. Factory ammo is made to to fit into chambers on both ends of the Saami specifications, if your chamber doesn't accept it there's a very large rabbit away somewhere.

Can you post a photo of the proof marks?, someone will know what they mean.

I really would not simply reduce the COAL to enable ammunition to fit and fire anything further until you know exactly what the situation is.

Should only need to take a couple of thou off the neck thickness so no danger to case integrity
You will also need to use a bushing resizing die so you can get the right amount of neck sizing as a standard die is now no good for you with this rifle
It is not about COAL it's about the neck of the case not fitting into the chamber
Once the necks are turned down to fit then a correct size case threaded for the tooling then the correct COAL can be established and will no doubt be somewhere near where it's expected to be unless the chamber has been cut for a specific size/weight of bullet for a specific application

Once your all sorted it should be a accurate rifle

Try and ask for info off previous owner and or smith that carried out the work as it will save you loads of work and development time

Guys - somehow the duffers at the Proof House have managed to fire proof-rounds in this rifle.

They won't have neck-turned cases - they don't know how.

They will probably have chucked in the headspace gauges - and passed it as correct.

Think of something other than the chamber being wrong.

Use your dies to get a new case to chamber without resistance - with the bolt spring/pin ass. removed.

Once your sizing-die is set up, you can play with bullet seating depth. But please, before you do anything - MAKE SURE THE CHAMBER IS SPOTLESS!

All he need to do to check whether there's enough neck clearance is to compare the neck diameter of one of his fired cases against that of a loaded round. Simples.

He chambered and fired a round and ripped the neck off on extraction!! Might be difficult to measure

I have been doing as the gun pimp suggested and trying to make the case fit with my reloading dies.
First impressions are:
New empty cases checked and trimmed to length.
PPU bolt closes but resistance bolt has to be pushed home.
Norma cases not as bad but still stiff bolt close.
FNM target stiff bolt close not as bad as PPU.
Next up is Lapau.

Also posted to the "Wanted" thread.

Seriously I'd stop now until you can verify the chamber is within Saami Spec, playing with case length/shoulder bumping in order to fit an unknown problem is a potentially fatal accident waiting to happen.

Three perfectly good makes of FLS and corectly trimmed empty case give you stiff bolt closure, this is telling you there is a major difference to a normal 6.5x55 chamber, it may well be right on the very limit of Saami minimum spec but even so factory ammunition would still fit such a chamber.

It may well be tight necked or some other wildcat chamber with an adjusted shoulder angle, what did the previous owner say about it?, do the proof marks give any indications?.

If you need a local(ish) gun smith Dave Folwell at BowTec in Birtley is the closest I can think of.

Also posted in the wanted section.

I appreciate your concern but I have all ready stopped I have no intention of firing this rifle again if ever unless I am completely satisfied it is fit for purpose.
I'm prepared to try and fit the cases to the rifle and even check it with a set of go no gauges. If its a dud Ill bin it. The rifles monetary value is of no consequence and I would never sell it on.