In my experience, when an over-long-shoulder cartridge is "forced closed" and fired with a moderate load (typical Krag pressures) the case expands to fill the chamber during peak pressure and then, thanks to the elasticity engineered into cartridge brass, springs back enough to permit easy extraction. If the case is then reloaded without altering body and shoulder dimensions (neck-sized), it will chamber easily - and continue to do so as long as moderate (or lighter) loads are used.FredC wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 2:19 pm Parashooter,
Are you saying that if these were just forced closed with the bolt the process of rearranging the shoulder will make subsequent chambering easy? Trying to envision what would happen while fire forming the shoulder is tough for me. I see 3 possibilities. I could get better, worse or stay the same. Without experimenting I have no idea which out come is more probable. . .
Why not give it a try and let us know if you get the same result? I've seen speculation that the additional closing force would be hard on the rifle's locking surfaces but this seems unlikely given the relative strengths of the robust steel action and thin brass cartridge. Good lubrication on the bolt is always helpful, of course.