Thought I'd ask this august group if anyone knows the case head diameter for Lapua 6.5 x 55m brass ? I know the standard is .480. But the case head diameter from some US manufacturers are smaller... It matters when trying to determine whether or not to open up a bolt face. .... I'm working with a 98 Mauser action... not a Gustafs 96... Thanks !

Supposedly the dividing line is US manufacturing vs Euro manufacturing, meaning it’s the US companies who have deviated from spec.

I know I had to use the 6.5x55 specific shell holder when loading the Lapua brass.

I ran into the same problem with a 6.5x55mm Gew88 conversion . Lapua would not fit the bolt face , but that rifle is a push feed . With a 98 there may be more room for error or it may just depend on the rifle maker . I went with US cases for the Gew-88 . But I bought some US cases later [ Speer ? ] and they had a .480 rim and head .

I just got an e-mail back from the folks that support Lapua (Capstone Precision Group). They indicate that Case Head maximum diameter is .472 and rim maximum thickness is .059. Given the bolt face is about .473, then Lapua should work. It also means European brass is out.. Norma head diameter is .480. Looks like I'm going to spend some $$$ on Lapua...

I thought Lapua was European made.

I’m surprised as well. This is getting interesting.

Lapua manufactures centerfire cartridges in Lapua, Finland, and rimfire cartridges in Schonebeck, Germany...... Norma, is a Swedish manufacturer and I usually use Norma Brass for everything I can. But in this case, they are correct to the spec of .480 for case head and I'd rather not open the bolt face. Apparently most American made brass is in the .47** range. While that does make them an option, I've not liked the results I've gotten from some of them... had a lot of Remington brass at one point and some Winchester. So, that leaves Lapua as a viable alternative given the specs reported. They are a European brand and expensive - but likely more in line with what I am seeking.

I think Lapua is generally regarded as top of the heap of the mass producers.

SAMI specs https://saami.org/wp-content/upload...CFR-Approved-2015-12-14-Posting-Copy.pdf

CIP specs https://bobp.cip-bobp.org/uploads/tdcc/tab-i/6-5-x-55-se-en.pdf

US spec ( .4803 -.01) so in spec .4703 to .4803 while Europe does not and is 12.2mm or .4803

Thank you for that Kmon11... that helps... ==> US spec ( .4803 -.01) so in spec .4703 to .4803 while Europe does not and is 12.2mm or .4803

I'm ordering a box of Lapua, going to size a few and run a mandrel in the neck... then sending a couple of brass cases to the gun smith.

I just measured three different lots of Lapua 6.5mm . .480 . So either they changed the size or you were told wrong . R-P is .470 .

The batteries are dead in my calipers so I can't give you exact figures, but the Lapua I bought last year is definitely bigger than the Federal 6.5x55 I have and roughly the same size as PPU/S&B/Norma. Part of me thinks you should just bite the bullet and open it up to fit the proper dimensions, you'll be able to use PPU brass.

Well..... below is what I got from Lapua tech support... and.... I just ordered some Lapua brass... so I'm going to measure when it comes in.... but now I am thinking that I may have to open the bolt anyway... while we are waiting... what is your favorite bullet weight for your 6.5 x 55 ? My game rifles are 7mm, so this build is a "try something different" for me....

Bruce,

CASE HEAD maximum diameter is 0.472
CASE RIM maximum thickness is 0.059

Take care,
Phil *****
Technical Support
Capstone Precision Group, LLC.


6.5x55 - cool book...!

The best all around bullet weight for the 6.5x55mm is 139 / 140 . Accurate and enough bullet for game . For pure target work for 100 yard groups it is the SI- 107 Match King . This is just for my 15 rifles with Swede military barrels .

I concur with diablodog. The 140 grain Nosler Partition has shot best for me. Oddly enough, I have a 7x57 on the way. Thanks for the compliment on the book, I wish my grandpa could have lived to see it published.

6.5x55 - you will love the 7 x 57. It is a great round. I have one and it was the first rifle I could handle well growing up. The "other 7mm" is the 7mm-08. I got one to teach my kids with because it is so easy to handle and is simple to load light or heavy. It became my "Go to" in the process. So why am I chasing a 6.5mm x 55 ? Because its different and I want something that can handle the lighter rounds - essentially 140gr and below well (and I had a Mauser action lying around that needed a job).

On the bomber pilot side... My father was a bomber pilot too. Flew B-17s and B-29s and I've got a picture of one of his planes hanging in the hall. What those men did was nothing short of a miracle, they were a different breed altogether. One of his buddies actually had access to a B-25 that flew out of Galveston, Tx and they use to go up together...

The 7x57 I have on the way sounds similar to 6.5x55 you're putting together, also on a M98 action. It'll be a nice addition to your collection for sure. I know in Scandinavia they'll shoot grouse with 100 grain bullets and then switch over to 156 for moose.

My grandpa and your father may have crossed paths at some point. Before he went over to Italy he was based out of Palacios, did some goose hunting and redfish fishing on Matagorda Bay. I know he flew B-17s briefly in training before switching over to B-24s.

What book is cool ? I may want a look .

My grandpa's book of his experiences as B-24 pilot in WWII: https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Douglas-Coulter-Richards/dp/195416369X He was based out of Italy in the 456th Bomb Group, bombed targets all over southern and eastern Europe, went though some pretty terrible things. He joined in early 1941, could tell things were headed towards war and wanted to get in ahead of time. That helped him out because he was able to get more thorough training than guys joining later on when they really needed pilots fast. He was in Texas and Louisiana for most of his training, so some local interest there. The book has a lot of pictures, he was the squadron XO so he had access to a lot of things most people didn't.

Ordered

I appreciate it, let me know what you think. My grandpa was a big hunter and the one who taught me the ways. He always said "shoot what you want, but eat what you shoot."

The Lapua brass arrived. Let me start by saying that I usually prefer Norma to anything else. Norma brass is good quality, it is made to spec, requires little cleanup and I get a lot of reloads from it. Usually comes in a box, brass in a bag of about 100 rounds. As I said, the Lapua arrived today. Amazingly clean, in essentially a cardboard carton of 2 blocks of 50, 100 cases total. Looks like it has been annealed and polished. Took ten pieces and for a quick measure, dropped them in a Wilson Gauge, perfect.

==> Measured the case head diameter, .477 each and every one. Very happy.

So the tech guy was wrong ?

I'm not going to say he was wrong (benefit of the doubt), he was probably given a number.... but I am going to say that I have a very good analog steel caliper, I measured 10 randomly selected cases out of 100, and read ".477" each time. So, I feel that for this batch at least, my measurements are accurate at .477. I'm sending three cases to the gunsmith so he can complete his part...