A little help please

[The Goose]

I just acquired an original Spencer Carbine. It is a 56-50, the groove diameter is about .517 and it has 3 grooves. I got a center fire breech block and follower from Lodgewood. I bought some Starline brass, but am having some issues. When I try to chamber a case it will only go about half way in because the base is too thick. So I ran it up into a Lyman sizing die sitting on top of the shell plate so that it was sized all the way to the rim. I took the extractor out of my rifle because it is easier to work on that way. After sizing the case would chamber, but the rim was too thick. I chucked the case in my mini lathe and began thinning the rim gradually until it would chamber. After some playing around I had a case that would chamber. However, when I put the extractor back in the breech block would not fully close. I have ordered some Cerrosafe to take a chamber cast. Thought I would toss this out to this group and see if anyone has had a similar experience and any advice. Thank you in advance for your help.

[major]

Starline makes two different sets of brass for the Spencer.  One set is for originals and the other set is for the reproductions made by Armisport.  You may have purchased the wrong kind.

[DJ]

If your Spencer has been dry-fired much the original firing pin can cause a dent that can make both the chamber and the rim seat slightly out of round.  If you turn the case rim small enough to clear the dent (which will be on the right side) then the rim could end up small enough so that the extractor cannot grab the case on the right side.

If you have the chamber dent, you need to address that if you want to shoot as a repeater.

What is the diameter of your reduced-size rim that barely fits the chamber?

--DJ

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[DJ]

I may have misread your post--if so, my apologies.

When you put the extractor back in and tried to close the breechblock, did you make sure the extractor was in front of and not behind the case?  If the case gets ahead of the extractor, the breech ordinarily will not close.  I'm assuming this is a model with the long, thin extractor on the left side that does not have the coiled spring that holds it forward.

--DJ

[The Goose]

 Thanks for the ideas.

[El Supremo]

Sorry, Major:
It may be Rocky Mountain Cartridge with different 56-50 brass cases for either originals/Romano's or Armisports versions.
Starline lists only one case that they describe as for originals, but may work in Armisports, depending upon extractor fit. 
RMC clearly shows two versions.

Respectfully,

[major]

Sorry, Major:
It may be Rocky Mountain Cartridge with different 56-50 brass cases for either originals/Romano's or Armisports versions.
Starline lists only one case that they describe as for originals, but may work in Armisports, depending upon extractor fit. 
RMC clearly shows two versions.

Respectfully,

mybe that is what I was remembering.