can you neck turn once fired brass
- Thread starter manhoer
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
boomtube
Well-Known Member
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
The mandrel does care.
New brass is easier to fit to a particular turning mandrel(through expansion) because it was fully formed in manufacture, pretty much ready to load. This is the basis for expander mandrel size.
With fired cases all dimensions change, and you're relying on die downsizing, springback, expansion, and springback again, to leave whatever mandrel fit you end up with.
It can be done, some(with wildcats) may have no choice if turning. Some take the inside neck reaming path instead of outside neck turning.
But ideally, you would turn before firing. And most have to(in a tight neck chamber) because the loaded necks wouldn't fit until turned.
Trial & error for you.
New brass is easier to fit to a particular turning mandrel(through expansion) because it was fully formed in manufacture, pretty much ready to load. This is the basis for expander mandrel size.
With fired cases all dimensions change, and you're relying on die downsizing, springback, expansion, and springback again, to leave whatever mandrel fit you end up with.
It can be done, some(with wildcats) may have no choice if turning. Some take the inside neck reaming path instead of outside neck turning.
But ideally, you would turn before firing. And most have to(in a tight neck chamber) because the loaded necks wouldn't fit until turned.
Trial & error for you.
boomtube
Well-Known Member
The mandrel does care.... And most have to(in a tight neck chamber)"
A mandrel may 'care' but not much and a touch of case lube on the mandrel will fix that.
Anyone concerned about neck carbon should know it's really not very hard to clean necks spotless no matter how many times it's been fired, the very thin carbon residue is extremely thin so even if it's not removed it won't matter. The VERY few of us who have custom cut tight-necked chambers already know how to deal with it so this information would be meaningless to them.
A mandrel may 'care' but not much and a touch of case lube on the mandrel will fix that.
Anyone concerned about neck carbon should know it's really not very hard to clean necks spotless no matter how many times it's been fired, the very thin carbon residue is extremely thin so even if it's not removed it won't matter. The VERY few of us who have custom cut tight-necked chambers already know how to deal with it so this information would be meaningless to them.
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Actually, I wasn't talking about friction.
A good and consistent mandrel fit is important to precision neck turning. And so are neck lengths and shoulder angles.
When a neck holds a sloppy fit to the turning mandrel, the necks/shoulders can take various angles to the cutter, and the cutter can also 'peel' more or less brass during the process.
This, combined with speed & feed, make turning a trial & error process, no matter how fancy or basic the equipment.
I know it can be done loose, and with good results, or not.
Ideally the necks fit properly via the matched turning/expander mandrels.
As an example, if you expand necks with a K&M expandiron, and then turn with Sinclair's turning tools, your results will likely not be as good as necks first expanded with Sinclair's matching expander mandrel(both conditions using new cases).
I think everyone who turns understands that the mandrels are matched, and for a reason. But OP is considering a departure from this intent, by using unpredictable pre-fired brass.
A good and consistent mandrel fit is important to precision neck turning. And so are neck lengths and shoulder angles.
When a neck holds a sloppy fit to the turning mandrel, the necks/shoulders can take various angles to the cutter, and the cutter can also 'peel' more or less brass during the process.
This, combined with speed & feed, make turning a trial & error process, no matter how fancy or basic the equipment.
I know it can be done loose, and with good results, or not.
Ideally the necks fit properly via the matched turning/expander mandrels.
As an example, if you expand necks with a K&M expandiron, and then turn with Sinclair's turning tools, your results will likely not be as good as necks first expanded with Sinclair's matching expander mandrel(both conditions using new cases).
I think everyone who turns understands that the mandrels are matched, and for a reason. But OP is considering a departure from this intent, by using unpredictable pre-fired brass.
Sorry to change the subject, but you mention that new brass is pretty much ready to load. That couldn't be farther from the trueth. Like many others here, I FL size all my new brass after I inspect it to cull out the split necks and cracked shoulders which I often find after an initial inspection. Then I turn the necks. Hope this helps!
backwoods83
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 3,413
When you buy "Quality" new brass, a simple necksize to straighten case necks is all that's needed, and usually not real bad with cheap brass. If you have any doubts full length size the cases and then turn the necks, of course more info about your intent and equipment would be usefull.
Turnling necks is usually restricted to tight neck custom chambers. With those, virgin brass must be first turned. If yours is a factory barrel, there is plenty of clearance and neck turning is not necessary. You can, of course, skim turn those necks to improve consistency, but you will most likely not see any substantial change on paper.
boomtube
Well-Known Member
"Actually, I wasn't talking about friction."
Me neither except that any slightly over-tight neck can benefit from a tad of lube. Using an expander tailored to match the mandrel is helpful BUT variations of neck hardness limits how "precise" even that will be. Whatever; discussing the minutia of neck turning is meaningless to the OP and my post was to him, not to impress the world of how much I know about turning.
Me neither except that any slightly over-tight neck can benefit from a tad of lube. Using an expander tailored to match the mandrel is helpful BUT variations of neck hardness limits how "precise" even that will be. Whatever; discussing the minutia of neck turning is meaningless to the OP and my post was to him, not to impress the world of how much I know about turning.
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
And my point is that it's gonna be trial & error.
"Actually, I wasn't talking about friction."
Me neither except that any slightly over-tight neck can benefit from a tad of lube. Using an expander tailored to match the mandrel is helpful BUT variations of neck hardness limits how "precise" even that will be. Whatever; discussing the minutia of neck turning is meaningless to the OP and my post was to him, not to impress the world of how much I know about turning.
Bingo, that is the key!
