I have some questions regarding brass preparation. How oten do you guys clean primer pockets, and flash holes. Also, when trimming up brass, do you debur and chamfer before you resize or after? When neck sizing, do you need to lubricate the neck only or the whole case? Thanks for the help.
preping brass
- Thread starter samson
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Mysticplayer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2001
- Messages
- 1,459
Primer pockets get cleaned after every firing. Don't bother with the flash hole after it has been deburred. Definitely deburr and chamfer the neck after trimming. You have to look at a shallower angle chamfering too if using VLD bullets. Normal chamfer angle may still cut the base of the bullet. I neck size with the Lee collet die and no lube is necessary. I clean the outsides of the neck before sizing. You only need to lube the insides of the necks if your die has an expander ball.
Jerry
Jerry
Brent
Well-Known Member
I clean primer pockets every time.
Trimming is done every other time usually, keeping the cases shorter than the chambers OAL by .003" - .005" at minimum, the initial trimming is usually back by .007" - .008" though.
When I'm FL or NK sizing, I always trim "after" I size the cases, never before. The case will grow if you FL size them, then they aren't a consistant length anymore if you trimmed "first."
Flash holes get deburred initally and I never mess with them again...
I never have used lube with the Redding TNitride coated bushings, never have used any other though. I use a slight amount of lube on the neck with the other standard NK dies, even though I doubt it's needed.
If I have to use an expander ball, which I avoid, it's a carbide one of Reddings. Depending on how much it's opening the neck up, it may or may not get lubed too. Just ironing out dented necks on new cases or opening up a thou or two it works fine enough with no lube.
As soon as the necks start to get sooted up, or after 4-5 loadings, which ever comes first, they get annealed too.
Trimming is done every other time usually, keeping the cases shorter than the chambers OAL by .003" - .005" at minimum, the initial trimming is usually back by .007" - .008" though.
When I'm FL or NK sizing, I always trim "after" I size the cases, never before. The case will grow if you FL size them, then they aren't a consistant length anymore if you trimmed "first."
Flash holes get deburred initally and I never mess with them again...
I never have used lube with the Redding TNitride coated bushings, never have used any other though. I use a slight amount of lube on the neck with the other standard NK dies, even though I doubt it's needed.
If I have to use an expander ball, which I avoid, it's a carbide one of Reddings. Depending on how much it's opening the neck up, it may or may not get lubed too. Just ironing out dented necks on new cases or opening up a thou or two it works fine enough with no lube.
As soon as the necks start to get sooted up, or after 4-5 loadings, which ever comes first, they get annealed too.
Nighthawk
Well-Known Member
How often should you size the neck only versus the whole case?
Mysticplayer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2001
- Messages
- 1,459
I neck size until the case becomes stiff to chamber. Usually, the case is near the end of its lifespan anyways so I rarely FL size.
Some use the Redding body dies to bump the case so that chambering becomes easy again. In very tight BR type chambers, FL sizing is almost never done or necessary.
If your cases are getting tough to chamber after three or four firings, chances are you have the pressure throttle open a little bit too much, have too much headspace or a very generous production/SAAMI sized chamber. Most cartridges running near or slightly over max pressures will survive 6 to 10 neck sizings without any chambering problems.
Brass from cartridges like the 6BR and PPC in tight chambers will outlive the barrel.
Jerry
Some use the Redding body dies to bump the case so that chambering becomes easy again. In very tight BR type chambers, FL sizing is almost never done or necessary.
If your cases are getting tough to chamber after three or four firings, chances are you have the pressure throttle open a little bit too much, have too much headspace or a very generous production/SAAMI sized chamber. Most cartridges running near or slightly over max pressures will survive 6 to 10 neck sizings without any chambering problems.
Brass from cartridges like the 6BR and PPC in tight chambers will outlive the barrel.
Jerry
G
Guest
Guest
[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]
S1, I noticed in your last post that you said FL resize every time you reload a case. I have a .308 that I have only been neck sizing for. Most of my cases have been loaded 3-4 times each and I was planning to use them at least a few more times without FL resizing. Is there any risk to this if the cases are not showing any signs of hardening or neck splitting? Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
Wheat
Thanks,
Wheat
G
Guest
Guest
[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]
ESteele
New Member
S1,
I agree with the FLR approach. I shoot a 7.21 Lazzeroni and FLR (mainly because of the effort to procure a neck sizing die). Being an avid Sinclair follower, I use their recommendation about FLR adjustments: adjust down to form the case just to the point where the case chambers without putting extra pressure on the bolt. It takes some time to get it down to the Knat's *** but it seems to be worth it. I'm lucky having a tight chamber, but I think this procedure can be applied to any fire formed brass. I'm not sure about belted cases.
[ 06-23-2003: Message edited by: ESteele ]
I agree with the FLR approach. I shoot a 7.21 Lazzeroni and FLR (mainly because of the effort to procure a neck sizing die). Being an avid Sinclair follower, I use their recommendation about FLR adjustments: adjust down to form the case just to the point where the case chambers without putting extra pressure on the bolt. It takes some time to get it down to the Knat's *** but it seems to be worth it. I'm lucky having a tight chamber, but I think this procedure can be applied to any fire formed brass. I'm not sure about belted cases.
[ 06-23-2003: Message edited by: ESteele ]
Mysticplayer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2001
- Messages
- 1,459
S1, your observations about FL sizers is right on. My beef is that it is almost impossible to know what the dimensions of the die is before you buy them. Can lead to all sorts of headaches. Custom cut dies are just too expensive for me.
So, I neck size. Eliminates headspace, neck donuts, and sloppy fit. With the Lee collet die, I get very concentric ammo too. I figure that to get a proper set of custom FL dies at $200US, I can buy a lot of brass and just throw it out when it doesn't chamber (after 6 to 12 reloads). Don't have to anneal either.
I do have one rifle where FL sizing works the best. However, the vast majority have "production" style chambers and the FL dies just don't fit well.
It is too bad that the SAAMI specs have such large tolerances. An oversized chamber and undersized die and you got problems...
Jerry
So, I neck size. Eliminates headspace, neck donuts, and sloppy fit. With the Lee collet die, I get very concentric ammo too. I figure that to get a proper set of custom FL dies at $200US, I can buy a lot of brass and just throw it out when it doesn't chamber (after 6 to 12 reloads). Don't have to anneal either.
I do have one rifle where FL sizing works the best. However, the vast majority have "production" style chambers and the FL dies just don't fit well.
It is too bad that the SAAMI specs have such large tolerances. An oversized chamber and undersized die and you got problems...
Jerry
G
Guest
Guest
[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]
barry206
Member
S1,How do you polish the inside of your dies?Thanks
G
Guest
Guest
[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: S1 ]
Dan McCarty
Member
Any reason dies cannot be polished using a drill press on low spend or a dremel tool with 0000 steel wool and final polish with jewelers'rouge?
