Resizing Die - Making one??

[Utah Shotgunner]

I brought my question in Bullets and Barrels to the top, but this might be the better forum.

I finally have my hands on my barrel and the reamer is coming. This rifle will be built for .30BR and heavier bullets.

Anyway, since I bought the reamer, can a friend who is a master machinist use this reamer to make a resizing die? and/or a seating die?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Black Diamond 408]

Mike,

Your finish reamer will make a seater die for sure, most FL sizer dies are made from the rougher or a special size die reamer. I always order two reamers for special wildcats so i can make the dies myself. You can use a finish reamer to make sizer dies, this will intake more machining as it needs a shoulder bump-neck bushing. You also can make neck sizer dies as well just using a neck bushing in the same manner as a seater die. For my seater dies i use the Vickerman type of seaters, it has the sliding bushing that aligns the case neck and bullet. I use the reamer to make the bushing, it basicly is a mini chamber for your case shoulder and neck to fit into. They are very accurate and easy to make. Any good machinist can make this stuff, they just have know somthing about guns and reloading dies.

Dave

 

[Utah Shotgunner]

Dave,

I think I might have to give it a try. I actually found another two articles last night in my 1937 Rifleman about this. In one article (including dimensional drawings) a guy made his own press, dies, powder measure and powder scale. We sure have it a LOT easier now.

Among my stuff I also have a 30-06 die that is marked "Homemade 30-06". Very well done, I sized a few cases with it out of curiousity and it seemed to work perfectly. It was in a box with a bunch of other stuff bought at an auction.

When all of the misc. parts are in my hand I might ask you more detailed questions as my friend is a great machinist but not a shooter. He likes these kind of projects as a learning experience. He made me a set of 10 to 12ga "Chambermates" about a year before they became readily available on the market.

 

[Black Diamond 408]

Mike
When your ready i can send you some photos of seater dies and neck sizers.
Just drop me an email

Dave

 

[kraigwy]

Yeap its possible but not practable, I've done it. By the time you get set up, get the material, cut the die, and then heat treat it, its not cost effective.

If you want to do it just to see if you can, get a copy of Howe's THE MODERN GUNSMITH, that's give you the how to's.

I'm the last person to say something can't be done. You're want to, and ambition is the only limiting faction.