Expander mandrel

Mc Fraser

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2018
Messages
386
Location
Calgary, AB
Hello everyone!
I need help selecting a good mandrel to be used as a final step before seating the bullet.
In my mind a mandrel has to have very low tolerances less then 1/1000 thou and be honed to have a very smooth surface.
I see the most popular is the Sinclair one but people are complaining about the quality. The carbide one seem to be good but can you polish carbide smooth the surface?
LE Wilson makes one and I just love it from pictures. It looks like it is polished like he is trying to make a mirror out if it. The downside's only half a thou under. Is that enough for a 300 PRC for hunting?
21st century has a good selection for each calibre in half a thou increments, but their website is atrocious can't tell from the pictures if I'm buying apples or mandrels.
What else is out there that if very good quality?
 
Hello everyone!
I need help selecting a good mandrel to be used as a final step before seating the bullet.
In my mind a mandrel has to have very low tolerances less then 1/1000 thou and be honed to have a very smooth surface.
I see the most popular is the Sinclair one but people are complaining about the quality. The carbide one seem to be good but can you polish carbide smooth the surface?
LE Wilson makes one and I just love it from pictures. It looks like it is polished like he is trying to make a mirror out if it. The downside's only half a thou under. Is that enough for a 300 PRC for hunting?
21st century has a good selection for each calibre in half a thou increments, but their website is atrocious can't tell from the pictures if I'm buying apples or mandrels.
What else is out there that if very good quality?
Darrell Holland makes one. I don't have personal experience with it, but if it is like everything else he makes, it is good. https://www.hollandguns.com/32m7/parts-accessories/reloading-accessories.html
 
I use the expander mandrel along with the turning mandrel to get the best fit while turning the necks. and bushing dies to set the neck tension or a polished expander ball with the dies so I can change the expander ball diameter to best size the neck, but prefer the bushings so I don't over work the case neck by sizing it down only to draw the expander back through the neck doubling the working of the case neck.

Just the way I prefer to set/size the neck tension.

Any brand of expander mandrels should be fine with the appropriate turning Mandrell, But I bought the Sinclair neck turning kit with everything needed and really like it. It is a slower process than some others but the end results are second to none.

J E CUSTOM
 
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I use the expander mandrel along with the turning mandrel to get the best fit while turning the necks. and bushing dies to set the neck tension or a polished expander ball with the dies so I can change the expander mandrel diameter to best size the neck, but prefer the bushings so I don't over work the case neck by sizing it down only to draw the expander back through the neck doubling the working of the case neck.

Just the way I prefer to set/size the neck tension.

Any brand of expander mandrels should be fine with the appropriate turning Mandrell, But I bought the Sinclair neck turning kit with everything needed and really like it. It is a slower process than some others but the end results are second to none.

J E CUSTOM


Is it normal for a carbide mandrel to get brass stains on it? I have the Sinclair units as well. When I was expanding necks in some Nosler once-fired 6.5-06AI cases with a .263 carbide mandrel, a couple of the necks actually collapsed during the expansion step. The cases were not salvageable. For the rest of the lot there was no issue seating bullets.
 
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