outside neck turning

[Doghunter23]

When I get a lot of new brass I like to take a skim pass on the neck turner. As part of by prep. It is just enough to make them uniform thickness I take off about half a tho. My latest lot of brass won't fit on the pilot as they are too tight.
I can either shoot them once to open them up, or run them through the expander on the die and hope it is enough.
Is there a prefered method to keep them as concentric as possible?

I normally never run an expander on my decapping die to avoid concentricity problems.

Thanks

 

[Edd]

You need an expander mandrel that matches your turning mandrel. The expander will expand the necks to the size needed to properly fit the turning mandrel.

 

[CatShooter]

I can either shoot them once to open them up, or run them through the expander on the die and hope it is enough.
Is there a preferred method to keep them as concentric as possible?

I normally never run an expander on my decapping die to avoid concentricity problems.

Thanks

Run them through your sizer and expand them...

"Is there a preferred method to keep them as concentric as possible?"

Brass cases are "raw material" until they have been fired in your chamber at least once, so don't worry about that on first firing. First firing is just fireforming, even if it isn't a wildcat.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Doghunter23,

Firing the cartridge forms the outside of the neck. You need to form the inside of the neck. I would not size them but run them over an expander so they fit the mandrel. I never try to turn necks without this as the necks are usually beat up a little in shipping.

 

[Doghunter23]

Thanks guys that makes sense. I will expand them before fireforming!
I appreciate the feedback

 

[Mikecr]

I will expand them before fireforming!

That's not what anyone said..

 

[bigedp51]

Expand the necks with your sizing die or a expander die and push the neck irregularities to the outside of the neck before turning.

The expender dies have normally have two different diameter expanders, one for sizing and one for turning.

 

[Doghunter23]

I took the bushing out of my sizing die in order to expand the necks, lubed them up and ran them though the expander. I then pushed the pilot of my outside neck turner in the brass and found they had a perfect fit.
I put the pilot back in the neck turner to take a skim pass (like I always have in the past before fireforming)and found that they still didn't fit in the case neck.

huhhh....
I looked closely at the pilot and turned the forester and found the pilot had a lot of visible wobble to it.
I put the pilot on the bench and rolled it, thunk thunk thunk.
So my brand new 6mm neck turn pilot that I have never used before is very bent!lightbulb
I called midway and they sent me out a free replacement.

 

[Doghunter23]

Expand the necks with your sizing die or a expander die and push the neck irregularities to the outside of the neck before turning.

The expender dies have normally have two different diameter expanders, one for sizing and one for turning.

Thanks for the feedback,
I never visualized the process as pushing the irregularities to the outside in order to trim them off before, very helpful