Can you send in brass and have a reamer built? With brass in certain cartridges difficult to find and want an improved version or just a caliber change of something that's not already designed can you anneal something that peeps make reamers and headspace gauges for by just sending your brass in? If so, what about getting dies?
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reamers/chambering
- Thread starter ARlife4me
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It's easier with a print, but there are companies that will make a reamer from brass. I believe Manson will do it. They can also work from a parent and make reamers for necking up or down or improving a cartridge without a print or brass. They'll make gauges and sizing die reamers too. Hornady offers custom dies, which is probably a better route than getting a sizing die reamer made then having a die made.
Getting a perfect sizing between fired brass and FL sizing die is having somebody like JGS build you a chamber reamer and die reamer, its not the cheapest though. It depends on your goal, ive sent in about 6 different brass with bullet seated were I want them for freebore for different calibers.
If you send in brass to have a custom die made make sure it has atleast 3 firings on the case.
If you send in brass to have a custom die made make sure it has atleast 3 firings on the case.
std7mag
Well-Known Member
You can do a drawing of what your looking to do. There are free CAD programs that you can download for doing this.
Or you can get QuickDesign from Neconos.
https://www.neconos.com/quick-design-computer-aided-cartridge-design/
With the drawings you can get reamers made.
Then get blank dies and ream to your own specs.
pacifictoolandgauge.com
Much less expensive than custom dies.
Or you can get QuickDesign from Neconos.
https://www.neconos.com/quick-design-computer-aided-cartridge-design/
With the drawings you can get reamers made.
Then get blank dies and ream to your own specs.
Search - Pacific Tool and Gauge
Much less expensive than custom dies.
This is all good for a seater, unless you have a lathe and a way to harden a FL sizing it dont work. You need a lathe for a seater also or smith to ream either one.You can do a drawing of what your looking to do. There are free CAD programs that you can download for doing this.
Or you can get QuickDesign from Neconos.
https://www.neconos.com/quick-design-computer-aided-cartridge-design/
With the drawings you can get reamers made.
Then get blank dies and ream to your own specs.
Search - Pacific Tool and Gauge
Much less expensive than custom dies.
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
We do it all the time. The best way is to first have a goal in mind and check whats out there because everything has been necked up, down and sideways! No need to reinvent the wheel. When you've done that, get a print from manson or JGS and make the notations on the print that you want changed. You may need a little help the first time, but the reamer maker will usually be glad to help.
Pay attention to things like the action and magazine capabilities for the modification as well as bullet choices to get the Free Bore set correctly.
Once you've created your design and its approved by the reamer maker, be thinking about, and learning how, to fire form your brass (if your design warrants it). Unless its a simple necking up or down, it will.
At this point, you can order a resize reamer at the same time from the manufacturer, but unless you're planning on cutting several dies, you are better off to fire form your brass and send a couple in to your die maker to cut your dies. They don't need a reamer but can single point cut it.
When thats all done, you're off to the races. It can be a satisfying experience to create your own cartridge and learn to go through the whole process of load development, etc, Use a similar case with as close to the same capacity and bore size as you can, and start at the low end loads in the manual.
Good luck and enjoy. If you get stuck, feel free to call me.
Rich
Pay attention to things like the action and magazine capabilities for the modification as well as bullet choices to get the Free Bore set correctly.
Once you've created your design and its approved by the reamer maker, be thinking about, and learning how, to fire form your brass (if your design warrants it). Unless its a simple necking up or down, it will.
At this point, you can order a resize reamer at the same time from the manufacturer, but unless you're planning on cutting several dies, you are better off to fire form your brass and send a couple in to your die maker to cut your dies. They don't need a reamer but can single point cut it.
When thats all done, you're off to the races. It can be a satisfying experience to create your own cartridge and learn to go through the whole process of load development, etc, Use a similar case with as close to the same capacity and bore size as you can, and start at the low end loads in the manual.
Good luck and enjoy. If you get stuck, feel free to call me.
Rich
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
I just measure new brass & fill out a blank reamer print.
I see no reason to send a reamer maker anything other than a reamer print (through email).
Like this:
For reference you can google image reamer drawings for various cartridges.
I see no reason to send a reamer maker anything other than a reamer print (through email).
Like this:
For reference you can google image reamer drawings for various cartridges.
A set of 2 custom dies from Hornady starts around $200. Depending on the specifics that goes up a bit, but for most cartridges you can get their match grade bushing die set for around $260 or a standard die set for $220.You can do a drawing of what your looking to do. There are free CAD programs that you can download for doing this.
Or you can get QuickDesign from Neconos.
https://www.neconos.com/quick-design-computer-aided-cartridge-design/
With the drawings you can get reamers made.
Then get blank dies and ream to your own specs.
Search - Pacific Tool and Gauge
Much less expensive than custom dies.
It's been a while since I had a custom reamer made, but the last one I bought was around $150. Based on the price of their stock reamers I'd bet they're more expensive now. The die blanks you linked to don't include seating stems, expanders, or decapping rods. At $45 for the blank bodies and another $30 for the hardware you're looking at $70 for the blanks, putting you at around $220 for a reamer and blanks. If you have a lathe you can do it yourself and break even or save $40 over a custom bushing die. If you're paying to have it done you're losing money.
Not everbody understands how much freebore they need for a specific bullet, freebore dia, if it needs a little more to the base to avoid clickers etc.
Unless you understand this its way better to have somebody like JGS to atleast help and tell them what your after. Reamers aren't cheap and take awhile to get.
Would you just fill out a print your first time or even second and just send it in?
Neither are barrels or Smith charges to fit one up.
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NEVER EVER make a bullet seater out of a Finish reamer, you need a die reamer for that as Sherm has stated. Those of us that had this done with a finish reamer, ended up:
A. having the die honed out
B. using the bullet seater as a full length sizer while seating a bullet
C. trashing the die because it was too small
There is much wisdom, hard-learned from Sherm's post.
For instance, you have a particular brand of brass that measures .469 at the .200 mark on the brass, just in front of the extractor groove.
Question: What dia would you make a finish reamer to eliminate premature extraction issues, and again, to eliminate clickers? HINT: 0.001 is nowhere near enough Clearance.
Many bullets are oversize, but by how much? What dia would you have the throat dia ground to eliminate pressure spikes from having a throat dia smaller than the bullet dia?
Seat a bullet in your favorite new brand of brass. How much do you add to that dimension to give a good bullet release?
Some of the people you send your thrice-fired brass into do not know their *** from third base on how to design a reamer, better educate yourself or learn the hard way, "an education costs money."
If there was a category on Reamer design, it would be awesome as there are many mis matches between particular brands of brass and std reamers, with many gunsmiths not aware of the problems.
A. having the die honed out
B. using the bullet seater as a full length sizer while seating a bullet
C. trashing the die because it was too small
There is much wisdom, hard-learned from Sherm's post.
For instance, you have a particular brand of brass that measures .469 at the .200 mark on the brass, just in front of the extractor groove.
Question: What dia would you make a finish reamer to eliminate premature extraction issues, and again, to eliminate clickers? HINT: 0.001 is nowhere near enough Clearance.
Many bullets are oversize, but by how much? What dia would you have the throat dia ground to eliminate pressure spikes from having a throat dia smaller than the bullet dia?
Seat a bullet in your favorite new brand of brass. How much do you add to that dimension to give a good bullet release?
Some of the people you send your thrice-fired brass into do not know their *** from third base on how to design a reamer, better educate yourself or learn the hard way, "an education costs money."
If there was a category on Reamer design, it would be awesome as there are many mis matches between particular brands of brass and std reamers, with many gunsmiths not aware of the problems.
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Listen to the WORDS OF WISDOM!!!!
Designing a Reamer that you thing you want can be very expensive. First any changes to a stock Reamer will automatically make it a "CUSTOM" Reamer in the eyes of the manufacture and the price goes way up. Then when you are waiting the 3-4 months for them to cut your Custom Reamer you see that it is not what you want or you made a mistake. $$$$$ flying away. There are some good people that can guide your from the Reamer Manufacture. and try to keep it SAFE. After you design a few because you think that you will get a better cartridge you realize that there is already a better Stock Reamer out there for the cartridge and performance you want to get.
Believe me. We have ordered "Custom" Reamers designed by me and after the 4 month wait a newer cartridge came out that I liked better.
Designing a Reamer that you thing you want can be very expensive. First any changes to a stock Reamer will automatically make it a "CUSTOM" Reamer in the eyes of the manufacture and the price goes way up. Then when you are waiting the 3-4 months for them to cut your Custom Reamer you see that it is not what you want or you made a mistake. $$$$$ flying away. There are some good people that can guide your from the Reamer Manufacture. and try to keep it SAFE. After you design a few because you think that you will get a better cartridge you realize that there is already a better Stock Reamer out there for the cartridge and performance you want to get.
Believe me. We have ordered "Custom" Reamers designed by me and after the 4 month wait a newer cartridge came out that I liked better.
elkaholic
Well-Known Member
Good points. For a magnum case head, your die needs to be .005" under chamber or with spring back, etc you WILL get clickers. likewise, the chamber should be .005" over the new brass you're using.
for a .470 case, a minimum of .004" under. if your brass isn't at least .0015" under chamber at the web when its sized, it will stick when extracting.
You might get away with slightly less, but your pushing your luck. Lapua size, .006"-.007 less than chamber on the dies
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Mikecr
Well-Known Member
Personally, MY plans include beginning-middle-end.
I don't let let machinists, who may or may not even shoot or reload, decide anything outside of MY plan.
IMO, you guys don't need to cybersoil yourselves over this stuff.
Just think through the basics.
If it was so basic how did Hornandy screw up the PRC dimensions?
Ask Alex Wheeler how " basic" reamer designs are.
Oh there is basic, but if thats all you care about.
