My First Experience Hydroforming Dasher Brass

[Ccrider]

I recently finished hydroforming a box of Dasher brass. My first time doing it. I split the necks on 2 cases out of the first twenty I did. Sort of worried me. After that, I did not split another case.

At the suggestion of @Dusty Stevens, I ordered a 5 pound dead blow hammer and used it for the last 50 or so cases. Wish I had bought it from the start. I got very consistent results with it using the same system. Fill the case, three strikes, refill the case two firm strikes.

I measured the shoulder on the hydroformed brass. If it was shorter than my average by more than .002, I refilled and hit it once or twice more. You get to where you can pretty much look at the brass and tell if it fully formed.

On my first strike, I got better results with a firm strike on the plunger while it was settling into the die and still had air in front of it. The air and alcohol seemed to form better than letting the plunger settle down to the alcohol and then striking. Your mileage may vary. All in all, not a hard task. Picture of the hammer:

 

[drano38]

When I hydro formed my Dasher brass, I set the die to form the shoulder a few thow too long, then ran thru the sizer die to bump it back down. Don't know if it helped, but seemed logical at the time.
Nice BFH. I used a 2 lb steel hammer, and bent the plunger stem on mine. Luckily Hornady sent me a new one in a couple days. Then I got a 3 lb dead blow, and worked much better.

 

[BenPerfected]

When I hydro formed my Dasher brass, I set the die to form the shoulder a few thow too long, then ran thru the sizer die to bump it back down. Don't know if it helped, but seemed logical at the time.
Nice BFH. I used a 2 lb steel hammer, and bent the plunger stem on mine. Luckily Hornady sent me a new one in a couple days. Then I got a 3 lb dead blow, and worked much better.

Compare your cost to what DJ’s Brass Service charges.
Ben

 

[Ccrider]

Compare your cost to what DJ’s Brass Service charges.
Ben

For some reason, I enjoy the process and being as self sufficient as I can.

 

[Gabe22BR]

Compare your cost to what DJ’s Brass Service charges.
Ben

$70 cheaper

 

[drano38]

If I was starting over with a Dasher, I agree, DJ's would be a great option. Don't know if he was forming brass in 2007 when I got my first Dasher barrel.

 

[RegionRat]

I like to let it form slightly oversize, then bump them with the FL die. I seem to get better results this way compared to trying to get them perfect with just the hydro die.

It does take a learning curve to get them the same. No matter what I try, I find some part of the batch needs a few more blows before they match up.

I also had one shoulder split on the last batch. It wasn't all the way through, but I still wouldn't load it. I have not yet had a split with false neck FF, but my friends all say that it will happen sooner or later.

I'm not convinced one way or the other if the false neck or hydro method is best.

Now that I have my first batch of Alpha Brass, it is hard to say if I will even need to fireform any more. The brutality to the press and bench with the hydro method, along with the clean up and relube I have to do after a session, will not be missed if the Alpha Brass will work out of the gates. I have only just started side-by-side testing of the Alpha Brass. I'll run them up a little harder and see if they are the same as Lapua.