• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

New to 17's, neck turning questions.

I need to start neck turning a 17 mach 4. Most immediate problem I ran into is that my Mitutoyo ball Micrometer has a ~.18" ball. I have been un able to find a similar product that will work with 17 Cal necks. Has any one found one available?

Second, this is my first time buying a neck turning set up. I used a borrowed KM hand tool years back for a tight neck .222 but that is my only experience with turning. I think I'm going to find one that accepts a drill for power. The two I've found are the KM kit and the 21st Century Kit. Are there any others worth considering? Any opinions on the two? Is there anything that makes one favorable for the smaller 17's over the other? 21st century looks like a table mount, and KM looks to be hand held. Is that a factor in the decision?

I know this is a bit of a wore out subject, but the search results I'm finding are 20 years old with suggestions for products that are no longer made like the pumpkin.
 
I prefer the PMA tool Model A, after having gone through both K&M and Sinclair units before. This one fits the hand nicely and is the easiest to adjust IMO. I do prefer Sinclair mandrels over the PMA ones.
 
I prefer the PMA tool Model A, after having gone through both K&M and Sinclair units before. This one fits the hand nicely and is the easiest to adjust IMO. I do prefer Sinclair mandrels over the PMA ones.
Easier to set up than a KM? Does PMA sell anything to set it up for a drill? I suppose I could always get the KM drill parts sperate.
 
I prefer the PMA tool Model A, after having gone through both K&M and Sinclair units before. This one fits the hand nicely and is the easiest to adjust IMO. I do prefer Sinclair mandrels over the PMA ones.
After a quick look around the web it looks like the PMA A tools are all out of stock. Almost like they quit making them all together.
 
Easier to set up than a KM? Does PMA sell anything to set it up for a drill? I suppose I could always get the KM drill parts sperate.
I did find it easier to set up than the K&M. They do have case head specific case holders and small/large rifle primer case drivers that you use with a power screw driver.
 
I use the K@M to turn alot of different calibers, have no complaints.
I dont like the drill option though I dont want brass or mandrel to get hot or gall the brass even with neck lube.
 
You don't need a ball micrometer. Use a feeler gauge to get the neck turner mandrel to cutter gap close, then turn a case. Seat a bullet and measure the OD of the case neck. That's the only dimension that really matters. I've been turning .17 Mach IV cases for 30 years and have never measured neck wall thickness directly.
 
You don't need a ball micrometer. Use a feeler gauge to get the neck turner mandrel to cutter gap close, then turn a case. Seat a bullet and measure the OD of the case neck. That's the only dimension that really matters. I've been turning .17 Mach IV cases for 30 years and have never measured neck wall thickness directly.
I use the Starrett Tube Mic for quick checks, had the the Tube Mic Ken (K&M) sold but had constant back lash in the threads so got rid of it. Now I personally seat a bullet and measure with a Starrett V-Mic at several points. I find I get a more consistent measurement. I also have multiple K&M neck turners which I leave set up per calibers to save changing. A good feeler ga is very handy to spot check the clearance when doing a lot of cases. The cone washer that tighten the cutter on the K&M can loose tension from age. I once chased my tail for hours till I figured it out. Anyone using a K&M and having it change thickness for no reason, should check that washer.
 

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Forum statistics

Threads
166,937
Messages
2,225,291
Members
80,046
Latest member
oldgamer
Back
Top