6.5mm Carbide Expander for straightening necks for their first load?

[Matt in Virginia]

Gentlemen,
I'm looking for a 6.5mm Carbide Expander. Similar to the Sinclair Expanders I used in upsizing Lapua .220 Russion to 6mm in the PPC process. I found it, at the time, the third level of the hell as I was drilling short range(800 yards) directly from the brown & white match ammunition boxes. All that being said I need to simply iron out the necks of the 6.5mm brass to take the dings out prior to fireforming and your suggestioins would be appreciated.

Not looking to turn necks, however, If I need to consider that option, I will buy the right tools and make it as painless as possible. Is it advisable to expand with the carbide expander die and then make a skim cut to clean up the case necks? I've heard before and after fireforming. I'm thinking about a benchrite case lathe or Holland's Brass Monkey(better quality German keyless chuck?), K&M or PMA carbide cutters.

I have to preen my pile of new Lapua 6.5mm brass... We're at 2900 casings at the moment and I'm out of shelf space. Do believe 1000 .260 Remington cases are going back to Brownells. Only the 6.5x47L is completely safe...;-)

Regards, Matt.

 

[Shynloco]

Matt,
If I may suggest, don't make the process any harder on yourself than is necessary. Use the 6.5 expander mandrel you want, size the neck with an S Die and then shoot the casings in your rifle or another 6.5 chamber if you are concerned about the round count (which I suspect you are). There is no better or truer straightener than a rifle's chamber. I know you don't want to turn necks, but I believe you still have to clean up casings ever so slightly as I've found even Lapua brass sometimes are ever so slightly thicker and has either a low or high spot. And I suspect those Lapua casings are all .015 thick so I turn my to .0145 on a 21st Century Turning lathe which I've found is quick, simple and accurate. But that's me. Have fun with all those casings. I just did it with 100 which is what I do at a time to avoid the boredom.

Alex

 

[Milo 2.0]

http://www.pmatool.com/carbide-exp-neck-up-mandrels/

 

[nmkid]

On my last 2 wildcats,(after the downsizing was complete) I ran the cases (Lapua) through the expanding mandrel, did a skim turn and never looked back. Good advice from Shynloco. Oh. Dang son...You gotta lot of green in that there blue!!

 

[R.Morehouse]

The Benchrite case lathe is a good choice. I use one and am very pleased. I turn all my necks for a 6.5-06imp all made from 30-06 Lapua brass. The 1000yd performance of the round is all i could ask for. Best of luck with your project..................

 

[mikecr]

Ritalin.

 

[Matt in Virginia]

Gentlemen,
I greatly appreciate it... PMA puts out a good product. I'll have to speak with him tomorrow.

Alex,
Appreciate the perspective greatly. I HAVE been trying to avoid turning necks, however, at the same time the best of brass, bullets, barrels, actions, and smiths likely deserve my attention for atleast a cleanup cut. I've looked at the 21st Century Lathe and I really like the Gentleman who runs that company. He's been most helpful on a couple of occaisions. That being said I've also seen the Benchrite at work as well. Also had a chance, years ago, to try Darrell Holland's Brass Monkey and both of them really took a great deal of the misery out of process... You are right on a proper chamber as being the ideal way to true brass. Thank you for the input greatly...

Milo,
Much appreciated...

nmkid,
Thank you and I concur on the advice...

R. Morehouse,
Thank you. I've known I was going to have to address this sooner or later. I hate half measures. Thank you for the recommendation.

mikecr,
Work for you?

Regards, Matt.

 

[Shynloco]

The Benchrite case lathe is a good choice. I use one and am very pleased. I turn all my necks for a 6.5-06imp all made from 30-06 Lapua brass. The 1000yd performance of the round is all i could ask for. Best of luck with your project..................

Matt,
Admittedly, I'd not seen the "Benchrite Case Lathe" before. But upon further examination and as much as I like the 21st Century Case Lathe (and John as well), with the number of casings you have purchased, if costs is no issue, I'd go with the Benchrite as well. I don't case prep that high number as do you. So for expediency, I'd go with the Benchrite as well which apparently would save you time and effort. Cost, like it or not, is an issue with some of us which is why I bought the 21st Century Case Lathe which I feel is the best available IN IT'S PRICE RANGE. But like in anything having to do with accuracy shooting, it's hard to beat some products that do the job in half the time and pays off buying in high volume case prep.

Alex

 

[Matt in Virginia]

Matt,
Admittedly, I'd not seen the "Benchrite Case Lathe" before. But upon further examination and as much as I like the 21st Century Case Lathe (and John as well), with the number of casings you have purchased, if costs is no issue, I'd go with the Benchrite as well. I don't case prep that high number as do you. So for expediency, I'd go with the Benchrite as well which apparently would save you time and effort. Cost, like it or not, is an issue with some of us which is why I bought the 21st Century Case Lathe which I feel is the best available IN IT'S PRICE RANGE. But like in anything having to do with accuracy shooting, it's hard to beat some products that do the job in half the time and pays off buying in high volume case prep.

Alex

Alex,
The cases have largely piled up over time. Some are being sent back, the .260 Rem or .260 AI fails to hold my attention. I'd rather have a 6.5-284 Norma and use Lapua brass and skip the fire forming procedure. Barrels are relatively cheap, chambering is not bad especially when multiple barrels are done at the same time, and about the only thing I can see a faster 6.5mm for is a hunting rifle which makes A spare barrel chambered and ready to spin on and check headspace a likely unneeded luxury... Have been thinking about building one on a Borden Ridgeline.

There ARE others that do need my attention if I want to continue to shoot with any regularity. I've bought some of the best manual and semi-automatic equipment on the market and have come to appreciate the speed and consistency of the latter. I have six or seven Wilson Stainless Micrometer Case Trimmers, most with Ti coated cutters mounted on Sinclair Bases. Latest models with all polished stainless parts. A couple older models with Sinclair add ons... Cost on each one was easily $175 per unit plus(Ti plated cutters/Carbide cutters add up). My Giraude .50 BMG, I did not need it, but have never failed to opt for the heavier duty/more power option(character flaw I suppose). I find I have a beautiful group of Wilson Trimmers that rarely get used. Why I buy a micrometer and set to one chambering and leave it I dunno. They, collectively, cost almost twice as much as the Giraude did 9 years ago($550 plus case holders & shipping). They no longer make that model and from what I am told have no plans to make it again due to lack of demand from .50 BMG shooters. In all truth I often look at beautiful(if you like that sort of thing) gear, however, if it does not get used, it then becomes just something else to move and dust. I'm going to keep a few and likely put the others up at a gun show. I'd sell them online, however, shipping is a hassle I prefer to avoid generally. I may but them up here, however, I try to be more than fair and yet tend to lose patience when I run into low end haggling over a few bucks. That said I appreciate the best and yet I am also looking to simplify at the same time... Too much gear, no matter how fine, gets to be a burden...

My Prazi Press is beautiful and the tolerances are so tight that they make me wonder if they are too tight. Not that everything does not move with the quiet perfection of a handmade Swiss Watch. There is zip for float on that press. I'm betting very little, if any, tolerance stack either though. That being said I have an RCBS A4 I would not trade for a second Prazi, a Forster Co-Ax I've been loading on for 17 years, and now I've thrown yet another press(and ultimately completely different headspace number on the bench). I would have been just fine with the Co-Ax to use and the A4 to admire. It's not a Prazi, however, it is a throw back to a different time in America. It was built during the Reagan Administration and I can think of few other modern Presidents short of Ike and both Roosevelts that elicited similar admiration. Not to forget my first generation Rock Chucker that RCBS re-rammed in 2000. I've never put a test indicator on the ram, however, at full extension you cannot feel it move at all. My A4, which came with both shell holders perfected blued, has a slight amount of ram movement. Likely a goog thing. RCBS replaced the ram on the RC and tagged it "lapped to 100%" and billed me $0 as usual for their under rated excellence. Granted not feeling it move and making an assanine contention about "tenths(.0001")" are somewhat different...;-)

I love the best of the best, however, something here has to give here... I'd honestly rather find a Boy Scout Troop and DONATE some spare reloading gear to them so that another generation could learn rather than selling to a haggler.

Thank you again for your input...

Best Regards, Matt.

 

[Willie]

Matt, if you're just looking to uniform necks and iron out dings, run a .2620" expander thru necks. It will clean up anything out of round and set .002" tension on new Lapua 6.5-284 brass for fire forming.

Only flaw in the Lapua brass is neck thickness variance. You'll have to do a lot of sorting OR turn them to clearance needed. Your choice.

 

[Baer45]

Gentlemen,
I'm looking for a 6.5mm Carbide Expander. Similar to the Sinclair Expanders I used in upsizing Lapua .220 Russion to 6mm in the PPC process. I found it, at the time, the third level of the hell as I was drilling short range(800 yards) directly from the brown & white match ammunition boxes. All that being said I need to simply iron out the necks of the 6.5mm brass to take the dings out prior to fireforming and your suggestioins would be appreciated.
If you decide to buy a neck turning tool, contact me. I bought just about every major brand to test, including the motorized Gracey and have them still Mew in box
Not looking to turn necks, however, If I need to consider that option, I will buy the right tools and make it as painless as possible. Is it advisable to expand with the carbide expander die and then make a skim cut to clean up the case necks? I've heard before and after fireforming. I'm thinking about a benchrite case lathe or Holland's Brass Monkey(better quality German keyless chuck?), K&M or PMA carbide cutters.

I have to preen my pile of new Lapua 6.5mm brass... We're at 2900 casings at the moment and I'm out of shelf space. Do believe 1000 .260 Remington cases are going back to Brownells. Only the 6.5x47L is completely safe...;-)

Regards, Matt.

.

 

[Baer45]

If you decide to buy a neck Turner, check with me first and I may be able to save you a bunch of money. I ended up buying just about every major turner to compare and they are still sitting new in the box....Glad to save you some money in at the same time clear up some space. PMA, Sinclair, Wilson, Gracie and others....

 

[Baer45]

Alex,
The cases have largely piled up over time. Some are being sent back, the .260 Rem or .260 AI fails to hold my attention. I'd rather have a 6.5-284 Norma and use Lapua brass and skip the fire forming procedure. Barrels are relatively cheap, chambering is not bad especially when multiple barrels are done at the same time, and about the only thing I can see a faster 6.5mm for is a hunting rifle which makes A spare barrel chambered and ready to spin on and check headspace a likely unneeded luxury... Have been thinking about building one on a Borden Ridgeline.

There ARE others that do need my attention if I want to continue to shoot with any regularity. I've bought some of the best manual and semi-automatic equipment on the market and have come to appreciate the speed and consistency of the latter. I have six or seven Wilson Stainless Micrometer Case Trimmers, most with Ti coated cutters mounted on Sinclair Bases. Latest models with all polished stainless parts. A couple older models with Sinclair add ons... Cost on each one was easily $175 per unit plus(Ti plated cutters/Carbide cutters add up). My Giraude .50 BMG, I did not need it, but have never failed to opt for the heavier duty/more power option(character flaw I suppose). I find I have a beautiful group of Wilson Trimmers that rarely get used. Why I buy a micrometer and set to one chambering and leave it I dunno. They, collectively, cost almost twice as much as the Giraude did 9 years ago($550 plus case holders & shipping). They no longer make that model and from what I am told have no plans to make it again due to lack of demand from .50 BMG shooters. In all truth I often look at beautiful(if you like that sort of thing) gear, however, if it does not get used, it then becomes just something else to move and dust. I'm going to keep a few and likely put the others up at a gun show. I'd sell them online, however, shipping is a hassle I prefer to avoid generally. I may but them up here, however, I try to be more than fair and yet tend to lose patience when I run into low end haggling over a few bucks. That said I appreciate the best and yet I am also looking to simplify at the same time... Too much gear, no matter how fine, gets to be a burden...

My Prazi Press is beautiful and the tolerances are so tight that they make me wonder if they are too tight. Not that everything does not move with the quiet perfection of a handmade Swiss Watch. There is zip for float on that press. I'm betting very little, if any, tolerance stack either though. That being said I have an RCBS A4 I would not trade for a second Prazi, a Forster Co-Ax I've been loading on for 17 years, and now I've thrown yet another press(and ultimately completely different headspace number on the bench). I would have been just fine with the Co-Ax to use and the A4 to admire. It's not a Prazi, however, it is a throw back to a different time in America. It was built during the Reagan Administration and I can think of few other modern Presidents short of Ike and both Roosevelts that elicited similar admiration. Not to forget my first generation Rock Chucker that RCBS re-rammed in 2000. I've never put a test indicator on the ram, however, at full extension you cannot feel it move at all. My A4, which came with both shell holders perfected blued, has a slight amount of ram movement. Likely a goog thing. RCBS replaced the ram on the RC and tagged it "lapped to 100%" and billed me $0 as usual for their under rated excellence. Granted not feeling it move and making an assanine contention about "tenths(.0001")" are somewhat different...;-)

I love the best of the best, however, something here has to give here... I'd honestly rather find a Boy Scout Troop and DONATE some spare reloading gear to them so that another generation could learn rather than selling to a haggler.

Thank you again for your input...

Best Regards, Matt.

Alex,
The cases have largely piled up over time. Some are being sent back, the .260 Rem or .260 AI fails to hold my attention. I'd rather have a 6.5-284 Norma and use Lapua brass and skip the fire forming procedure. Barrels are relatively cheap, chambering is not bad especially when multiple barrels are done at the same time, and about the only thing I can see a faster 6.5mm for is a hunting rifle which makes A spare barrel chambered and ready to spin on and check headspace a likely unneeded luxury... Have been thinking about building one on a Borden Ridgeline.

There ARE others that do need my attention if I want to continue to shoot with any regularity. I've bought some of the best manual and semi-automatic equipment on the market and have come to appreciate the speed and consistency of the latter. I have six or seven Wilson Stainless Micrometer Case Trimmers, most with Ti coated cutters mounted on Sinclair Bases. Latest models with all polished stainless parts. A couple older models with Sinclair add ons... Cost on each one was easily $175 per unit plus(Ti plated cutters/Carbide cutters add up). My Giraude .50 BMG, I did not need it, but have never failed to opt for the heavier duty/more power option(character flaw I suppose). I find I have a beautiful group of Wilson Trimmers that rarely get used. Why I buy a micrometer and set to one chambering and leave it I dunno. They, collectively, cost almost twice as much as the Giraude did 9 years ago($550 plus case holders & shipping). They no longer make that model and from what I am told have no plans to make it again due to lack of demand from .50 BMG shooters. In all truth I often look at beautiful(if you like that sort of thing) gear, however, if it does not get used, it then becomes just something else to move and dust. I'm going to keep a few and likely put the others up at a gun show. I'd sell them online, however, shipping is a hassle I prefer to avoid generally. I may but them up here, however, I try to be more than fair and yet tend to lose patience when I run into low end haggling over a few bucks. That said I appreciate the best and yet I am also looking to simplify at the same time... Too much gear, no matter how fine, gets to be a burden...

My Prazi Press is beautiful and the tolerances are so tight that they make me wonder if they are too tight. Not that everything does not move with the quiet perfection of a handmade Swiss Watch. There is zip for float on that press. I'm betting very little, if any, tolerance stack either though. That being said I have an RCBS A4 I would not trade for a second Prazi, a Forster Co-Ax I've been loading on for 17 years, and now I've thrown yet another press(and ultimately completely different headspace number on the bench). I would have been just fine with the Co-Ax to use and the A4 to admire. It's not a Prazi, however, it is a throw back to a different time in America. It was built during the Reagan Administration and I can think of few other modern Presidents short of Ike and both Roosevelts that elicited similar admiration. Not to forget my first generation Rock Chucker that RCBS re-rammed in 2000. I've never put a test indicator on the ram, however, at full extension you cannot feel it move at all. My A4, which came with both shell holders perfected blued, has a slight amount of ram movement. Likely a goog thing. RCBS replaced the ram on the RC and tagged it "lapped to 100%" and billed me $0 as usual for their under rated excellence. Granted not feeling it move and making an assanine contention about "tenths(.0001")" are somewhat different...;-)

I love the best of the best, however, something here has to give here... I'd honestly rather find a Boy Scout Troop and DONATE some spare reloading gear to them so that another generation could learn rather than selling to a haggler.

Thank you again for your input...

Best Regards, Matt.

You and I are on the same page! So far I like my Gracey turner the most for speed but takes time to learn. Just bought the Henderson 2 case trimmer which looks promising....

 

[Baer45]

Alex,
The cases have largely piled up over time. Some are being sent back, the .260 Rem or .260 AI fails to hold my attention. I'd rather have a 6.5-284 Norma and use Lapua brass and skip the fire forming procedure. Barrels are relatively cheap, chambering is not bad especially when multiple barrels are done at the same time, and about the only thing I can see a faster 6.5mm for is a hunting rifle which makes A spare barrel chambered and ready to spin on and check headspace a likely unneeded luxury... Have been thinking about building one on a Borden Ridgeline.

There ARE others that do need my attention if I want to continue to shoot with any regularity. I've bought some of the best manual and semi-automatic equipment on the market and have come to appreciate the speed and consistency of the latter. I have six or seven Wilson Stainless Micrometer Case Trimmers, most with Ti coated cutters mounted on Sinclair Bases. Latest models with all polished stainless parts. A couple older models with Sinclair add ons... Cost on each one was easily $175 per unit plus(Ti plated cutters/Carbide cutters add up). My Giraude .50 BMG, I did not need it, but have never failed to opt for the heavier duty/more power option(character flaw I suppose). I find I have a beautiful group of Wilson Trimmers that rarely get used. Why I buy a micrometer and set to one chambering and leave it I dunno. They, collectively, cost almost twice as much as the Giraude did 9 years ago($550 plus case holders & shipping). They no longer make that model and from what I am told have no plans to make it again due to lack of demand from .50 BMG shooters. In all truth I often look at beautiful(if you like that sort of thing) gear, however, if it does not get used, it then becomes just something else to move and dust. I'm going to keep a few and likely put the others up at a gun show. I'd sell them online, however, shipping is a hassle I prefer to avoid generally. I may but them up here, however, I try to be more than fair and yet tend to lose patience when I run into low end haggling over a few bucks. That said I appreciate the best and yet I am also looking to simplify at the same time... Too much gear, no matter how fine, gets to be a burden...

My Prazi Press is beautiful and the tolerances are so tight that they make me wonder if they are too tight. Not that everything does not move with the quiet perfection of a handmade Swiss Watch. There is zip for float on that press. I'm betting very little, if any, tolerance stack either though. That being said I have an RCBS A4 I would not trade for a second Prazi, a Forster Co-Ax I've been loading on for 17 years, and now I've thrown yet another press(and ultimately completely different headspace number on the bench). I would have been just fine with the Co-Ax to use and the A4 to admire. It's not a Prazi, however, it is a throw back to a different time in America. It was built during the Reagan Administration and I can think of few other modern Presidents short of Ike and both Roosevelts that elicited similar admiration. Not to forget my first generation Rock Chucker that RCBS re-rammed in 2000. I've never put a test indicator on the ram, however, at full extension you cannot feel it move at all. My A4, which came with both shell holders perfected blued, has a slight amount of ram movement. Likely a goog thing. RCBS replaced the ram on the RC and tagged it "lapped to 100%" and billed me $0 as usual for their under rated excellence. Granted not feeling it move and making an assanine contention about "tenths(.0001")" are somewhat different...;-)

I love the best of the best, however, something here has to give here... I'd honestly rather find a Boy Scout Troop and DONATE some spare reloading gear to them so that another generation could learn rather than selling to a haggler.

Thank you again for your input...

Best Regards, Matt.

What neck turner did you ultimately use?