Best way to make a custom sizing die?

[thefitter]

Fired cases or the reamer that cut the chamber?

Thanks

 

[Preacher]

The reamer that cuts the chamber can not cut a sizing die.
Fired cases sent to the reamer maker is your best bet for a sizing reamer..

 

[Eddie Harren]

Check this guy out.

http://www.6mmbr.com/CarstensenJLC01.html

 

[BoydAllen]

If you do not own the reamer that cut the chamber, a custom sizing die can be an expensive investment that only fits the one barrel, and may not do as well with the next, unless it is chambered with the same reamer. If you are building a rifle, it is a lot better to buy a factory die, size a work hardened case, and then order the reamer to fit what the die produces, This will give an excellent fit, and saves the cost of a custom die. I have done this several times. The one exception to this is if you are building a PPC or BR. Harrell's offers a variety of dies in these calibers that they are able to offer because they are cut with a boring bar, on a CNC turning station. These cost $70 and are widely used by target shooters.

 

[fguffey]

The fixer, in the old days, before the Internet, smiths made reamers, after cutting the chamber they recut the the reamer, then cut the full length size die, a few cut a chamber die, not like the chamber dies cut today.

I do not want to get into the ‘best way’, there are three questions about dies as in off the shelf or custom dies including one that ask about making a body die out of a 308 W full length sizer die, I am not the fan of body and bushing dies, my opinion, body dies are the beginning of a bad habit that creates work and more question about removing ‘Do-nuts’. I have no interest in modifying dies, but if I was, I have a cut off saw, cutting the neck portion of the die off just above the neck/shoulder juncture would be my first choice, after cutting the die down it would make it easy to open up a small portion of the neck to avoid sizing the neck and allow for sizing the body and shoulder.

Options, it is possible to use a 30/06 full length sizer die to size the body of the 270 Winchester, the 270 W die to size the body of the 6.5/06, 6mm/06 or 25/06 etc.. Problem, donuts.

Same for the parent case 308 W, the body/shoulder dimensions are the same.

Not easy to find is the .33 (8mm)/08 sizer die, the .33/08 could be used to body size 308 W, again, cutting the neck off of a 308 W above the shoulder/neck juncture could be an option.

And I have an in-line, angle, butt grinder, shorting a die from either end with precision and with a coolant is always an option. I do not find it necessary because of other options.

One question was asked about the purchase of a chamber reamer and a die reamer, not that it concerns me but if the chamber and die was/is to be cut seems both would be cut and finished at the same time, and that goes back to chamber gages, chamber gages, today are a take off on L.E. Wilson case gages, and they will tell you their gage is not a chamber gage.

Back to the old days and smiths making their own reamers, a few made dies unlike anything used to day, I was ask if I had any interest in finishing some old projects, and the answer was no, some of the smiths were geniuses.

F. Guffey

 

[jscandale]

This may be of some help to you.
http://www.keystoneaccuracy.com/customloadingdies.html

JS

 

[rj5208]

The reamer that cuts the chamber can not cut a sizing die.
Fired cases sent to the reamer maker is your best bet for a sizing reamer..

Why is that..?

 

[rijndael]

A decade old necropost ....

The die has to size brass under the chamber size and account for spring back. It needs to account for sizing the base/web of the brass too, and the chamber doesn't. The neck dimensions are also different.

 

[Ray123]

Fired cases or the reamer that cut the chamber?

Thanks

Fired cases sent to a reamer manufacturer, is the easiest...but if you own a reamer like I do you can use it to make a neck bushing die in your lathe. Then make a case body die... easy project. Get the exact taper off your fired case, set your compound to that exact case taper, and finish bore. With two home-made dies you made for free. I machine all my neck sizing bushings. Copy the Wilson FL bushing die and use their decapping spindle that holds the bushing in place. Two dies instead of one but it will get it done. You can even make your own reamers if you own a milling machine and indexing fixture... or a inefficient D reamer for emergency is easy one off project. Don't have to heat treat your dies good steel dies will last a long time. I use homemade dies alot for reforming brass cases. Even made 308 win into 6 mm ARC with a lot of work but you can never run out of brass there is always a case that can be formed to suit most any cartridge.