Detecting Donuts - Question

[K22]

Is inserting a bullet into a fired unsized case the correct method for detecting if donuts are present?

 

[M-61]

It is one way to do it.

 

[fguffey]

Is inserting a bullet into a fired unsized case the correct method for detecting if donuts are present?

Good question: I form donuts, It is not that I am good at making them but I have no trouble seeing them, If I do not remove them before I form the outside of the case the neck will be completely closed off. Other reloaders are lucky because they can remove donuts with outside case neck support, my necks expand with the weight of the reamer pushing against the inside of the neck, But for me, not a problem, I make bushings for the outside of the neck. I have one die that is a reamer die, it cost $100.00, $100.00 seems expensive but the reamer die is a most accurate way to get the neck aligned with the rest of the case.

I have a grinder that's makes pilots, reloaders call them pin gages. and I have ball and dead end micrometers with old transfers. And then there is the sizing die, nothing fancy, just a die that will return the case to minimum size. After the case is sized the die is lowered and the sizing plug is pulled through the neck, if there is a donut in the neck the donut is pushed to the outside; meaning the donut will be visible on the outside of the case neck above the shoulder/neck juncture.

SO! if you ignore the donut in the neck neck and do not remove it the donut will be pushed to the inside when sized and pushed out when the neck sizer plug is pulled through the neck. And no one on this forum knows what causes them, with one exception. Most donuts are caused by bad habits, and then there is me when I form cases I form donuts and I make donuts when I fire form cases, not all cases.

F. Guffey

 

[LHSmith]

Do ever proofread before hitting the post reply button? I read your post 3x and I learned nothing....again. Your syntax comes across as riddles.....incoherent riddles.

 

[Someoldguy]

Do ever proofread before hitting the post reply button? I read your post 3x and I learned nothing....again. Your syntax comes across as riddles.....incoherent riddles.

If you're speaking of the one I presume you are, the 'ignore' function takes care of the babble quite nicely.

 

[LHSmith]

By challenging him it alerts others to question his posts validity to the thread. The last thing those new to reloading need is to be confused by someone who repeatedly argues semantics to describe what happens during a basic reloading operation performed with a full length die.

 

[Someoldguy]

By challenging him it alerts others to question his posts validity to the thread. The last thing those new to reloading need is to be confused by someone who repeatedly argues semantics to describe what happens during a basic reloading operation performed with a full length die.

I see your point. I just don't have the patience for him and his ilk.

 

[M-61]

And no one on this forum knows what causes them, with one exception.

Let me guess at who this one exception might be.
What is truly remarkable that with 35,000 (I think) members of this site is that YOU have intimate knowledge of all of their skills. Probably even more remarkable is that you actually believe this!

 

[K22]

Gee guys, I was just asking an honest question because I never heard of 'donuts' relative to reloading until I started reading the posts on this site. I wanted to spot check my cases to see if this is something I need to watch for and wasn't sure how to do it.

I started loading in the late 60's basically teaching myself from a Lyman Manual and I made a ton of mistakes during my journey. I'm always open to learning more to produce the best quality reloads I can.

 

[Bob3700]

Here is the simple explanation of donuts.
When folks start creating custom/ wildcat cartridges they do it by moving the shoulder of the case around. Often this means the body of the case becomes part of the new neck or shoulder of the case. Now the body of the case is made out of thicker brass than the rest of the neck so, the base of the neck is a thicker material ( reduced ID) " donut" than the rest of the neck.
Many outside turn their necks down to the neck/ shoulder junction to eliminate the donut. That is the traditional benchrest method used for years.
Guffy is actually a cagey fellow. He places his case in a custom made full length die and inside neck reams the case. Not only does this remove the donut and uniforms the neck thickness, it insures the neck is in alignment with the centerline of the case. Pretty slick if u ask me.
A uniform neck thickness that is off the centerline of the case ias not starting the bullet straight down the bore. That was the whole goal in the first place!!

 

[Bob3700]

Part II

Once u have full length sized your in- line neck reamed brass, u want to run a mandrel into the case. The mandrels are turned to the specific diameter u want the ID of ur necks to be. This uniforms/ irons the necks to a uniform ID so that the neck tension on the bullet is as close two identical as possible. If ur necks begin to form a donut after several firings, u can detect them when u run the mandrel into the neck.

I have several mandrels with progressive diameters. Reason, ur brass hardens with increased usage and develops more " springback" n changes ur neck tension. U need to adjust the mandrel od to compensate for the changes in brass hardness.

Give that a try.