Have been doing alot of reading about leaving lapua 6br flash holes alone. Am about to begin prepping 500 cases and probably plan to not deburr or ream the flash holes for 6br/lapua cases. I do however have 300 cases new prepped cases that have been reamed with a sinclair ppc tool. I have a very visible pronounced "bevel" or deep cut inside. Is this excessive cut too much? Will a deep cut aid or hinder good ignition? I have always put a deep cut inside but I`m begining to wonder,??) chris308
flash hole reaming/lapua 6br
- Thread starter chris308
- Start date
If your 6BR brass is anything like mine, you should really consider deburring. All of the Lapua brass that I've bought recently,6BR, 6.5-284, and 6.5x47) has a lot of burrs in it. They are thin, but they're obstructions nonetheless.
I'm still trying to make up my mind about reaming. After reading everything I've been able to find on the subject, the jury seems to be out on the topic. However, I don't seem to have anything to remove the burrs that doesn't also ream.
I'm still trying to make up my mind about reaming. After reading everything I've been able to find on the subject, the jury seems to be out on the topic. However, I don't seem to have anything to remove the burrs that doesn't also ream.
I have not reloaded any fired brass yet. Are the primer extractor pins small enough to fit through the present size flash hole or will they get hung up. By reaming the flash hole on all my brass,500 at this point)it would seem that one would de burr and maintain a great deal of consistency ??? The problem is I don't have any experience in rifle loading I am just going on what I think makes common sense. Please offer your input so we can learn form those of you who have been doing this for years. Thanks
Have fun,
buckshot
Have fun,
buckshot
chris308 said:
Sinclair has a tool that looks like it is intended to do this. Even a drill bit with the right shape of tip would work. I just don't happen to have one.
On my brass, the burrs are easy to spot just by looking through the flash holes--they extend into the path making it look out of round.
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The spec on Lapua 6BR flash hole diameters is 1.5mm, equivalent to .059". Redding and Forster BR dies normally ship with a decapping pin that is .057-.058" that will go through without expanding the hole. That said, I've received Redding dies that shipped with a .0625" pin. Call Redding and they'll send you the smaller diameter pin.
Regarding flash hole deburring/reaming, in Lapua lots prior to fall 2006, I'd say, "don't bother". However, yes, in recent lots we've seen cases that have a thin bit of metal obstructing part of the flash hole. You might see that on 3 cases per hundred, or it might be 20 cases per hundred. Lapua knows about the issue and we should see improvements with the next shipments off the boat.
The Sinclair 07-3000 tool that works from the bootom will take the flash-hole to .0625. Sinclair's DB-2000 tool that works from the inside is supposed to be .060,but some are over-sized!). The K&M tool is supposed to be .0625, but many examples have an oversize bit that will open the hole to .066 or larger.
Does that affect accuracy? Probably not. But if you have some cases with .059 Flash-holes and some with .066 flashholes you will see velocity spreads. I found that the cases I reamed with the K&M tool to about .067 showed pressure at a charge that was OK with the untouched flash-hole. My inclination now is not to touch the flashholes unless I see an occlusion and then I try to open the hole the minimal amount, and I don't try to create an actual funnel or chamfer on the inside.
Regarding flash hole deburring/reaming, in Lapua lots prior to fall 2006, I'd say, "don't bother". However, yes, in recent lots we've seen cases that have a thin bit of metal obstructing part of the flash hole. You might see that on 3 cases per hundred, or it might be 20 cases per hundred. Lapua knows about the issue and we should see improvements with the next shipments off the boat.
The Sinclair 07-3000 tool that works from the bootom will take the flash-hole to .0625. Sinclair's DB-2000 tool that works from the inside is supposed to be .060,but some are over-sized!). The K&M tool is supposed to be .0625, but many examples have an oversize bit that will open the hole to .066 or larger.
Does that affect accuracy? Probably not. But if you have some cases with .059 Flash-holes and some with .066 flashholes you will see velocity spreads. I found that the cases I reamed with the K&M tool to about .067 showed pressure at a charge that was OK with the untouched flash-hole. My inclination now is not to touch the flashholes unless I see an occlusion and then I try to open the hole the minimal amount, and I don't try to create an actual funnel or chamfer on the inside.
New brass has burrs...Lapual knows this and tells me they are fixing it...
That said, I use a K&M FH debur tool that Ken mic'd for me to be smaller than 0.059"
I drop this in and give it a spin or two under light pressure...this removes the bur without making a chamfer.
Had to do the same with 6.5x47...
223 brass on the other hand has been PERFECT.
JB
That said, I use a K&M FH debur tool that Ken mic'd for me to be smaller than 0.059"
I drop this in and give it a spin or two under light pressure...this removes the bur without making a chamfer.
Had to do the same with 6.5x47...
223 brass on the other hand has been PERFECT.
JB
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To Clarify Dean's Post,and I edited mine), there are TWO,2) Sinclair tools.
DB-2000,Cuts from inside to .060") [Acc. to the catalog--but you better measure yours!]
"The Sinclair DB-2000 model is designed specifically for cases that are manufactured with a .060" flash hole such as the PPC cases or Lapua 220 russian brass,used to make PPC cases). Cases such as Lapua and Norma BR cases have .060 inch flash holes as well. Because of the different internal design of these cases, this tool does not index off of the case mouth or on the web of the case. This tool is used by "feel"." NOTE that this tool is capable of cutting a pretty large funnel/chamfer on the inside if the stop depth is set that way.
DB 07-3000,Cuts from outside to .0625"/fits in primer pocket)
"This tool was designed specifically to ream small flash holes,.060) to exactly .0625". The handloader addresses two issues when using this tool; 1) It enlarges the holes just enough for the die maker's decapping pins to go through without getting stuck, 2) Each case will have exactly the same size flash hole insuring uniform ignition. This three piece tool has a stainless steel guide that centers the remaer int he primer pocket from the outside, a stainless steel handle which is knurled for easy turning, and a straight fluted .0625" reamer."
DB-2000,Cuts from inside to .060") [Acc. to the catalog--but you better measure yours!]
"The Sinclair DB-2000 model is designed specifically for cases that are manufactured with a .060" flash hole such as the PPC cases or Lapua 220 russian brass,used to make PPC cases). Cases such as Lapua and Norma BR cases have .060 inch flash holes as well. Because of the different internal design of these cases, this tool does not index off of the case mouth or on the web of the case. This tool is used by "feel"." NOTE that this tool is capable of cutting a pretty large funnel/chamfer on the inside if the stop depth is set that way.
DB 07-3000,Cuts from outside to .0625"/fits in primer pocket)
"This tool was designed specifically to ream small flash holes,.060) to exactly .0625". The handloader addresses two issues when using this tool; 1) It enlarges the holes just enough for the die maker's decapping pins to go through without getting stuck, 2) Each case will have exactly the same size flash hole insuring uniform ignition. This three piece tool has a stainless steel guide that centers the remaer int he primer pocket from the outside, a stainless steel handle which is knurled for easy turning, and a straight fluted .0625" reamer."
Jason, I use a one-off tool somewhat along the lines of the DB2000 Sinclair tool that Paul has posted. It doesn't have any cutting surfaces that extend through the flash hole, only a pilot. I simply adjust the depth so that the cutter makes a bevel about .025-.030 wide around the flash hole. I uniform the flash holes with a tool made by Ron Hoehn that indexes on the primer pocket, much like the other tool that Paul's pic shows. Ron has sold these for quite a few years..long before that one ever appeared in the Sinclair catalog.
I've never really run any serious a-b-a tests with this method, since the gains we're looking for in ES/SD numbers are well out of the range of most chonographs margin of error.
Personally, I feel that if there are no burrs on the flash holes and the flash holes are all the same size....I doubt if there are any more gains in this area that can really be quantified.
But I could be wrong.
Good shootin'. -Al
I've never really run any serious a-b-a tests with this method, since the gains we're looking for in ES/SD numbers are well out of the range of most chonographs margin of error.
Personally, I feel that if there are no burrs on the flash holes and the flash holes are all the same size....I doubt if there are any more gains in this area that can really be quantified.
But I could be wrong.
Good shootin'. -Al
After reading the latest blog, I decided to actually meassure my db-2000 and was quite disapponited to find it came out to .065. About 400 rds later might I add. What a waste. Went the extra step and accomplished nothing. I can always send it back i guess but the hours prepping is shot.....chris308
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Jason raises a point about Flash hole "smoothness" that I've observed.
Before I got the correct .057 decapping pin from Sinclair with my FL die, I used the K&M tool to open up the flash holes on about 30 cases. The K&M tool is supposed to be a "small flash hole tool" but in my case opened the holes to about .066".
I noticed that the reamed flash-holes seem to collect carbon faster than the untouched holes--probably because there are little ream marks inside.
Re the DB-2000--we've alerted Sinclair that some of the cutter tips on this tool are oversized. We found the same thing with a tool from Russ Haydon. The problem is the supplier of the cutter tips is delivering oversized cutters.
Before I got the correct .057 decapping pin from Sinclair with my FL die, I used the K&M tool to open up the flash holes on about 30 cases. The K&M tool is supposed to be a "small flash hole tool" but in my case opened the holes to about .066".
I noticed that the reamed flash-holes seem to collect carbon faster than the untouched holes--probably because there are little ream marks inside.
Re the DB-2000--we've alerted Sinclair that some of the cutter tips on this tool are oversized. We found the same thing with a tool from Russ Haydon. The problem is the supplier of the cutter tips is delivering oversized cutters.
Chris: Not to worry. IMO, the main thing is that they are all the same size. The Hoehn tool I have makes the flash holes .063 and they seem to work okay. Pals of mine that I shoot BR with use flash holes all the way from .058 to almost .070 with winning results. It's also pretty common to see coated bullet users open up the PPC and BR case flash holes.
Good shootin' and have fun. -Al
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I just talked to Bob Blaine at Sinclair. He said another thing that can work to remove the little slivers of excess brass we've seen with recent lots of Lapua brass. Get a pin vise,$5 at hobby shops) and insert a #53 bit,.0595" diam.). Bits cost about $1.00 or you can buy them in sets. A 19/32,.0538") bit will work too.
Just shove this straight into the flash hole to snap off the little flat "quarter-moon" that you'll find in some of the cases. Then spin the pin vise a bit to clean up the edge.
Just shove this straight into the flash hole to snap off the little flat "quarter-moon" that you'll find in some of the cases. Then spin the pin vise a bit to clean up the edge.
Thank you again for all input. As usual all responses were excellent! Am going to do 400 cases and not touch the f.h.. I set my db2000 up to just barely touch the inside of the hole and clean it up a tad,and i do mean just a tad) You guys are right,there are burrs not many though.
I called sinclair and told them about the .065 db2000. That call frustrated me. I said i ordered the tool specifically because of the .060 reamer, did 400 cases before figuring out it was .065,which i didn`t want) and it defeated the whole purpose of using the db2000 in the first place. Got nowhere.
Am planning on doing a little testing since i now have 100`s of br cases with all the popular f.h. sizes,.067,.065 and .059), I`ll post my results but it`ll be later in the season.
thank you again guys!! this is one very informative website! chris308
I called sinclair and told them about the .065 db2000. That call frustrated me. I said i ordered the tool specifically because of the .060 reamer, did 400 cases before figuring out it was .065,which i didn`t want) and it defeated the whole purpose of using the db2000 in the first place. Got nowhere.
Am planning on doing a little testing since i now have 100`s of br cases with all the popular f.h. sizes,.067,.065 and .059), I`ll post my results but it`ll be later in the season.
thank you again guys!! this is one very informative website! chris308
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