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Forster trimmer outside neck turning

BigBlueandGoldie

I use the Forster neck turner you linked to. It turns very consistent, but it is a bit of a pain to set up for length & depth of cut. If you're planning to neck turn different calibers, I'd recommend a different turner that is easier to set up. If you're doing just one then I'd say it's a coin toss, but I'd keep the Forster set up for turning only once set. If I were turning more than one caliber, I'd look at the PMA myself.
 
I agree with tenring. If you REALLY want a Forster I have one I'll sell you cheap! ........ Do yourself a favor and go with PMA or K&M. Use a Angled bit to cut into the shoulder. Get a neck turning mandrel and expander mandrel from same source to insure uniform wall thickness. If you decide neck turning isn't your cup of tea you'll have no problem selling the higher quality tools.
 
Can someone explain more clearly then PMA's web page what's the difference in the cutters between PMA Model A and Model B?
 
I have seen brass turned with a Forester outside neck turner and the brass looked like screw threads. The guy was having problems getting a Dasher to shoot so I brought my Neck micrometer to measure the necks. They were terrible and measured up to .002 difference. New brass is usually closer then his turned brass. Get a K&M, PMA or 21st Century and the turning and sizing mandrels. Also get a good neck Micrometer like the one K&M sells. He grinds the spindle so you can measure close to the shoulder. Matt
 
I think most problems with Forster are because of setup and use. The cutter is not a wide blade so you have to be patient with it (spin it more & feed slowly) or use drill or something to spin trimmer fast to make smooth cuts. I can't see how it would leave neck thickness uneven by 2 thou unless the neck wasn't a close fit to cutter mandrel. If you use Forster dies to size cases the necks fit perfectly, my lee collet die is also very good fit for their mandrels.
However it doesn't cut into shoulder, which may be important to those who seat bullets into donut area.
 
PMA is the second turner I have owned. It should have been the first! Easy adjustments that stay put and the cut is just super smooth.
 
I have used the Forster trimmer outside neck turner for 15 to 20 years without any problem. There are better turners for bench rest but, I think it is ideal for hunters to uniform their brass necks. That said; I only clean necks approximate 80 to 90% for neck uniformity, not to a specific diameter needed for bench rest. Unless you get into a hurry, you will get uniform and smooth consistent clean necks.
 
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brians356 said:
Can someone explain more clearly than PMA's web page what's the difference in the cutters between PMA Model A and Model B?
Click to expand...

Anyone? Beuhler?

Several of you have touted PMA. Which model are you using (A or B)?
 
I have the forster hand held neck turner and I'm happy with it. I only turn ppc cases with it. I use a drill and feed the case really slow, I also do it in two steps with the same turner, it's a slow process but it almost always cuts plus or minus .0001. I'm sure there are better turners but mine seems to work for me.
Dustin
 
BigBlueandGoldie said:

I don't currently do any neck turning, but I have been looking to get into it. I've read up on some of the popular tools/systems, but haven't seen anything regarding Forster's trimmer mounted outside neck turning setup. Since I have the trimmer it seems like this would be an easy, affordable way to get started. Does anyone have input or experience with this system?
Click to expand...

I know you specifically asked about the Forster tool, but I just responded to another thread on neck turning on this site. If you find it irrelevant please disregard it. Here what I said:

Russ,
I used a Gracey neck shaver for about 3 years, it was the best thing available at the time (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8326uVudvY ). There were some things I didn't like about that tool and kept my eyes open for possible upgrades.

About 6 months ago I became aware of the Hornady Neck Turning Tool (see http://www.midwayusa.com/product/622605/hornady-lock-n-load-neck-turning-tool ) and of the 21st Century Neck Turning Lathe. I considered both. At same time a friend of mine bought the 21st Century one. After he got it he brought it over to my house because he needed some help with it, so I help him set it up properly and I got a chance to work with it and turn about 10 cases to make sure it was doing what he wanted. Although the tool worked well enough I found the free floating aspect a bit awkward, there were a couple of other things that I wasn't too crazy about.

After that experience I decided to buy the Hornady and try it out, if I didn't like it I would send it back. As soon as I got it I turned 500 virgin Lapua Palma cases in less than two hours. To make a long story short I've kept the Hornady tool and sold my Gracey Neck shaver.

The difference in price between the Hornady and the 21st Century one is a non-issue for me simply because I'm interested in the best tool for the job. The difference in price when amortized over several thousands of cases becomes irrelevant. The quality and the time savings is more important to me. IMO it is unusual when you can get a better tool for less money, that is what I call a bargain.

Kindest regards,

Joe
Click to expand...
 
Joe R said:
BigBlueandGoldie said:

I don't currently do any neck turning, but I have been looking to get into it. I've read up on some of the popular tools/systems, but haven't seen anything regarding Forster's trimmer mounted outside neck turning setup. Since I have the trimmer it seems like this would be an easy, affordable way to get started. Does anyone have input or experience with this system?
Click to expand...

I know you specifically asked about the Forster tool, but I just responded to another thread on neck turning on this site. If you find it irrelevant please disregard it. Here what I said:

Russ,
I used a Gracey neck shaver for about 3 years, it was the best thing available at the time (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8326uVudvY ). There were some things I didn't like about that tool and kept my eyes open for possible upgrades.

About 6 months ago I became aware of the Hornady Neck Turning Tool (see http://www.midwayusa.com/product/622605/hornady-lock-n-load-neck-turning-tool ) and of the 21st Century Neck Turning Lathe. I considered both. At same time a friend of mine bought the 21st Century one. After he got it he brought it over to my house because he needed some help with it, so I help him set it up properly and I got a chance to work with it and turn about 10 cases to make sure it was doing what he wanted. Although the tool worked well enough I found the free floating aspect a bit awkward, there were a couple of other things that I wasn't too crazy about.

After that experience I decided to buy the Hornady and try it out, if I didn't like it I would send it back. As soon as I got it I turned 500 virgin Lapua Palma cases in less than two hours. To make a long story short I've kept the Hornady tool and sold my Gracey Neck shaver.

The difference in price between the Hornady and the 21st Century one is a non-issue for me simply because I'm interested in the best tool for the job. The difference in price when amortized over several thousands of cases becomes irrelevant. The quality and the time savings is more important to me. IMO it is unusual when you can get a better tool for less money, that is what I call a bargain.

Kindest regards,

Joe
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Joe,
I use a hybrid of your combination. Let's say your finished neck target is .0120. My set up would be to set the Gracey Neck Shaver to cut to .0122 and feed them as fast as I can go. You can probably trim somewhere in the range of 10-12+ cases a min. I then move to the Forster lathe that is permanently set at .012 and power it with an cordless Hitachi angled drill at low speed...400 RPM? This first pass using the Forster (using a drop of heavy oil) is made pretty fast and it comes out close but slightly over target due to the large fast cut. Now, with the case still in the lathe I add another drop of oil and make the final pass thru the lathe that takes the neck exactly to my target. In this example, the cases would be of .0120-0121.
Ben
 
BenPerfected said:
Joe,
I use a hybrid of your combination. Let's say your finished neck target is .0120. My set up would be to set the Gracey Neck Shaver to cut to .0122 and feed them as fast as I can go. You can probably trim somewhere in the range of 10-12+ cases a min. I then move to the Forster lathe that is permanently set at .012 and power it with an cordless Hitachi angled drill at low speed...400 RPM? This first pass using the Forster (using a drop of heavy oil) is made pretty fast and it comes out close but slightly over target due to the large fast cut. Now, with the case still in the lathe I add another drop of oil and make the final pass thru the lathe that takes the neck exactly to my target. In this example, the cases would be of .0120-0121.
Ben
Click to expand...

Hi Ben,
I'm kind of lazy when it comes to reloading. I shoot F-TR and I like to shoot. I reload because I have to not because I like to. My process has expanded to 22 steps with virgin brass and 19 steps with once fired brass. I'm getting ready to expand it even more because I'm going to start pointing bullets. But you gotta remember that once you get to 1/4 MOA ammo the biggest challenge is the environmental factors.

Like you, I do turn my cases around .012-.0123. I don't believe more precision neck turning will improve my shooting, at this point what gives me fits is the wind. This past Sunday we had a 600 yard match and I scored a 199-10X on one match when the wind was constant. The next match when the wind started switching I scored a 192-3X. Instead of spending more time on reloading I'm spending more time at the range practicing reading wind. That's where my biggest challenge is.

The only reason I'm adding tipping is because I have been told by reliable people (and I hope ) it will make a difference on target because of the improved BC.

Kindest regards,

Joe

By the way, the Hornady neck turning tool allows we to turn virgin Lapua brass (.0145-.016) down to .012 in one pass. That impressed the heck out of me.
 
tenring said:
I have the Forster neck turning system and it is a POS. The cuts are rough and not very accurate. I spent a few bucks more and bought a K&M - never looked back.
Click to expand...

+1 it's a POS for sure. For coal trimmer as well, the damn set screws always came lose for me no matter what.
 
waldo1979 said:
tenring said:
I have the Forster neck turning system and it is a POS. The cuts are rough and not very accurate. I spent a few bucks more and bought a K&M - never looked back.
Click to expand...

+1 it's a POS for sure. For coal trimmer as well, the damn set screws always came lose for me no matter what.
Click to expand...

The trimmer has been awesome for me, which is why I started to look at the neck turning tools.
 
I have had very good luck with my Hart neck turning tool. It has served me well for 20+ years now. I have often thought of buying the K&M, but never could justify it while mine was still doing the job

QM
 
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