neck turning new brass

[dbaird]

When neck turning new brass should you FL size prior to expanding the neck or just expand the neck then turn?

 

[dkhunt14]

The case should already be sized as small as it will ever get. Try running the expander Mandrel through a case and see if it is touching and expanding some. Matt

 

[artbosco]

First, see if the new out of the box brass will chamber. Most of the time it won't.

For new brass I use a F/L bushing die without the bushing inserted then size to push the shoulder back.

Pull the firing pin from my Bolt, chamber the case, and check for head spacing/ease of chambering. I want the Bolt to fall half way down on its own with added light pressure applied by me to finish the chambering.

If needed I adjust the die until the above happens.

Then neck up, then turn.

Then F/L size with the bushing inserted for the amount of neck tension I want applied to the loaded round.

 

[masterblaster1]

I always fire the brass once then go through my regular process, size, trim, clean in ss tumbler, debur and uniform primer pockets, then expand neck and turn to match my other brass.I find turning freshly annealed brass to be harder on the neck turning bit.

 

[4xforfun]

I always fire the brass once then go through my regular process, size, trim, clean in ss tumbler, debur and uniform primer pockets, then expand neck and turn to match my other brass.I find turning freshly annealed brass to be harder on the neck turning bit.

That may be tough if it is a tight neck chamber!! Not to mention dangerous!!!

 

[masterblaster1]

Disclaimer on my post above, if your new brass is tight or does not fit you need to turn and trim to fit it in the chamber smoothly, you can get pressure spikes or worse if you force a round up against the lands or squeeze the bullet into the chamber.

I always fire the brass once then go through my regular process, size, trim, clean in ss tumbler, debur and uniform primer pockets, then expand neck and turn to match my other brass.I find turning freshly annealed brass to be harder on the neck turning bit.

That may be tough if it is a tight neck chamber!! Not to mention dangerous!!!

 

[mikecr]

When neck turning new brass should you FL size prior to expanding the neck or just expand the neck then turn?

Just expand and turn.
If using Sinclair's mandrel system you won't even need to follow with neck sizing to load.

 

[wolley]

I just turned a couple hundred new Lapua 308 cases with my new 21st century kit.
Trimmed to length with a Giraud trimmer because it indexes off the shoulder and will give consistent neck to mouth dimensions.(the new cases ranged from 2.002" to 2.007") The neck turner indexes off the case mouth so this way I get consistent dimensions from neck junction to case mouth.
Expand over the supplied mandrel and turn.
The Lapua was surprisingly inconsistent on the neck thickness. I took a half thou off and for some cases this only cut 40-60% of the neck. Final thickness was .014". For a few the uncut side of the neck measured .0135".
I would have cut more but I'm trying to stay with .0025" clearance on the case neck to chamber.
The supplied expander mandrel left the cases with a perfect .002" tension on the bullet.

 

[barefooter56]

Dbaird,
Just run them over the expander mandrel and turn them. New brass is always the best to turn necks on.
Take care,
Phil Hoham
Berger Bullet Tech