New approach to fireforming a 30BR

[butchlambert]

I didn't have a 30 cal barrel to use for fireforming my 30BR. I took a 6mm barrel and ran a .300 drill in to open up the lands. That allowed me to use my 30BR reamer in the 6mm barrel. I fireformed the brass with Bullseye and a wax plug. DO NOT USE A BULLET!!!
I punched out the primers, cut to length, expanded, and turned. If you do it this way you only have to expand the necks a little as fireforming blows them out.
Butch

 

[SmokinJoe]

Hey, Butch. Hope you are well. I do something similar, but the best worked out method I've read about is Jackie Schmidt's. He has had a special reamer ground by Dave Kiff that has a .330 neck that is extra long for fire forming from loaded 6BR,with a bullet)in a 6mm barrel. This was discussed at length on BRC. When fire-forming this way, the brass actually flows forward instead of 'shrinking' as when using a mandrel to expand. This method gives two distinct advantages over mandrel expanding. First, the formed brass is very straight & fitted to your chamber already. I chamber the fireform barrel a couple thousandths shorter than my match rifles, so it comes out like bumped back brass. Secondly, the necks come out longer, so if you have a reamer made to use that length, it gives you a little more to work with, especially if you use 7 ogive bullets. Something else to be aware of is that if you use this type method to fireform in a normal 30BR chamber, the neck portion of the brass will move forward into the rifling lead part of the barrel, leaving a nasty 'crimp' on the mouth of the case. This crimped area is aggravating to get rid of smoothly. Good luck to any of you that try this method, and be very careful about whatever you decide to do. Make sure you have a 100% full understanding of how to do this before you try it.

 

[chillippr]

I'm doing exactly what you're doing Butch. Works great.

 

[GSPV]

How thick should the wax plug be? Full length of the neck?

 

[butchlambert]

Joe,
I do nothing to the brass before forming. Dave Kiff is making me a no turn long neck reamer. I believe that it is 338 neck and 1.570 length. This will be a hunting rifle and fireforming reamer. If you want one ask for the 30BR Lambert. I also know what you are talking about Joe on the short neck. I have a straight chucking reamer that I had made in 330 and just run it in an additional .050 to get rid of the ugly crimp.
I just push enough wax in the neck to seal it good.
Butch