Open up a neck on full length die

[ShootDots]

I know this can be done but I don't know where to start. I need someone who can open up a neck on an RCBS 7mm br full length die. My die size's the neck down about .006 more than I need. I have a Redding full length bushing die but am sending it back to Redding because it will not bump the shoulder enough to chamber the case. I need the neck opened to .304. The RCBS die will bump the shoulder enough to chamber. Any suggestions on who would do this. Thanks Allen

I don't know what it would cost to have a machinist hone it out to your specifications. But I would bet that you could just about purchase a new die for the cost of the hone job. SUGGESTION: Whidden dies are specifically made to use with "regular" shell holders and STILL bump the shoulders back more than you want. They even have a "Click-Adjustable" that will bump the shoulder back 1 thousandths for every click! Additionally, Whidden has bushing dies that are click adjustable and bushings for your correct neck tension. Just my 2 cents..

 

[Uncle Ed]

Forster has Full Length Bench Rest Sizing Die for 7mm BR Rem $60.00 if you order direct and they will hone the neck for $12.00.
This will save postage of sending a die to them with less hassle and at MidwayUSA the die is special order.
Meaning call Forster and just order the die and specify neck honing diameter.


Full Length Bench Rest® Sizing Die for 7mm BR Rem – 018231
https://www.forsterproducts.com/product/full-length-sizing-dies/

Custom Neck Honing (Optional)
Diamond stoning process enlarges the inside dia. to prevent over-sizing due to thick neck walls. Useful for brands of brass cases with thicker neck walls or when you do not intend to outside neck turn case necks that have thickened after repeated firings. Please note:
1. No more than .008″ stock removal from your existing die neck diameter is possible.
2. Honing is done in increments of one half thousandth of an inch (.0005″), meaning that your specified inside diameter must be either .XXX0″ or .XXX5″.
Custom machining cost (below) applies.

Specify neck diameter ($12.00)

 

[Hummer]

The easiest way to GETERDONE is cut about .010" off the bottom of the die. I have trimmed up to .020" off bottom of one die and about 15 of mine all together and about 20 for others. When I went to work for the Army Small Cal Lab the guy that trained me said he had been turning the bottoms off dies since 1951.

Reaming a die is gonna get iffy quick as they are carburized and don't turn evenly.

I would get a L E Wilson Neck size die and get a bushing of the diameter you want.

If you haven't turned the necks a neck turner would probably take off about .003" just to even the neck up all the way around. Neck walls on military match ammo can vary .005" in thickness per the drawing.

Main thing to do is to keep stress relieving the neck/shoulders so they will keep on going. The secret to long case life is to have a chamber that does not expand over .002 anywhere when it is fired.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The easiest way to GETERDONE is cut about .010" off the bottom of the die. I have trimmed up to .020" off bottom of one die and about 15 of mine all together and about 20 for others. When I went to work for the Army Small Cal Lab the guy that trained me said he had been turning the bottoms off dies since 1951.

Reaming a die is gonna get iffy quick as they are carburized and don't turn evenly.

I would get a L E Wilson Neck size die and get a bushing of the diameter you want.

If you haven't turned the necks a neck turner would probably take off about .003" just to even the neck up all the way around. Neck walls on military match ammo can vary .005" in thickness per the drawing.

Main thing to do is to keep stress relieving the neck/shoulders so they will keep on going. The secret to long case life is to have a chamber that does not expand over .002 anywhere when it is fired.

Taking material off the bottom of the die wont help with his quandry of getting too much neck tension

 

[NorCalMikie]

I prefer to take it from the die rather than needing a dedicated modified she'll holder to work with.

Shell holders are "cheaper" than a full length die. Chuck the shell holder up in a drill press, run it down on a well oiled sharpening stone. Spin and check till it meets your needs/specs.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Taking material off the bottom of the die wont help with his quandry of getting too much neck tension

Go back and read his posts. He has two dies. One is a redding bushing die that won't quite push the shoulder back.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Shell holders are "cheaper" than a full length die. Chuck the shell holder up in a drill press, run it down on a well oiled sharpening stone. Spin and check till it meets your needs/specs.

To each, their own. I stated both options and why I prefer to take it from the die. I've machined parts worth thousands of dollars that were much more dimensionally critical. I'm not scared of scrapping a die but have done many and never scrapped one yet. A lathe a carbide cutter and about 1 minute is all it takes. As basic as machining gets.

 

[cw308]

I don't neck turn , tried the Redding bushing S type dies , didn't work for me . What does work for me is a standard RCBS Full Length die with the Redding Competition shellholder set of 5 I can adjust my case headspace for zero to .002 on up if you want . I use 3 different types of brass with different thicknesses , I use the expander ball , runout is mostly .001 no higher then ..002 do this setup works for me . I wet tumble my brass , brass comes out spotless so I'm using some dry lube on a cleaning mop to coat the inside of the necks . Also spinning some 0000 steel wool on the inside of the necks to test , both seat very smooth . I trim after every firing no matter how slight , want all my cases to be as close to exact as possible . Hope I Helped .

Chris

 

[JFrank]

Taking material off the bottom of the die wont help with his quandry of getting too much neck tension

Correct on neck tension issue..
See that, I'm learning...

 

[fguffey]

I have a Redding full length bushing die but am sending it back to Redding because it will not bump the shoulder enough to chamber the case.

Removing metal from the bottom of the die and or the top of the shell holder and after that someone is giving considerations to taking metal from both, the shell holder and the die. That takes up back to the dark ages as in; if the reloader does not understand what is going on... grind!.

And then there is "bump", if you have a cam over press you are using a 'bump' press. If my press is not able to reduce the length of the case from the shoulder to the case head I want to know 'by how much'.. If the case has more resistance to sizing than my press can overcome I want to know if it is the case ir my press.

When I want to increase the presses; ability to overcome case resistance top sizing I increase the presses ability to over come case resistance by adding shims between the deck of the shell holder and case head. The RCBS shell holder is my favorite shell holder because it allows me to add a shim of .010" between the deck of the shell holder and case head.

When sizing cases for short chambers I want to know 'how short' the chamber is. When I want to know if the case won or if my press won I measure the gap between the bottom of the die and top of the shell holder. If when the ram goes to the top and the die was properly adjusted to return the case to minimum length/full length size the case there should not be a gap.

There are time a little thinking on the reloaders part is required.

F. Guffey

 

[fguffey]

That takes up back to the dark ages as in; if the reloader does not understand what is going on... grind!.

I have three grinders that are designed to make pilots, grind angles and grind anything that can be chucked-up to length, For the complex thinkers the grinders will grind the base of the die and top of the shell holder, they can be used to make head space gages etc. etc. and two of them are fluid cooled. I have never used one of the grinders to reduce the deck height of a shell holder or reduce the distance from the shoulder of the die to the base.

Again, I have a fiber C&H die box with the instructions on the bottom of the box. I am thinking no one reads the bottom of boxes or instructions because the instructions on the bottom of the C&H box instructs the user of the dies in the box to use shell holders with a height of .125", years later I added the word 'deck' to height to get deck height.

Reloaders continued to insist the brand of the die should match the brand of the shell holder and I wondered if the reloader could verify the shell holder and or die or both. The fiber boxes go back to the time C&H was in El Monte California, that was in the mid-60s before the Internet.

F. Guffey

 

[cw308]

Before you grind things down you 1 need the tools and 2 know how to use them . Wish I had the skills an equipment . I have to buy things , some work well and some don't . I still enjoy shooting and reloading so much , great sport or whatever it's called . Also a great group of people here to talk to.

Chris

 

[GSPV]

On the net too much clearance is a bad thing. <snip>

Better too much than too little. That’s what I took “Cut thin to win” to mean.

 

[wheelgun7360]

Ended up taking some of the top of the shell holder. Redding bushing die now bumps the shoulder .002. Thanks

 

[AlNyhus]

Ended up taking some of the top of the shell holder. Redding bushing die now bumps the shoulder .002. Thanks

Glad that worked for you. Been doing that for years and have an asst. of shell holders faced off from .002-.015.

You can open the neck with an chucking reamer. They run around $40 to start from outfits like MSC, etc. If you've got a pal with a lathe, it's a pretty straight forward operation.

Good shootin'.

 

[Ringostar]

I’m surprised that no one suggested an expander mandrel. You could have done this after sizing with your non bushing die. It also would have taken care of your undersized necks.

 

[AlNyhus]

The problem with an expanding mandrel is that the necks end up not parallel to the case body. Whether it's enough to hurt accuracy in this case...who knows? But .006 is a lot to expand without the necks moving, at least in my experience.

Good shootin'. -Al