Source for Resizing Die Blank

[Papa Charlie]

Looking for a source for a resizing FL (Body/Shoulder) die blank. PTG doesn't have any in stock and don't want to spend $150 for a blank.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cmysix]

call Redding or other die makers

 

[Papa Charlie]

Thank you, fortunately, my smith was able to ordered one from Cortina.

 

[Phys86]

Thank you, fortunately, my smith was able to ordered one from Cortina.

How did your EC die blank turn out? Do you like it?

 

[SteveOak]

LE Wilson

 

[Papa Charlie]

How did your EC die blank turn out? Do you like it?

The die I ordered was a blank. My smith used the matching reamer for the chamber reamer to make it part of the set.
As far as I am concerned it turned out great. In a sport that everything matters, it is nice know that the case are sized to fit the specific reamer my chamber was made from.
That being said, I am not a great shooter. I hold my own on a good day. I shoot FTR and in most of my matches I have Tod Hendrix, Jay Christopherson and others that are actually champions.

 

[Phys86]

The die I ordered was a blank. My smith used the matching reamer for the chamber reamer to make it part of the set.
As far as I am concerned it turned out great. In a sport that everything matters, it is nice know that the case are sized to fit the specific reamer my chamber was made from.
That being said, I am not a great shooter. I hold my own on a good day. I shoot FTR and in most of my matches I have Tod Hendrix, Jay Christopherson and others that are actually champions.

Thanks. I was looking at die blanks for a FL die and was wondering about the EC die blank vs the newlon blanks that are popular. It seems like a good deal especially with the nitride service if one wants one that doesn't use bushings.

Any idea if it could be threaded on top for a decapping stem and expander ball?

 

[Papa Charlie]

Thanks. I was looking at die blanks for a FL die and was wondering about the EC die blank vs the newlon blanks that are popular. It seems like a good deal especially with the nitride service if one wants one that doesn't use bushings.

Any idea if it could be threaded on top for a decapping stem and expander ball?

Sorry I don't I would talk with EC or your smith to determine the best course for you application.

 

[Fuj]

I've used Newlon Precision blanks on many occasions.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I've used Newlon Precision blanks on many occasions.

Most of my dies were made from Newlon blanks and have served me well with zero problems.

 

[6BRA]

Doesn't this require a slightly smaller dimensioned reamer, than the reamer used on chamber? 2 reamers?

 

[Rocketvapor]

Would a "clearance" die of a caliber that had dimensions suitable for reaming work?

 

[Papa Charlie]

Doesn't this require a slightly smaller dimensioned reamer, than the reamer used on chamber? 2 reamers?

I am no smith, but my understanding from my smith is that the die used to make the sizing die is slightly different from the chambering die to allow for clearances between the unfired case and the chamber, but closely aligns to the chamber to ensure the highest accuracy.

What I can say is that I have been impressed by the results and fit. Let face it, if you are buying a custom barrel, having it chambered with a competition reamer, one would assume that using a stock SAAMI spec die does not make any sense. A blank die is just a piece of metal that has a hole through the middle and is threaded to fit the press. The final performance is the refinement of the sizing bore.

We spend so much money on getting precision, to stop at this point makes no sense. The cost, if your smith already ordered the matching FL die reamer, is less than a hamburger today. Compared to the other costs of this sport, it is nothing.

What you all decide is up to you. Compared to all the other items items I spend, at least to me, is a lot of money, this is nothing to try and eliminate any potential negative impact to putting the bullet on the mark.

To conclude this, I have no illusion that, the nut behind the gun is the biggest issue. I am just trying to eliminate the shortcomings of one more item. To me no one item has a huge impact on the outcome of our shooting. Each change we make makes a small, sometimes minuscule impact, but based on my machining and mechanical background, all these changes have an impact. Individually they have little to none. However, combining them all has to have an effect.

I worked with Boeing for many years in Supply Management. The millions of parts to make an airplane all have tolerances. Made by many different levels through the supply chain. To get to the point that all those parts can be made by many different sources and assembled at the factory into a final product requires a great deal of collaboration. It is sort of like reducing the compiling effect of tolerances on individual parts to the overall assembly. A simplified version is like, if every part has a +0.005" allowance and there are a total of 10 parts, potentially, you could end up with as much as 0.050" impact in the final assembly. Add to this a Plus or Minus value and the impact could be that parts may not fit together at all. Apply this logic to what we do and you can see the advantage of mated processes.

That is my $0.02 input.

 

[Phys86]

Agreed. I was just trying to decide between the newlon and the EC blank.

The bushing newlon sounds nice, but I don't like the idea of the small portion of the neck near the neck/shoulder junction that doesn't get sized when using a bushing die

 

[Jayplace]

Agreed. I was just trying to decide between the newlon and the EC blank.

The bushing newlon sounds nice, but I don't like the idea of the small portion of the neck near the neck/shoulder junction that doesn't get sized when using a bushing die

The bushing is one of the trade-offs. The other option is having multiple dies with each having a different neck size. The only way to get the best neck tension is trying various combinations for a particular gun and that could get expensive quickly. I'm sure some do it, but not many.

 

[hpshooter]

The bushing is one of the trade-offs. The other option is having multiple dies with each having a different neck size. The only way to get the best neck tension is trying various combinations for a particular gun and that could get expensive quickly. I'm sure some do it, but not many.

Or, un-dersize the neck by 5-6 thousands and use mandrels to set the neck/bullet interference where you want it .

 

[Papa Charlie]

The bushing is one of the trade-offs. The other option is having multiple dies with each having a different neck size. The only way to get the best neck tension is trying various combinations for a particular gun and that could get expensive quickly. I'm sure some do it, but not many.

My FL die that is matched to my chamber does not size my neck. I have a second die that I use a bushing to under size the neck and then a final die that expands to the final dimension. Since I use a progressive press, this does not add to my tasks, instead I have the three dies in order of operation.

Another thing that I have done is built and installed a timer, which is started by a proximity switch at full stroke of the press. After doing some analysis, I have found to prevent spring back (Lapua .308 Win cases with unturned necks) requires at least 15 seconds dwell time, I set my timer to 18 seconds. If I turn them down to 0.014" neck wall thickness I can reduce that to 12 seconds, which I don't do any longer. This is on cases that are annealed every firing.

Just the way I am doing my cases.

 

[Jayplace]

My FL die that is matched to my chamber does not size my neck. I have a second die that I use a bushing to under size the neck and then a final die that expands to the final dimension. Since I use a progressive press, this does not add to my tasks, instead I have the three dies in order of operation.

Another thing that I have done is built and installed a timer, which is started by a proximity switch at full stroke of the press. After doing some analysis, I have found to prevent spring back (Lapua .308 Win cases with unturned necks) requires at least 15 seconds dwell time, I set my timer to 18 seconds. If I turn them down to 0.014" neck wall thickness I can reduce that to 12 seconds, which I don't do any longer. This is on cases that are annealed every firing.

Just the way I am doing my cases.

When using your method of the separate neck sizing die, do you still have that small area of the neck that doesn't get sized and are you using a common bushings similar to the Redding?

 

[Papa Charlie]

When using your method of the separate neck sizing die, do you still have that small area of the neck that doesn't get sized and are you using a common bushings similar to the Redding?

I have adjusted the bushing die down to the very edge of the neck/shoulder. So yes, I am sizing the entire neck.

On the other side of the coin, I seat my round long with only about 0.135" of bearing surface in contact with the neck.

To give you the total picture:

-FL Die, EC Blank with my chamber matching reamer
-Redding Micrometer bushing die with the expander and primer extracting pin removed.
-Was using the Redding Nitride bushings but have recently switched to the Short Action Customs bushings which are interchangeable with the Redding's. I seem to get less scaring on the necks with the SA.
-I am using the Porter's Precision ER16 collet for my expansion die.
-The expansion pin is a Vermont Minus Gauge Pin that I have tapered the tip and polished. These are available in 0.0005" increments.

 

[Area51]

Agreed. I was just trying to decide between the newlon and the EC blank.

The bushing newlon sounds nice, but I don't like the idea of the small portion of the neck near the neck/shoulder junction that doesn't get sized when using a bushing die

Newlon, you will not be disappointed. Use a properly dimensioned resize reamer for your chamber reamer, yes they are different.
JGS, accept no substitutes.
Acid