I had a problem yesterday with my bolt locking up, heres what I have found after looking into it. After I full lenght resize my brass some of the once fired will not chamber without a little bit of pressure not much but a little, my brass with 5 firings takes a little more and it is consistant with all of that brass. I figured I must need a little bit more shoulder bump (headspace). I took my shellholder and stoned it down to allow more press travel upwards into die. It worked but I removed too much material and the shellholder cracked around the lip that holds the case. So my next Idea is to remove some of the die. Anyone tried this I really would hate to jack up a good die.
Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
- Thread starter CSiebert
- Start date
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
I have ground the bottom end of dies before. I held them in a "VEE" block on an angle plate and used a surface grinder to remove .010". If you know what you are doing, you can do it OK. But I painted the outside of those dies in the knurled area black and used an ingraving tool to permanetly mark that it was short X.XXX" But if you sell it to someone that doesn't understand what you have done they can over work their brass in a heart beat.
The best way to dodge a Liability lawsuit is keep them or destroy them when you're done with them. But they need to be permanently marked that they have been altered.
The easier way is to get a set of Redding Competition Shell Holders. You can make slight adjustments with them. And not near as much trouble.
I have ground the bottom end of dies before. I held them in a "VEE" block on an angle plate and used a surface grinder to remove .010". If you know what you are doing, you can do it OK. But I painted the outside of those dies in the knurled area black and used an ingraving tool to permanetly mark that it was short X.XXX" But if you sell it to someone that doesn't understand what you have done they can over work their brass in a heart beat.
The best way to dodge a Liability lawsuit is keep them or destroy them when you're done with them. But they need to be permanently marked that they have been altered.
The easier way is to get a set of Redding Competition Shell Holders. You can make slight adjustments with them. And not near as much trouble.
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
I had 2 sets of dies where I couldn't resize the cases enough . Took .005 - .007 off the shell holder with a surface grinder . To me it is a heck of alot easier to 'dust' the shell holder than a die but you could do either one . If the shell holder broke you probably took off too much . A piece of notebook paper is only .003 thick .
david
I had 2 sets of dies where I couldn't resize the cases enough . Took .005 - .007 off the shell holder with a surface grinder . To me it is a heck of alot easier to 'dust' the shell holder than a die but you could do either one . If the shell holder broke you probably took off too much . A piece of notebook paper is only .003 thick .
david
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
I am caming over as hard as I can but need just a little bit more.
I am caming over as hard as I can but need just a little bit more.
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
Doesn't someone make shellholders that are made to bump a bit more, they are shorter.
Doesn't someone make shellholders that are made to bump a bit more, they are shorter.
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
I have had to take some off the base of the sizing die on my 6br, and 6.5x284 redding type s dies. My gunsmith told me it is better that cramming the shellholder and dies. I took .o25 off the dies with a lathe. I had the same issue, needed a skosh more bump.
Prosise
I have had to take some off the base of the sizing die on my 6br, and 6.5x284 redding type s dies. My gunsmith told me it is better that cramming the shellholder and dies. I took .o25 off the dies with a lathe. I had the same issue, needed a skosh more bump.
Prosise
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Get a headspace Gage and stop setting up your FL dies per the instructions they come with </div></div>
+1, a head space gauge will save you a lot of head aches. As far a altering shell holders, never. But have had a die milled down 0.010"
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Get a headspace Gage and stop setting up your FL dies per the instructions they come with </div></div>
+1, a head space gauge will save you a lot of head aches. As far a altering shell holders, never. But have had a die milled down 0.010"
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
Everyone should have a gauge to measure headspace - I prefer RCBS precision mics . If he is camming over and still needs to set the shoulder back some more then the gauge will only tell him he hasn't sized it enough - which he already knew ! You can trim the die but it is easier to take a little off the top of the shell holder . Either way you will be able to decrease the headspace of the brass . With a gauge he will be able to tell when his brass is properly sized . Measure your fired brass before and after you resize it and then take off excess stock from either the shell holder (top) or die (bottom) . Measure carefully using calipers . To do the die requires a lathe or v-block . If you screwed something up , I can assure you , you would rather screw up a $6 shell holder !!
david
Everyone should have a gauge to measure headspace - I prefer RCBS precision mics . If he is camming over and still needs to set the shoulder back some more then the gauge will only tell him he hasn't sized it enough - which he already knew ! You can trim the die but it is easier to take a little off the top of the shell holder . Either way you will be able to decrease the headspace of the brass . With a gauge he will be able to tell when his brass is properly sized . Measure your fired brass before and after you resize it and then take off excess stock from either the shell holder (top) or die (bottom) . Measure carefully using calipers . To do the die requires a lathe or v-block . If you screwed something up , I can assure you , you would rather screw up a $6 shell holder !!
david
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cz550</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am caming over as hard as I can but need just a little bit more. </div></div>
This can be hard on your press if you are not careful as it puts a lot of pressure on the joints in the arm and ram. One can only compress steel so much. As noted in an earlier post, the best way to go is with a set of shellholders from Redding so you adjust the amount of sizing on the brass.
I have had a couple of dies through the years that were cut deep for some reason and did grind them to help this problem. As Vic said, it's best to mark them and not sell. Redding shelholders should address 99.9% of most cases as the mfg tolerances are much tighter today.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: cz550</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am caming over as hard as I can but need just a little bit more. </div></div>
This can be hard on your press if you are not careful as it puts a lot of pressure on the joints in the arm and ram. One can only compress steel so much. As noted in an earlier post, the best way to go is with a set of shellholders from Redding so you adjust the amount of sizing on the brass.
I have had a couple of dies through the years that were cut deep for some reason and did grind them to help this problem. As Vic said, it's best to mark them and not sell. Redding shelholders should address 99.9% of most cases as the mfg tolerances are much tighter today.
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
"Doesn't someone make shellholders that are made to bump a bit more, they are shorter."
Not quite so; they are longer to bump less. Using them (Redding's "Competititon" shell holders) would only make Mr. cz550's case fit problem worse.
Ref. reloading tool manufactor's tolerances, they are exactly the same today as they were some 50 years ago. Each of the SAAMI agreed to dimensions, chamber and ammo, is a range, NOT a specific point. Anything made within that range is as fully in spec. as anything else. Our dies - and shell holders - are made to form reloaded ammo within the normal specifications. Clearly any maker can - and will - produce an occasional exception but they all achieve the tolerance or they will replace the tool.
There is no effort by any maker to get closer to either the large or small size limit of a standard dimension nor is there any value to them doing so; which size would be "best" for a die or shell holder, large end or small?
In the end, the ammo will have to fit into a chamber that is also made from a reamer that has a tolerance range so getting individual chambers and dies to match is luck, not brand or price.
"Doesn't someone make shellholders that are made to bump a bit more, they are shorter."
Not quite so; they are longer to bump less. Using them (Redding's "Competititon" shell holders) would only make Mr. cz550's case fit problem worse.
Ref. reloading tool manufactor's tolerances, they are exactly the same today as they were some 50 years ago. Each of the SAAMI agreed to dimensions, chamber and ammo, is a range, NOT a specific point. Anything made within that range is as fully in spec. as anything else. Our dies - and shell holders - are made to form reloaded ammo within the normal specifications. Clearly any maker can - and will - produce an occasional exception but they all achieve the tolerance or they will replace the tool.
There is no effort by any maker to get closer to either the large or small size limit of a standard dimension nor is there any value to them doing so; which size would be "best" for a die or shell holder, large end or small?
In the end, the ammo will have to fit into a chamber that is also made from a reamer that has a tolerance range so getting individual chambers and dies to match is luck, not brand or price.
Re: Anyone ever modify shellholder or Die ?
Fuzzbal is 100% correct . Redding competition shell holders are + not - so would be used if you are sizing your brass too much , which is not the case with the original post . Reloading dies that don't reduce headspace enough to fit a chamber , esp. a min spec chamber isn't that rare in my experience . The answer is easy - trim die or shell holder or you could get a custom die made ( Hornady or Redding ).
david
Fuzzbal is 100% correct . Redding competition shell holders are + not - so would be used if you are sizing your brass too much , which is not the case with the original post . Reloading dies that don't reduce headspace enough to fit a chamber , esp. a min spec chamber isn't that rare in my experience . The answer is easy - trim die or shell holder or you could get a custom die made ( Hornady or Redding ).
david
