Case Neck Turner

[EROCO]

Fellow reloaders,

For those who have had experience neck turning your brass, please share what you have learned with us.

I currently have the Forster Original case trimmer and I was looking at the attachment case neck turner from Forster. Is this the way to go or does the hand held unit, again from Forster, produce better results?

There are also products from RCBS but I have had success with Forster and wanted to stay with them unless there is a really better product out there.

Do you neck turn? If so, please share your technique in detail.

Thanks.

 

[former naval person]

Re: Case Neck Turner

I use and have used the Forster for at least 25 years. No problems. I rigged up a slide...using a 2x4 for mounting the trimmer and aligning a power screwdriver with the turning handle. Works great and lessens the time and effort involved. I recommend FL sizing without the expander ball, then trimming to length. Expand the necks with the K&M expander...that gets you a consistent internal diameter...and then turn the outside of the necks to about a 90% clean-up. You'll need to resize the necks afterward to get the amount of tension you desire. JMHO

 

[EROCO]

Re: Case Neck Turner

Thanks for your input.

I also forgot to mention that I partial size the neck, how does the neck turning tool account for that?

Thanks.

 

[former naval person]

Re: Case Neck Turner

I'd full length size the neck before turning. Otherwise you'll create a do-nut inside the case. After turning, partially size as you please.

 

[BBeyer]

Re: Case Neck Turner

I have been turning necks for quite a while probebly for a different reason than you. I shoot a tight necked chamber in all my guns, and find that a hand held power screwdriver and a hand held turner are by far the best for my purposes. The sense of feel is a great thing and is really underestimated as far as what you can do freehand. I have found that there is no lathe type turner that does even a decent job, there are a few hand held that are good. I personally like and use a couple of Sinclaires that are as good a cutter as any in my estimation. I have a couple set up for cuts that I want and they are not moved at all. I have another that I have adapted a mic. head to and can be set quite easily to whatever I want. Just make sure that, whatever you use, the last cut is very slow in and just as slow out.

 

[TwoGun]

Re: Case Neck Turner

I like the hand turners in conjunction with an expansion mandrel. I turn the necks to clean them up and get them closer to a uniform thickness. I used to use the Sinclair but I've switched to the PMA tool because it's easier to set the wall thickness for different size necks. It's a thing of beauty.

http://www.pmatool.com/product_info.php/cPath/27_42/products_id/152

 

[BBeyer]

Re: Case Neck Turner

Turning necks for a more uniform neck thickness sounds like a good idea, but remember the more material that is removed from the neck the more the brass has to be worked when sizing and therefore a slightly shorter case life.

 

[ryhag1]

Re: Case Neck Turner

K n M neck turner work great

 

[EROCO]

Re: Case Neck Turner

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BBeyer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Turning necks for a more uniform neck thickness sounds like a good idea, but remember the more material that is removed from the neck the more the brass has to be worked when sizing and therefore a slightly shorter case life. </div></div>

True. The idea is to just remove the high spots or about 70% clean up..

With that thought, I measured the neck diameter of a fired brass out of my 308 and its .344 while the loaded brass is .338. That's a growth of .006 every firing, sounds like a lot of growth to me. I do anneal every 4th firing so I've never had issues with the neck , usually primer pockets go first.

I also spoke with Forster about neck turning a partially sized neck and they said I would still benefit with no apparent issues. I neck size 2/3 of the neck which is really the only part of the neck touching the bullet.

 

[BBeyer]

Re: Case Neck Turner

The idea of turning a partially sized neck is a radical thought. I most certainly can not point at particular cases of doing it causing problems, I have never heard of it being done. Just doesn"t sound like having a case neck that is thinner at the third closest to the body is an idea consistant with accuracy.

 

[MALLARD]

Re: Case Neck Turner

if your not using a custom tight chamber , with less then .004 expansion , i would not neck turn at all.