Do I need to FL size new brass?
- Thread starter tlsmith22
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Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
Necks and case mouths are usually beat to shit, and there's no guarantee your headspace is correct (short enough), though that's usually not a problem....running them through a FL die straightens out bent shit, and gives peace of mind.
Totally up to you what you do....but I run 'em through a die first.
Necks and case mouths are usually beat to shit, and there's no guarantee your headspace is correct (short enough), though that's usually not a problem....running them through a FL die straightens out bent shit, and gives peace of mind.
Totally up to you what you do....but I run 'em through a die first.
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
On new brass I size with the fl die, because during shipping and handling they get knocked around. You can see some of the necks are out of round.I check length, and debur too. That the way I do, I hope this helps....good reloading !!!!
On new brass I size with the fl die, because during shipping and handling they get knocked around. You can see some of the necks are out of round.I check length, and debur too. That the way I do, I hope this helps....good reloading !!!!
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
I always FL new brass nomatter what brand or caliber. It gives me a piece of mind. Like everyone said the necks are always beat to hell from shipping.
I always FL new brass nomatter what brand or caliber. It gives me a piece of mind. Like everyone said the necks are always beat to hell from shipping.
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
I do a few different things depending on the brass.
With Nosler Custom Competition brass I do nothing - just load it right out of the box. This stuff is in my opinion the highest quality brass I've ever used. They ship it in shrink wrapped plastic in 50 piece lots. This forces all the brass next to each other so they can't move around and get knocked into each other during shipping. I've never seen a single dented mouth. The case length and headspace are within +/- 0.001" so no need to trim or resize and they are weight sorted to 1/2 a grain, the flash holes are deburred and the mouths are chamfered and deburred so they are good to go.
The last time I needed new brass I went with Lapua due to the high level of respect this brand commands on this forum. The brass appears to be of equal quality as NCC but Lapua doesn't spend as much time preparing it for the customer as Nosler does. Being shipped in bulk 100 lot boxes the cases can bump into each other during shipping so I do see an occasional dented neck. The flash holes, headspace and length are good but the mouths are unfinished. So for new Lapua brass I chamfer and deburr the mouths on all and neck size the mouths that look out of round.
For the less expensive brands like Remington and Winchester I do the full case prep regimen. Full size, trim length, deburr flash holes and chamfer and deburr case mouths.
I do a few different things depending on the brass.
With Nosler Custom Competition brass I do nothing - just load it right out of the box. This stuff is in my opinion the highest quality brass I've ever used. They ship it in shrink wrapped plastic in 50 piece lots. This forces all the brass next to each other so they can't move around and get knocked into each other during shipping. I've never seen a single dented mouth. The case length and headspace are within +/- 0.001" so no need to trim or resize and they are weight sorted to 1/2 a grain, the flash holes are deburred and the mouths are chamfered and deburred so they are good to go.
The last time I needed new brass I went with Lapua due to the high level of respect this brand commands on this forum. The brass appears to be of equal quality as NCC but Lapua doesn't spend as much time preparing it for the customer as Nosler does. Being shipped in bulk 100 lot boxes the cases can bump into each other during shipping so I do see an occasional dented neck. The flash holes, headspace and length are good but the mouths are unfinished. So for new Lapua brass I chamfer and deburr the mouths on all and neck size the mouths that look out of round.
For the less expensive brands like Remington and Winchester I do the full case prep regimen. Full size, trim length, deburr flash holes and chamfer and deburr case mouths.
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
There is no need to full size new brass. Just run the brass in the die just far enough to get necks round again. Alot of people full-length size incorrectly. Full length size just enough to bump shoulder back .002. It may take either the die or shellholder to get machined back just enough to do this but your brass will last alot longer. Most people turn die down until it touches shell holder and say good, but did they measure headspace? Most dies actually push shoulder back to far.
There is no need to full size new brass. Just run the brass in the die just far enough to get necks round again. Alot of people full-length size incorrectly. Full length size just enough to bump shoulder back .002. It may take either the die or shellholder to get machined back just enough to do this but your brass will last alot longer. Most people turn die down until it touches shell holder and say good, but did they measure headspace? Most dies actually push shoulder back to far.
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
I used to f-l size all new brass but as time went by I realized the only part of the case I was really working on was the necks. I tried running some through a Redding body die once (which only works on the brass from the shoulder down) and found that the die wasn't even touching the brass. I've measured new brass from most every company and found that they are all at or below SAAMI minimum specs in every dimension I can measure, and I've got a pretty good stable of measuring tools.
Necks are the one exception. Most of the time you will find that at least some of them are beat up to some degree from shipping and handling (Nosler being the exception as mentioned above). Even the Norma brass I tried was beat to hell in the necks. Depending on the brand, many case mouths are also pretty rough and need cleaning up and chamfering.
Other than dents and dings, my other issue with new necks is that they are all under-sized - as much as .010 below bullet diameter. Seating bullets in these necks is essentially using your bullet as a resizing tool. Running your cases through a resizing die, f-l or neck only, will fix most of the neck problems and hopefully open them up a bit.
I personally use a Sinclair expander mandrel to clean up the necks in new brass. It gives me an inner neck that is perfectly round, centered and concentric with the case, and properly sized for an appropriate neck tension. And I don't have to jack with lubing the case, or at least the outside.
I used to f-l size all new brass but as time went by I realized the only part of the case I was really working on was the necks. I tried running some through a Redding body die once (which only works on the brass from the shoulder down) and found that the die wasn't even touching the brass. I've measured new brass from most every company and found that they are all at or below SAAMI minimum specs in every dimension I can measure, and I've got a pretty good stable of measuring tools.
Necks are the one exception. Most of the time you will find that at least some of them are beat up to some degree from shipping and handling (Nosler being the exception as mentioned above). Even the Norma brass I tried was beat to hell in the necks. Depending on the brand, many case mouths are also pretty rough and need cleaning up and chamfering.
Other than dents and dings, my other issue with new necks is that they are all under-sized - as much as .010 below bullet diameter. Seating bullets in these necks is essentially using your bullet as a resizing tool. Running your cases through a resizing die, f-l or neck only, will fix most of the neck problems and hopefully open them up a bit.
I personally use a Sinclair expander mandrel to clean up the necks in new brass. It gives me an inner neck that is perfectly round, centered and concentric with the case, and properly sized for an appropriate neck tension. And I don't have to jack with lubing the case, or at least the outside.
Re: Do I need to FL size new brass?
NO. If I have a bent neck or two I will run those through the expander button.
NO. If I have a bent neck or two I will run those through the expander button.
