Converting 308 Win to 35 Remington

[KLR]

I wish I could change the title to reflect that I'm converting once-fired 7.62x51 milsurp brass instead of commercial 308 Win. The commercial is thinner and I don't think it will need neck reaming/turning at all.

This post is edited to show my most recent method of converting once-fired 7.62x51 milsurp to 35 Rem.

1. Open 7.62x51 neck to 358 in a 358 Winchester sizing die.
2. Size in 35 Rem die with decapper removed. I take several small strokes and rotate the brass a few times to help it size evenly.
3. Size neck using Lyman M die.
4. Chuck brass (base up) in drill press.
5. Turn neck OD using jig. Jig is a high-speed steel lathe tool and a drill bit in a piece of scrap wood.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/35rem8_zps5zceb9as.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/35rem8_zps5zceb9as.jpg.html)

Turned neck:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/72fa899f-bccf-4998-bc6c-277cca350673_zpsuhzy8yhv.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/72fa899f-bccf-4998-bc6c-277cca350673_zpsuhzy8yhv.jpg.html)


6. Insert bullet in case neck and chuck in drill press. The bullet lets you tighten your chuck securely without distorting the brass.

7. Turn base using jig. Again, HSS lathe tool and a drill bit just large enough to fit in the primer hole.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/35rem3_zpse0tmn5kn.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/35rem3_zpse0tmn5kn.jpg.html)

Tool is ground so that only a tapered section of brass is removed above the point where the base ends.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/35rem2_zpstwog6ezq.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/35rem2_zpstwog6ezq.jpg.html)

Should look like this:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/cb1a5345-6ff0-45a8-9b5e-9d5c579eb6c9_zpsv9siecbz.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/cb1a5345-6ff0-45a8-9b5e-9d5c579eb6c9_zpsv9siecbz.jpg.html)

8. File and sand as desired. I take two swipes with a file at the point where the cut parts meets the uncut part of the body, and then a piece of 400 grit for a few seconds. I really don't think this is necessary, but it looks better.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/c980039a-d2c8-4d0f-a62b-69eeaa68b825_zpscyyml5f5.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/c980039a-d2c8-4d0f-a62b-69eeaa68b825_zpscyyml5f5.jpg.html)

9. Trim neck to final length.

I cut a piece of factory 35 Rem and a piece I converted using this process. Factory brass is on the left.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/35rem10_zpsk31az6uf.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/35rem10_zpsk31az6uf.jpg.html)

I think it will work.

[GRUMPA]

Alright!!!!

Yes.....that conversion takes more work than anyone can imagine.......BUT........a person CAN make 35Rem from 308. That is for the ones that seem to have buckets of time AND handy with tools.

Now I'm wondering about this......should I post a very detailed step by step procedure on how I do that particular conversion?

I'll subscribe to this thread, if I see no less than 20 people that want me to post a thread on how I do it within a month I'll take the time to do it complete with pictures.

But be forewarned.........it's very time consuming and takes oodles of time to do right....

[KLR]

Original post updated.

[GRUMPA]

When I ream the necks here's how I do it.

After forming the neck......put the case through the die with the decapper rod removed, all you want to do is make the outside of the neck straight and round. Do the math on what size reamer you need and ream so your taking the taper of the neck out. You wont get it all out, but your going to take almost all of it out. Once reamed put the decapping rod back in the die and run it through the case.

[KLR]

Original post updated.

[GRUMPA]

So the process will be:
1. Open 308 neck to 358.
2. Size in 35 Rem die with decapper removed.
3. Ream neck.
4. Trim excess from base.
5. Trim neck to correct length.
6. Neck size to final size.

That may be your procedure but it isn't mine. By that all I have to say is I don't remove any material from the case at all. Well......I do but that's only on the head of the case and not the body in any way shape or form. I use a chucking reamer since I have a lathe and I'm not afraid to use it. It took me a bit of trial and error to figure a way to reduce the body of the case without removing any material. You'll be surprised at what I came up with and it's real simple it's often overlooked to the point some will roll there eyes when they find out. About the only thing I don't do is reduce the extractor groove diameter, which is why I have it stated that people need to use a 308 shell holder and not a 35Rem shell holder...

[KLR]

Original post updated.

[dragon813gt]

Count me in w/ wanting to know how it's done. I don't have the time to make any. And most likely don't have the tools either. I'm really interested in the different ways people form cases.

[rking22]

Me too, thanks for offering!

[Mk42gunner]

Grumpa, I would be interested to see your process, always nice to lern how to do something. I have a couple hundred factory .35 Rem cases and at the rate I am using them there will still be plenty to sell when I kick the bucket.

Robert

[KLR]

Original post updated.

[Elkins45]

I'm interested too, especially since you say you aren't removing any material.

I'm contemplating turning a push thru sizer and just swaging them down to size.

[Yodogsandman]

Grumpa, I'd also be interested

[Gar]

Grumpa, I'm curious on how you size down the last few thousandths also.

[brstevns]

Grumpa me too. How do you swage the head down. Cousin just got a 35 rem. He has lots of 30-06 brass but no 35 rem.

[GRUMPA]

Grumpa me too. How do you swage the head down. Cousin just got a 35 rem. He has lots of 30-06 brass but no 35 rem.

Unless the extractor groove is machined I would stay away from 06 brass. The width is different between 308 and 06 brass, just hold the 2 together and look at the difference...

[BruceB]

I've successfully converted several hundred commercial .308 cases to .35 Remington.

An RCBS carbide .44 Magnum size die swages my .308s to .35 Remington diameter. LUBRICATE the cases for this step.

This die will sometimes remove a near-microscopic ring of brass from the case.

It also leaves behind a very small "belt" on the case, which I remove with a sharp, fine-cut file while turning the case in my Unimat lathe. A drill press or other method of rotating the case would also work.

The brass works well in my Marlin, and some have been reloaded up to four times now.

[richhodg66]

I like the .35 Remington and have two good rifles chambered in it. I think I'm set for brass for a long time, but I keep hearing how difficult it is getting to find, good to know there are optons.

Would this work for .30,.32 and .25 Remington cases as well? Seems to be a lot of nice old Remington 141s out there going hungry.

[screwcutter]

Grumpa,
I would like to see this process also.

[GRUMPA]

Would this work for .30,.32 and .25 Remington cases as well? Seems to be a lot of nice old Remington 141s out there going hungry.

You don't reduce the body diameter of the case for those, just the head that get's machined along with the extractor groove. The ones I do I Hydroform which take a lot of time and work to do. Here's a link on the ones I offer. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?228409-25Rem-30Rem-32Rem

I also removed all my ads/posts regarding the 35Rem cases, not only am I getting real tired my shoulders are killing me pulling levers all the time. The only thread I have still up on the 35Rem cases is here and I bumped the price up a tad. And yes those are getting harder to find, just go into GB and look what folks want for those, but be sitting down when you do...

[KLR]

I've successfully converted several hundred commercial .308 cases to .35 Remington.



Thanks for the info, Bruce. I'll bet they are thinner than the milsurp stuff. Tonight I tried a Remington brand .243 Winchester case and it was much easier to form and the neck came out perfectly sized without any reaming/turning. The bottom band was much smaller as well.

[KLR]

So I had another idea today: I'll bet a Lee factory crimp die could be used to size down the base.

I don't have one that size, but I do for a 35 cal, so I took a piece of 5.56 and tried sizing down the base. It took a firm pull on the press but worked fine. It only crimped a narrow band, but I wonder if one could be modified to compress a larger band?

Anyone have one for a 44 Magnum and could try it or take some measurements?

[GRUMPA]

Well....I figure there's enough interest so I'll make a thread on how I do it later in the week. Just so happens I got cleaned out of the ones that were done so now I have to make another run. I'm sure there will be folks adding there way of doing it and all but the thread will be on how I do things....

[brstevns]

Grumpa me too. How do you swage the head down. Cousin just got a 35 rem. He has lots of 30-06 brass but no 35 rem.
He also has plenty of 308 brass to work with.

[KLR]

I'll make a thread on how I do it ............ I'm sure there will be folks adding there way of doing it and all but the thread will be on how I do things....

That's what I find most interesting - seeing how others come up with different ways of doing things. A poster on another forum stated that he cuts a 308 sizing die off at the shoulder (.450") and then uses a .445" pusher to push the brass through and swage down the head area.

[GRUMPA]

I just made a thread on most of it, running low on power with all these clouds so at least folks will have something to look at..

[Luke Calacci]

What if I don't have a .358 sizing die?

[10x]

I've successfully converted several hundred commercial .308 cases to .35 Remington.

An RCBS carbide .44 Magnum size die swages my .308s to .35 Remington diameter. LUBRICATE the cases for this step.

This die will sometimes remove a near-microscopic ring of brass from the case.

It also leaves behind a very small "belt" on the case, which I remove with a sharp, fine-cut file while turning the case in my Unimat lathe. A drill press or other method of rotating the case would also work.

The brass works well in my Marlin, and some have been reloaded up to four times now.

Why not push the case through the carbide 44 mag die completely, the same way we would use a lee cast bullet sizing die?
Or use a Lee 458 sizing die and swage the case down with that?