Inside or outside Neck Reamers

[bruce drake]

Trying to decide between inside or outside neck reaming for a 22-6mm Remington wildcat I built this summer.

To form the brass, I'm going to need to ream the brass necks of my x57mm length cartridge cases to fit the RCBS Wildcat 22-6mm Remington seating dies and properly fit the chamber (PTG Reamer) I tried to make cases using both 7x57 and 8x57 brass and the resized necks are too thick right from the start. And even if I found 6mm Remington cases, I'd still probably need to ream the case necks so....

Which one is better and which one provides for longer case life once I do form the brass.

[mattw]

One big question is how tight the chamber neck is. I shoot a 6mm/284 with a very tight chamber and get by with an inside neck reamer and then use the proper Redding neck die bushing for a perfect fit.

[Bookworm]

I recently went into this with a 7.62x54R, a tight chamber mixed with a fat boolit.

Everything I read regarding neck/chamber concentricity convinced me to go with outside turning.

[762sultan]

I tend to think that Phineas Bluster has the right idea.

[Binky]

I agree with several of the other replies. If forced to choose, I would pick outside.

[Oily]

Bookworm What outside neck turner did you end up getting? I have the same problem with a 7.62X54R

[bruce drake]

I'll upload a photo tonight of the impact that the reloading dies have on the reformed 7x57 brass. Accuracy was horrendous past 25 yards with cast bullets as I think I was sizing them down during the seating process.

[Bookworm]

Bookworm What outside neck turner did you end up getting? I have the same problem with a 7.62X54R

I purchased a set from K&M. I am very happy with it.

I recommend you call them. I had a difficult time on the website, it's not well laid out, and I couldn't figure out what I needed. After a phone call, and several minutes of my explaining my problem, I purchased some non-catalogued parts that worked out perfectly for me.
The unit arrived in 2 days, fully assembled. A few minutes reading directions and adjusting things, I'm in business.

If you want to get into details, PM me, maybe we can talk

[country gent]

A couple points to consider neck turning needs to be done correctly or you get a ring if thick brass at the neck shoulder junction. ( The dreaded doughnut) done correctly neck turning with a correct mandrel thins necks and concentricity of the necks thickness. I have found that sizing necks in the die ( no expander ball) then expanding in a die with the same mandrell for the neck turner produces very accurate results. I also lightly lube the mandrel with imperial sizing die wax. Just a touch ofit on the case mouth both when expanding and then again when turning, the wax acts as a lube and cutting fluid making for smooth even cuts.

Neck reaming in a die with the case supported in a die gives very consistant wall thicknesses but the reamer tend to follow the hole not changing the runout much. Neck reaming unsupported can vary with the hardness of the brass and sharpness of the reamer since the thin neck can expand stretch over the reamer when cutting. reamers quality can vary as the reamers desighn sharpening for materials.

I do both at times depending on what I want to accomplish. On one wildcat I do both. I first neck ream the cases leaving .002-.003 in a die with the case supported and the reamer guided by hand. I then expand over the mandrel and neck turn the outsides just kissing the shoulder. (My neck turners are made to be ran in a drill press). Wall thickness comes out less than .0001 variance and Loaded round dia is what I need for the fitted chamber. This wildcat is a 300 wsm necked down to 6.5mm and shortened some. It has 5 % less water capacity than a 6.5 X 284. With the shortend case I end up with neck being formed from the shoulder and its thicker than Im comfortable reaming or neck turning in one pass.

My cutter heads are made to use 1/4" cemented carbide lathe tools. I sharpen these so the front angle matches the cartridge shoulder and the face has a little relief at the back 3-5* cutting angle. a light radius stoned on the point. This gives a glass smooth finish just kissing the shoulder saves the doughnuts forming and I have yet to have to resharpen one.

[Preacher Jim]

When I neck brass down I ream inside of neck to eliminate donut of excess brass. Then I turn outsides to true the brass to the bore and be sure neck is uniform thickness. I use the 21st century tools for all outside turning. I also use their tapered expanders for opening necks like on the 30x223 or 6.5 or 30br cases then turn outside to true to bore.

[TNsailorman]

I have had more than one “conversation” with a gunsmith and a famous gunwriter who lived in our area. The gunsmith and I favored inside neck reaming and the writer favored neck turning. No opinions were changed but we had fun with the conversations. I always fireform cases after reforming so I never had a problem with out of line necks. Different methods bring different results. Worked for me, James

[bruce drake]

discount the varied lengths of the cases, I was eyeballing the trim back to 57mm with a 22-250Rem Lee Pilot (I have a custom-length Lee .22-57mm pilot coming soon) but the key takeaway from the image is the scoring of the necks by the RCBS seating die that has made me decide to work neck reaming into my reloading procedures.

[jmorris]

For brass it’s generally inside reaming and/or outside turning.

[Moonie]

I've had a K&M for several years because neck thickness issues with the 300 BO, I use it on several calibers now for concentricity and accuracy.

[HangFireW8]

I've done both in my journey with a tight necked Ackley chamber. Either can produce good results , but I can maintain better consistency with less effort and tooling using outside. I use the Sinclair system. Others will work.

The DDD (donut), if you have it, can be removed with the outside system, but only if the neck is tight on the mandrel and the mandrel extends all the way through.

[PBSmith]

Gentlemen: hope you will excuse this slight diversion. I need to operate on some .220 Swift brass that's getting fat in the neck.

Do the same comments made here to the OP's question regarding ream inside vs. turn outside apply to the Swift?

Does the Forster outside turning attachment for their original case length trimmer do a good job?

Thanks.

[HangFireW8]

Turning necks is turning necks.