A quick question - is it feasible to convert a Lee FL die to a neck sizing die?

[bedbugbilly]

Quick question. I started reloading 8 X 57 Mauser for an old 1905 Danzig GEW98 Mauser. I'm only using "cat sneeze" loads - my best and most accurate load is a 130is plain base flat nose from a NOE mole over 8 grains of Red Dot - getting great results at 50 yards with is what I want.

Since these loads are not actually "fire forming" the converted 30-06 casings I'm using, I really only need to neck size the casings after firing - then use my Lyman "M" die to expand the mouth and then seat my lead boolits. I get great neck tension on the casings when I run them in to my Lee FL sizing/de-priming die and no need to crimp.

So . . . my question is if it is feasible to take a Lee FL sizing die body and drill/ream it out for casing clearance up to the portion where the shoulder starts to convert it in to a "neck die"? I don't have a lathe but thought if I could find someone who could do it, I'd convert the extra Lee FL die that I have . . . or are the die bodies of the Lee FL die hardened and too difficult to drill or team out?

If it would work, then I would just neck size and use the M die to expand the cartridge mouth prior to seating the lead boolit. The rifle is the only one that I'm shooting these in and they fit fine in the chamber after firing so I can't see FL sizing a casing when it's not necessary. Since I have a spare Lee FL die, if it would work and could be machined, then I'd go that route rather than have to spend $30 plus dollars on a 8mm neck die.

I have a 8mm neck sizing die in a set of Lyman 310 dies but it doesn't seem to resize the neck to give me the correct neck tension for my cast boolit. Thus my quest for coming up with a cheap solution.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions - greatly appreciated.

[JSnover]

Should work. I used to have some small carbide boring bars for jobs like that. You'd only have to remove a few thousandths for clearance.

[tazman]

The old fashioned/cheap way to neck size a 30-06(or any bottle neck cartridge for that matter) was to loosen the full length sizing die a turn or two. This allows the neck to be(mostly) resized without resizing the tapered case. This worked back in the day without using special dies. Since the neck on a 30-06 case is pretty long, it should work well.

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you!

tazman . . . I'm feeling like "duh!" . . . I suppose that should have crossed my mind at some point but I sure didn't think about it! Obviously I'm thinking too hard about it all! The 8 X 57 I'm using is from reformed 30-06 that is formed and then trimmed to the 8 X 57 length - the case mouth is a little shorter on a 8mm than the 30-06 from what I'm seeing in my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook but not much. I'll pull the de-capping/bell expander rod from my spare die tomorrow and give that little trick a try! What is it they say? "Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees." :-)

Thanks!

[too many things]

with a light load like that I would not think you would be doing much of a full length resize.
The dies are harden so you would need a carbide drill .

[texassako]

I would think the 8mm 310 die would work fine since it should size a neck for loading a .323 jacketed bullet, unless your brass needs annealing(springing back) or the brass in the neck is thinner now. A moot point since you can just set up the spare die backed off as tazman suggests.

[Harter66]

I'm with Taz. I have a spare FL for 06' that is set just far enough out to not hit the fat long shoulders. The 308 is only out about a half turn while the 7x57s are back a full turn. A 280 AI is setup a turn and a half off the shoulder . I also do the long pistols the same way , mostly because the 45 Colts dies coke bottle the cases so bad but also as luck would have it the 4 38/357s I load for will share brass .

[atr]

I use 1/4 turn back-off to just neck size with my FL dies...works every time ...I get the full neck sized but I don't touch the shoulder of the fire-formed cases.

[William Yanda]

The old fashioned/cheap way to neck size a 30-06(or any bottle neck cartridge for that matter) was to loosen the full length sizing die a turn or two. This allows the neck to be(mostly) resized without resizing the tapered case. This worked back in the day without using special dies. Since the neck on a 30-06 case is pretty long, it should work well.

I'm sure I have seen that answer before, either here or in some reloading manual or(gasp)die instructions.
But I'm having a senior moment now and cant remember where I saw it.