How does the NOE GC expander work?

[brewer12345]

I don't see any explanation on their site and my thumbs are pretty sore from horsing on 350+ checks onto stubby little lee soup can 30 cal bullets that seem to be kind of fat bottomed. I could manage the big 35 rem bullets, but the 30 cal were painful.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The expander Ram fits into the shell holder of your reloading press, you set a GC on the expander Ram, then with the expander Die screwed in your press, you raise the Ram til your GC is pressed against the Die and then the expander Ram flares the GC mouth as you apply pressure.

[brewer12345]

Thanks.

[Minerat]

Just got done using a 41cal on about 150 gator checks for PC'ed boolits. Once you get the hang of balancing them on the expander it goes quick. I have 6 calibers and they all work great.

[blikseme300]

Don't the checks bite onto the expander ram or do they come off easily after expanding? The pictures and the description on the site don't give much information.

I made a set of tools to expand 30 cal Hornady checks and had to make a ejector similar to that found in the RCBS primer pocket crimp remover to get the expanded checks off of the expander. Maybe somebody can post some pics and a description of the NOE?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

While I don't have the NOE expander, I do have a 30 cal expander made by the person who came up with the idea, it looks identical in shape. Mine is highly polished and the copper gator and hornady GCs do not bite into, they slide right off after they are expanded.

Photo's of NOE expanders are in his online catalog.

[blikseme300]

While I don't have the NOE expander, I do have a 30 cal expander made by the person who came up with the idea, it looks identical in shape. Mine is highly polished and the copper gator and hornady GCs do not bite into, they slide right off after they are expanded.

Photo's of NOE expanders are in his online catalog.

I visited the website and looked at the pictures again. They are probably newer than when I visited the site last or I was not paying attention. The taper on the die is larger than what I made so it should not bite. Hmm, I'll get back to the shop and turn a new punch.

I'm still irritated that the Hornady 30 cal checks have a concave dome at the base of the checks, not like the 44 and 45 cal checks that are convex. I flatten that out using the tool I made so they fit flush to the shanks of my CB's.

[popper]

If you anneal the Hornady checks they will flatten out when you size. All my 30cal GCs stick to the tool.

[Minerat]

Most of the gator checks I use stick a little but not a problem you just hook a finger nail on an edge and pick them off. If you don't get them on relatively straight you'll crush a side ruining the GC. I have found that if I put the check on the expander and slowly raise the ram it will self center most of the time. The other thing they do is flatten the bottom of the GC if it is concave or convex.

[gpidaho]

I have several calibers of the NOE check expanders and it's a great thumb saver. I find that it is pretty easy to over expand the checks so when I'm setting up I install the expander and raise the ram to the top of the stroke then bring the opposing face down until it just touches. At this point adjust downward very small steps at a time until check snaps on without undo force, just enough to get them on. In this manner you won't mangle the checks. Gp

[earlmck]

Solution ?
plain base boolits !

A perfectly fine solution so long as you are willing to stick to plain base velocities. Which for me seems to be around the 1400 fps level with 30 cal. boolits.

Threads like this make give me warm fuzzy feelings for my old Star which pops the gc onto even the fat-butted boolits with no drama.

[9.3X62AL]

I have 10 sizes of this cool little tool. All bullet bases are NOT created equal.

[waco]

While I don't have the NOE expander, I do have a 30 cal expander made by the person who came up with the idea, it looks identical in shape. Mine is highly polished and the copper gator and hornady GCs do not bite into, they slide right off after they are expanded.

Photo's of NOE expanders are in his online catalog.

I too have one in 30 cal made by Brad. Very handy tool to have.

[Lloyd Smale]

I just took a pair of vise grips and ground the jaw smooth and use them to squeeze on tight checks.
I don't see any explanation on their site and my thumbs are pretty sore from horsing on 350+ checks onto stubby little lee soup can 30 cal bullets that seem to be kind of fat bottomed. I could manage the big 35 rem bullets, but the 30 cal were painful.