Case neck turners

[BeeMan]

For those who turn case necks, do you have any favorite tools, and why? I’m interested in feedback on:

- Hand held or lathe type?
- overall fit and finish of the tool
- cutter usability out of the box, carbide or steel
- setting the length of neck to be turned
- can you cut up to or into the shoulder
- repeatability of adjustment
- can the cutter be sharpened or replaced by the user
- favorite hints and tips

Open for learning,
BeeMan

[felix]

- Hand held or lathe type?... hand held lathe type
- overall fit and finish of the tool ... handle smooth, tight fitting mandrel
- cutter usability out of the box, carbide or steel ... carbide
- setting the length of neck to be turned ... not important
- can you cut up to or into the shoulder ... should be able to
- repeatability of adjustment ... not important, drop cutter onto neck and tighten it, takes practice, must have patience; if no patience, better get repeatability kind for more money
- can the cutter be sharpened or replaced by the user ... important
- favorite hints and tips ... modify case for most accurate boolit at a time;
do not change to another caliber/boolit until all cases done;
turn just some for all cases, dependent on target accuracy; you are looking for total obturation with the load
just enough turning to make necks round enough, like 50% for non-tight neck gun

[monkeymt]

This is a good question for me. I just started reloading a 22BR and have to turn the outside of the necks from resized 6mmBR brass. I got a RCBS hand turning tool just today and turned my first neck and somehow did not even mess it up and got it to the dimensions I wanted.
I have a Forster original case trimmer and have been told that these are the cats meow of hand held trimmers with the addition of their outside neck turning kit.
I would welcome any helpful advice as well.
Thanks
Mark

Never trust a woman or an automatic pistol - John Dillinger

[1hole]

Felix has the answers and for all the right reasons.

What he failed to mention is that the tool with the answers is Forster's HOT-100 turner.

[rbuck351]

I use a HF 7x10 mini lathe. It works as good as the operator is talented. Uses carbide or HSS. Cut where ever you want as far as you want and is repeatable and powered. Has all kinds of other uses also. It now sports a 14" bed which makes it even better. Lots more fun than a normal neck turning tool.

[largom]

The unit I use is made by Ken Markel of K&M Services in Dover, PA. The tool is hand held but the case can be powered with a battery operated screw driver. Tool is very precise and very well made. Ken Markel is from the bench rest shooting crowd and they demand accuracy.
Larry

[shotman]

I have a Lyman accro trim FS if anybody wants one rick