Making a neck size die

[abunaitoo]

Has anyone tried to bore out a full length die to make a neck size die????
I'm thinking of trying it for my 41 Swiss.
I've got another set of Lee dies and was wondering how hard it would be to do?????
Lee sells just the body of the die, so I may just order one to try.
How hard is the metal????
Anything I can do to make it softer with out making the neck part to soft????
Any ideas on how best to do this????
I've just made a crimp die out of a 44spl crimp die. Works great.

[largom]

Mark the neck of your cases with a magic marker. Screw your die up several turns. Now resize your case, noting how far down the neck your mark is rubbed off. Lower your die until 80-90% of mark is rubbed off WITHOUT bumping shoulder. This setup should give you the results you want.
To answer your question, most resizing die's are hardened and it would be a pain to hone them out. You would still have to set the die up as above to keep from bumping the shoulder.
Larry

[abunaitoo]

I guess the chamber on the rifle is much bigger than the die body.
When I try the short stroke neck size trick, it starts to size the body before the neck is even touched.
Good suggestion though.

I assumed the die was hardened. It has to be.
I wonder if I could grind it out with a grinding stone or some sandpaper????
I have a mini lathe. I could chuck the die, spin it, and just use a dremel to grind out what I need.

One more project on the long list of things to do.

[bigdog454]

If you have a lathe, why don't you just make a die to your liking? you would'nt have to harden it for a little use, or just case harden. RGB dies are soft!

[Slowpoke]

Has anyone tried to bore out a full length die to make a neck size die????
I'm thinking of trying it for my 41 Swiss.
I've got another set of Lee dies and was wondering how hard it would be to do?????
Lee sells just the body of the die, so I may just order one to try.
How hard is the metal????
Anything I can do to make it softer with out making the neck part to soft????
Any ideas on how best to do this????
I've just made a crimp die out of a 44spl crimp die. Works great.

I don't know if it is the best way or the right way but I have lapped several dies with emery cloth on a split bob ran in a hand drill, I have done Lee's, Lyman and Hornady, Have enlarged both necks and bodies to complete satisfaction.

good luck

[abunaitoo]

I have a mini lathe, and I'm just learning how to use it.
Don't have all the cutters I need yet, but I'm getting there.
Kind of fun, but not as easy as it looks.

I'm trying to modify a Lee 41 Swiss die.
I know, I should just get a custom made neck size die made. But where's the fun in that.
Besides, I'm cheap.

I've used the emery cloth on the split rod to open up Lee sizing dies, and some Lee seating dies for lead bullets.
Works great and easy to do.
I just don't think it would work in this case.
Too much metal to remove.

[Buckshot]

..............Just make your own. A shortcut would be to buy a grade 5 to grade 8 bolt threaded 7/8 - 14 NF and make your own. The only part requiring a polish would be the neck sizing portion, as the balance of the internals would be bored large enough to NOT touch the case body.

It would be a good idea as your brass would live a lot longer.

..............Buckshot

[fourarmed]

In George Nonte's book on handloading, he mentions neck sizing by drilling and reaming a proper sized hole in a piece of steel plate, then clamping it in a vise. Drive the case in with a hammer and drive it back out with a punch.

[SwedeNelson]

Do like buckshot said.
Its great practice on your lathe.
And you get something you can use.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/swedenelson/Picture101-1.jpg

Mine works great.

Swede Nelson

[smokemjoe]

You can heat a sizing die with a touch, Let it air cool with hot sand around it or wood ashs. The bore it out with a boring bar, Polish up the neck to clean it out, Reheat it very hot with a torch and put in oil to cool, Must have the die Extremly HOT. It will come back hard. Best to do if you work in a machice that has a furance. Joe

[slughammer]

You could use a cutoff wheel and cut of the portion that is sizing the body. Just stop short and then grind it back to the shoulder to use as a funnel for the neck sizing. As long as there is enough to screw into the press it doesn't matter if it's shorter than the other dies in the box.

[abunaitoo]

Did you make that die???
Looks great.
I'm not even close to doing something like that. But I'm working on it.

To Smokemjoe.
I was hoping you would chime in on this.
I've tried many different dies to neck size only. All were to loose.
The last few times I've just full length sized with my Lee die.
I replaced the depriming pin with a universal depriming pin so it wouldn't expand the neck.
This is why I want to modify the 41 Swiss die to a neck size die.
I would rather neck size only to help the brass last longer.
How do you neck size your Swiss brass?????

[Pavogrande]

As others have said -- to modify your die you will have to soften it - simple enough then to bore out the body -- even soft you will not likely wear the die out in an average lifetime of sizing -- I like buckshots idea best, make your own die, but i would suggest a peice of threaded rod as a start point - often bolts are not threaded far enough and extending threads with a mini-lathe may prove challenging --- With the mini-lathe - 7x10 - the biggest problem is likely to be having enough bed length to rough drill the die body - may have to make some short drills -- or rough it out on a drill press then bore -- should be a fun job --my ha-penny

[shotman]

You dont need to soften it . Get a carbide masonary bit the single blade kind [cheapy] and use cutting oil or die oil and drill it slow. to the start of the neck

[abunaitoo]

To Slughammer,
I already thought of this. Can't cut the die that much. Neck runs past the threads. Great idea though.

To Shotman,
This might just work. I have a bunch of masonry bits. I'll give it a try. If it won't cut, I can heat it with a torch.

[smokemjoe]

For neck sizeing, I have a few odd ball tools I made, But When lee came out with the dies I like to use them now since I run some of my brass to 1.650 long, and that die will size longer brass good. Thats a fine idea about open up one of there dies,You keep the die long and the brass work better in the std. lenght die. I also made a Lee collect die and that works great on brass to 1.550 long only, Lee will custom make a collect die if you stay with one lenght. One thing I had to do is with the Lee seating die,They are made for a .430 bullet, I go up to .439 Bullets, and the bullet will not go up into the die far enought. I had the seating die annealed with a touch and in the lathe ran a 7/16 drill throught it , Now I can adjust the bullet with the top adjustment screw. Lee Die are hard but anneal soft and you can work with them, May thanks to Richard Lee for make 41 Swiss dies, Hope this helps, Joe

[abunaitoo]

Thanks for the info.
I also run my shells long. 1.61. It's the longest I could get away with in my rifle.
I figure longer will hold the bullet better for use in the mag.
I also had to modify the seating die.
Like yours it was to small for the bullet. I just opened it up like they do with the Lee sizing dies.
It was also to short for what I needed. I cut the seater down so it would fit into the adjuster, Drilled and taped it for a screw, did the same for the adjuster, used a long screw to give me more length.
I was thinking of having Lee make a collet die for me, but as busy as they seem to be, I don't know how long I would have to wait.

I made a crimp die out of a Lee 44spl tapered crimp die. Just cut it down to the correct lenght. Works great so far.

Do you still have any cleaning rods for sale???

[TAWILDCATT]

if you bore the sizing die how are you going to make the cases.I can understand if its just the neck portion.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[sharpshooter3040]

If you have a lathe, why don't you just make a die to your liking? you would'nt have to harden it for a little use, or just case harden. RGB dies are soft!

I make my dies for my wild cats and general fire forming from grade 8 bolts that are already 7/8-14 threaded. It works like a charm and they are plenty hard enough and machine well

Regards
Doug

[ray ott]

7/8-14 allthread rod can be bought in different conditions. Get the softest for
die mat'l-ease of machining. Harden later if needed. Good lathe project.

(retired machinist)

[abunaitoo]

Got busy around here the last week.
Haven't had time to try some of the suggestions.
I bought an extra die set from Graf to modify.
Hope to get to it soon.

I've been full length sizing and it's like making new shells. It sizes almost the whole length. It really puffs out.
I anneal every three reloads and no split necks yet. I'm just worried the resizing of the brass below the neck is getting hardened.