If you have a 650 with a trimmer, all you need extra is a short toolhead and trim die.
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If you have a 650 with a trimmer, all you need extra is a short toolhead and trim die.
I also used the Harbor Freight chop saw if you read HF's reviews on that saw 90% or better of them are guys making .300 blk brass. I was making cases for my Ruger american ranch and an AR that I built. My procedure was to size .223 / 5.56 brass in the .300 sizer die with the expander ball and stem removed. Then cut them close to the correct length in the chop saw. Then cut them to the exact length in a rcbs trimmer. Then deburr the case mouth and if needed the primer pocket. I never bothered to annealing the brass. Yes it sounds like a lot of work but it was good practice if I ever get something obsolete that needs to have cases made for it. Most of the brass I converted was LC,WCC,Fed, & Rem. Yes I would have one split now and then but with 100's more ready to go who cares.
My experience with the HF cutoff saw was less than great. The first one I returned to HF for an exchange after it devoured the rubber drive belt in 30 cuts. The next one was returned when it became obvious that the blade mount shaft was bent. Long story short is that after 4 exchanges, this product proved totally inadequate for this task. Most of the components of this tool are of good quality. The design concept was good.... the execution was poor.
The availability of low cost 300BO brass resolved the issue and I never looked back.
i went with the HF saw and a jig from ebay that was less than 20 bucks shipped, so i have less than 60 bucks in it in total .i use LC brass for the 150g fmj m80 load and rem cases for the light ones and 208 amax loads. have over 1k cut and the saw is still chugging along
The issues with the HF saw are usually due to the user ham fisting the blade through the brass. Take it smooth and easy and it will last through thousands of 5.56 to 300 conversions. Last Saturday myself and a buddy cut down 4-5 hundred cases at a single sitting, and the saw probably has 4-5 thousand cuts already.
I have never annealed a .300 case after forming it out of 5.56 brass. Some of my brass has 10 reloads on it and is still reloading fine. I seem to notice loose primer pockets kill my .300 brass.
Least expensive was a 221/300 form die and a hacksaw and file with a set of 300 BLK dies.The step to the HF chop saw and a jig was like going to color/talkie movies. The saw needs to be used gently and occasionally cleaned and tightened, easy steps and its cranked a few thousand cases. I enjoy the brass conversion process, sure you can buy 300 BLK brass now but that's too easy (and this is a case forming thread...). Now I fixated on making 6.5 Grendel brass from once-fired 762x39....no chop saw required.
Cheapest way is to buy once fired brass ... https://www.etsy.com/listing/2069125...e9%3A206912549
Least expensive? A Redding File / Form die.
It only takes one long stroke with a fine tooth hacksaw followed by a few strokes of a file. I skip the file and go directly from the saw to a Forster trimmer. The very few with thick necks are separated. I take care of thick necks with a Forster outside neck turner. Same goes with my 25 Souper, 375 Taylor, 30 Herrett and 308 X 1.5.
Attachment 233052I built this to cut 223. The cutter is from HF, the case cutter jig I found on line. Put the case in the jig, cut it and when you put the next case in the jig it spits the cut case through my drain into the blue bucket, the chips and scrap go into hole in the back into a smaller coffee can. Works like a charm.
I vote for buying affordable brass that's already prepped and taking the time to pick up and save your brass, Ive done 500 rounds of LC brass by the time you open the primer pockets and get everything done you've got several long days in used brass, buy it and start shooting, if you're not working go for it, you can pick up range brass and put your time in. There are a lot of good suggestions here.
Good luck
Randy C
I have quite a bit of formed brass. I refuse to neck ream for an AR platform rifle, I am more than willing and do for my 6mm/284. My upper has a fairly tight chamber and not all formed brass from all sources will work. I am working on sorting the converted by headstamp and will load small lots to test for proper function. I have been buying real 300 BO when I find it and have not had any issues with it.
I've only made my own. HF saw which while cuts fine, isn't really square to the bed of the saw. Should have taken it back, but I didn't and I just shimmed it. Bought a trim jig similar to the one in pic above, but never really liked it. 3D printed one a while back and it works way better in my opinion. I haven't neck reamed, but I will say I have to watch it as I guess my chamber is on the tight size. Even LC is close. Too cheep to buy reamer.
I used to convert LC brass using HF saw with a jig then lube/fullsize then trim then deburr/chamfer before polishing off lube, but the most PIA is crimped primer pocket swaging.
I now just buy some cheap milsurps (dented or blanks) from http://valhalladistributing.com/ (not affiliated with them but they really have cheap brass for conversion)
then, have "Donald Kaufman" from FB's "300 AAC Blackout Discussion" group, convert/anneal them to either 300BLK of 277WLV for half the lot I send.
Made my life's a lot easier now with more time reloading & shooting.
I made one from scrap wood,bedframe steel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTF1p3qByEA
There is more than one way to skin this cat. I use my drill press, cheap cut-off wheels on a small mandrel and a simple set-up in the vice to hold the case. Prepare the case as normal. Annealing is optional, a drill on low and a torch does the job. Case thickness can be measure with a cheap vernier caliper. They want to be in the .014-.015” range if memory serves (it’s been awhile). The cases that measure .017” and up will give you feeding issues. For my purposes (a few hundred rounds a year at the most) this works fine. I may graduate to the harbor freight cut-off saw if I start shooting it a lot more.
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I made a fixture to hold .223s in may buddies mini lathe and found if I parted my federal brass at 1.357" long they came out to the right length after running them through my sizing die.