5.7 expander

[lead chucker]

I don't have my brass yet but couldn't stand sitting around waiting so I made a neck expander I based it of the rcbs primer pocked swager. It will work with my swage ram for my rock chucker press. Let me know if you think it will work.
The expander is about .265. The die will screw into the top of the press to keep the brass centered and the die with the expander will go into the ram the aluminum block will pop the case of the expander on the down stroke, at least that's the plan any way.

[just bill]

How soon till you get your brass? I could send some plane and appealed. Not many but enough to bata test the tool.
PM your address.
Bill

[clodhopper]

I think you theory is good.
But in practice might be difficult. The brass has a very small bearing surface on the aluminum.
Give it a try, looking forward to seeing the results.

I have been doing mine with a shell holder, but find the shell holder deforms the bottom of the brass.
Most of the deformation is swaged away in the core seat and point form process.

I was thinking of a hollow expander mandrel. And ejector rod down the center of the mandrel about .1875. The ejector rod could be spring loaded, and the brass/jacket pushed off the mandrel with an auto eject.

The mandrel, would be similar to a Dillon neck expander/powder funnel, but with a longer working surface.
I wonder if it would be possible to use cheap easy to obtain Dillon powder dies as the base for many operations in bullet swaging?

[lead chucker]

I was thinking about a collet expander but that might be a little more than my current skill level to make.

[clodhopper]

Trying visualize a collet expander.
Your collet would be, say .222 outside diameter so it would just fall into the case. It would have a tapered hole in the center, and you would push a tapered punch into the center hole.
The collet would almost have to be in pieces to not have a memory of being stretched to .260 or so and be ready to fit in the next case.
The top end of the collet could have a flange and use a flange nut so you could pull it back out of the case.
You still have to pull the case and collet down to get the tapered pin out of the collet.

Would the brass stretch more between the slots of the collet?

[lead chucker]

If my set up fails to work in will have a better understanding standing of what to do next. I thought of the shell holder but wanted to make something my self.

[just bill]

If my set up fails to work in will have a better understanding standing of what to do next. I thought of the shell holder but wanted to make something my self.

Good point, the shell holder is an important point for most expanders. I was trying to equate an expandable reamer or lap, however they need shell holders to extract them.
bill

[lead chucker]

This all fun stuff. Even better when it all works.

[runfiverun]

if you used a stop in a die with a hollow you could use the spud [to open the case mouth] on the ram side.
then punch the case back out of the die by the primer end.

about 10 minutes on a lathe with a die blank a drill bit and a square ended/flat drill should do it.
if you want a return spring to be all fancy put it under the head of the external punch.

[Dryball]

It looks like something similar to the K&M expanders. http://kmshooting.com/tools/case-nec...-complete.html

[just bill]

[QUOTE=runfiverun;3931154]if you used a stop in a die with a hollow you could use the spud [to open the case mouth] on the ram side.
then punch the case back out of the die by the primer end.

about 10 minutes on a lathe with a die blank a drill bit and a square ended/flat drill should do it.
if you want a return spring to be all fancy put it under the head of the external punch.[/QUOTE

Sounds interesting, but I'm having trouble visioning the ejection part.
Bill

[runfiverun]

just a rod through the center of the die.
put a head on the rod and a spring around the rod.
think of the plunger on a pin ball machine.

[just bill]

just a rod through the center of the die.
put a head on the rod and a spring around the rod.
think of the plunger on a pin ball machine.

Thanks I got it now, when I get the lathe freed up I may try it. Looking for some way to not destroy the brass I've annealed.
Bill

[rolltide]

I use a 7mm TCU expander ball (about .276) and I wish it was a little larger. It still leaves a little ripple where the shoulder ended. The point forming die mostly irons it out.