- Messages
- 4,091
- Reactions
- 13,283
I just recently started gearing up to convert .223/5.56 brass to 300BO...So far I have:
Lee dies(size, seat, and taper crimp)
2" chop saw from harbor freight
jig from eBay(ordered last week... not here yet)
temp jig while i wait for the other one. slow, but works.
I started out with a couple hundred ready to load cases that I got from a gun show, but they were loaded up soon after I got them home. I have 500 or so 5.56 to convert, and will get more when I feel sufficiently tooled up.
I'm running into some hiccups. Mainly after sizing, the neck isn't big enough to fit over the 30 cal case trimmer bit in my RCBS trimmer. and the necks look a little deformed.. after ruining several pieces of brass I decided to back up and reassess things. I may just need a new decap rod? Are the Lee dies not good for the initial forming?
I've seen different methods... size without the decap rod before cutting, or cut then size..
Any suggestions? tips? tricks? breathing techniques?
I'm usually very astute with this stuff, so this is especially frustrating for me.
Secondly
The more I think about it the more I want to buy/make/rent or otherwise acquire an annealing machine. I know that most cases are annealed at the factory, but we cut that part off. With as much effort and cost that goes into these cases I want them to last.
Plus another tool for the bench
Does anybody have any insight into this? Built one yourself? Know of a good set of plans? have one to rent/trade/sell?
Lee dies(size, seat, and taper crimp)
2" chop saw from harbor freight
jig from eBay(ordered last week... not here yet)
temp jig while i wait for the other one. slow, but works.
I started out with a couple hundred ready to load cases that I got from a gun show, but they were loaded up soon after I got them home. I have 500 or so 5.56 to convert, and will get more when I feel sufficiently tooled up.
I'm running into some hiccups. Mainly after sizing, the neck isn't big enough to fit over the 30 cal case trimmer bit in my RCBS trimmer. and the necks look a little deformed.. after ruining several pieces of brass I decided to back up and reassess things. I may just need a new decap rod? Are the Lee dies not good for the initial forming?
I've seen different methods... size without the decap rod before cutting, or cut then size..
Any suggestions? tips? tricks? breathing techniques?
I'm usually very astute with this stuff, so this is especially frustrating for me.
Secondly
The more I think about it the more I want to buy/make/rent or otherwise acquire an annealing machine. I know that most cases are annealed at the factory, but we cut that part off. With as much effort and cost that goes into these cases I want them to last.
Plus another tool for the bench
Does anybody have any insight into this? Built one yourself? Know of a good set of plans? have one to rent/trade/sell?
