Homemade reloading die - Weekend project

[1066]

This is a reloading die I made out of scrap over this week end. It's a plug expander die in .308. In the interest of increased accuracy I'm moving away from the traditional ball expanders where the case is squeezed down, then the expander dragged up through the neck to expand it out to the correct size.

 

This plug type of die allows you to resize the case without the expander ball, then expand from the top to the exact dimensions you prefer to give your desired neck tension.

 

I know you can buy "off the peg" expander plugs and I know it adds a couple of stages to the reloading process but it keeps me amused.

 

 

and a video of the how I made it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTW20NzZ-OA

[10gaugewannabee]

This is a reloading die I made out of scrap over this week end. It's a plug expander die in .308. In the interest of increased accuracy I'm moving away from the traditional ball expanders where the case is squeezed down, then the expander dragged up through the neck to expand it out to the correct size.

 

This plug type of die allows you to resize the case without the expander ball, then expand from the top to the exact dimensions you prefer to give your desired neck tension.

 

I know you can buy "off the peg" expander plugs and I know it adds a couple of stages to the reloading process but it keeps me amused.

 

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and a video of the how I made it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTW20NzZ-OA

great stuff, very good video as well

[biketestace]

:good:

[Bewsher500]

interesting and nice work

 

you say it stops work hardening but are you not doing the same as a FL die just in two dies and expanding from the top instead of the bottom?

is there any compression of neck into shoulder when doing this?

[1066]

Sorry Bewsher - Just noticed this post. - Since making this I've found I've re-inventing the wheel. Lyman make an "M" type die that does pretty much the same thing as this die. Yes, your still working the brass, just not quite as much. You only need to feel the difference at how little effort is needed to expand up with the plug rather than drag the expander ball up through the neck, I can also experiment with changing neck tension just by making another plug. This plug is machined at .3065 so gives about 2 thou neck tension after a bit of springback (annealed after 3 cycles)

 

I dry lube the neck with graphite before exapading and the plug slips in and out quite smoothly. I believe dragging the expander ball up through the neck is a major cause of run out and although it makes another stage in the process, I'm not aiming to make rounds as quick as I can, just as well as I can.