Need insight from those with experience reforming brass.

[IndianaBoy]

I had some 8mm brass that was ruined because a Final Finish kit that I got from Midway had some .338 bullets included instead of the .323 bullets they were supposed to be. I pulled those bullets and tried to reform the brass with my sizing die (I set back the decapper so it wouldn't hit the live primers), but the die collapsed the brass. So I had an odd number of cases, which would have screwed up my primer/bullet count and generally been a pain in the ass.

So I trimmed and reformed some 30-06 brass to 8mm.

I have, however, run into a problem.

The reformed cases chamber easily until I go to close the bolt, then the bolt closes hard. When I extract the cartridge there is a bright spot on the neck where it encountered friction. Is this cartridge going to be safe to fire? I resized twice (after trimming again after reforming) and the load is a starting load (reduced 10% from maximum.)


How I reformed my brass:

Trim the 30-06 brass to a length closer to the 8mm's 57mm, then simply run it through the sizing die. Then you trim/chamfer it again, because it will tend to lengthen as it gets sized down.

I anneal my reformed brass with a pyrex pie plate, placing all the brass standing up, and the pie plate is filled with water so the level is just below the shoulder of the new brass. A handheld propane torch is used to get the case necks a dull, dark red, then the brass is quickly tipped over into the water to quench.

Anyone?

 

[Shoney]

Sounds like the brass is too long. Did you check the case length after forming?

 

[IndianaBoy]

I did check the brass length.

The overall length is not too long.

However, it is possible I did not get the shoulder set back far enough.

 

[Ol` Joe]

The shoulder is where the cartridge headspaces. You should have contact or close to it when reforming to prevent case seperation. The case walls should expand out to fill the chamber as the cartridge is held in place by the bolt face and shoulder.The cases "should be fine".
You did say you didn`t remove the primers and yet anealed the cases with a water bath. Did the primers by chance get wet when you tipped them to cool?

 

[redneck2]

FWIW...when I reform cases, I use Rooster CFL. I can set back the shoulder .200 on .30-30's to make .357 Herrett with no problem (gotta go in stages)

Since you're reforming, make sure to use good lube and make sure the die is turned tight against the shell holder

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Just possibly thick necks - how does the OD with a bullet seated compare to factory?

Just possibly thick necks - how does the OD with a bullet seated compare to factory? When I form cases such that the old body (usually thicker and certainly thicker if far down the case toward the head) is the new neck I often inside ream or outside turn. There are many gadgets to measure neck thickness but OD with a seated bullet and compare to factory ammunition and fired cases will give a good indication.

 

[IndianaBoy]

I apologize for not being more clear in my initial post.


The cartridges which I annealed did not have seated primers. I was forced to turn some 30-06 brass into 8mm brass because I was missing enough 8mm brass to make an even amount.



Measuring with dial calipers and comparing to loaded ammo using original 8mm mauser cases, I believe that I have just barely left the shoulder a little too long. The necks are not oversized, according to my best observations.

If the shoulder is indeed just long enough make chambering difficult, but the necks are normal diameter, am I risking overpressure if I fire these rounds?

These are not (indeed, I never load) hot loads. They are 10% reduced from what my reloading manual says is a max load.

 

[Ol` Joe]

If the neck diameter is within spec, and the case isn`t over lenght as found in your manual for the cartridge, the fact the shoulder contacts the chamber won`t cause any pressure problems. Check the diameter of a case with a bullet seated with your caliper and see that it measures .3495" or less. I BELIEVE that is the max neck diameter for the 8x57, but you might want to double check just to be sure.

 

[Archie]

Indy, if indeed you merely did not bump the shoulder back far enough - and that's all - you will not have any problem with over pressure. In fact, once you fire them the first time, they will fit much better than now.

I had the same basic problem years ago with a .30-06, some once fired brass and a Lee (hand) Loader. The Lee Loader neck sizes only, and it took a bit of pressure to get the bolt to close. Thereafter, the cases were fire-formed to my chamber and worked rather easily.

Like Joe said, check the loaded neck diameter to make sure that's within limits and then shoot them all.

 

[highlander 5]

I had a 7x57 Mauser that I reformed from 30'06 years ago BUT I used a file and trim die to form the cases. Last reforming I did was 40/65 win from 45/70 again using a file and trim die. Of course after making some 300 cases Starline started to offer brass in that caliber