Noob here, quick question

[SsevenN]

I'm about to reload 5.7x28mm for the first time. This will be the first bottleneck cartridge I work with. Everything else I've done before has been straight-walled pistol cartridges.

Do I re-size my brass, before trimming the case of after?

Sorry, I know it's probably a dumb question..

 

[rg1]

All trimming of bottle neck rifle cases should be done after sizing. The little
5.7 case is supposedly tricky to reload. I've read that you should not tumble these cases as they have a coating which helps feeding and tumbling can remove this coating. Also the case being thin, you have to be careful or they will crumple. There's a good 5.7 x 28 forum that may have more info:
http://www.fivesevenforum.com/

 

[Nomad]

Nope not a dumb question...just to clarify though, be sure it needs to be trimmed at all. You will likely find it does not need to be trimmed every time. The problem with trimming after sizing is, often the mandel of the trimmer will not go into the sized neck of the case after the sizing process. If they need trimming I would trim back to minimum length. I typically trim, then size then check the length again. If you have trimmed back to min. length they wont have grown enough to require trimming after sizing and likely wont need to be trimmed again for a number of firings. If the cases aren't at max length I would size one and see if it is still under max and if so I wouldn't worry about trimming.

If you don't already have some get some Imerial Sizing wax. A touch on the finger is all you need and a small can will last for years and it makes the sizing process so much easier.

 

[SsevenN]

Thanks for the info, I think I'm good to go.

 

[rcmodel]

If the trimmer pilot won't fit after sizing, then you need a smaller pilot!

Trimming before sizing is a waste of time and brass, because the brass will get longer again after sizing.
Then you will have to trim them again, or will already have trimmed them too short.
At any rate, they won't all be the same, which was the object of trimming them.

As for reloading the 5.7 as a first attempt?

Be very cautious.
The blow-back action of the 5.7 pistol allows a tremendous amount of case stretching every time it is fired. Lyman #49 cautions against reloading the 5.7 for new reloaders. They warn that case stretch on new brass can move the shoulder foreword as much as .050"!

It would be very easy to shoot your eye out during the learning curve!

rc

 

[SsevenN]

rcmodel, thanks for the word of caution.

I'm aware that the 5.7 isn't a good choice for rookies. But at the moment, it's the only bottlenecked cartridge I'm interested in reloading. I'm going to start by rolling some very soft loads, then work my way up to performance loads.

 

[Walkalong]

rcmodel is correct.

The 5.7 is an animal all it's own when fired in the guns typically chambered for it. It is unlike any other bottle necked caliber.

The FiveseveNForum is the best place I know of for quality info on reloading it from people who know what they are talking about.

You do not have to worry about failure near the case head as with regular bottle necked calibers. You have to monitor the neck closely. As rcmodel posted, it gets blown out and then pushed back when resized a great amount, so that is where it fails, and it is hard to know when it it going to. Many just shoot cases "X" number of times and scrap them. With normal bottle necked calibers we can tell when they are getting ready to give up the ghost, but it is more difficult with the 5.7.

Research it, have fun, and be careful.

 

[Walkalong]

Oh yea.

Ramshot and Accurate have some data. I don't know of any more except what intrepid folks have posted on the web. (Including myself, on the FiveSeveNForum)

I would never recommend it to learn on.

 

[SsevenN]

Thanks very much Walkalong, those links were very useful.

Edit: Know what's funny Walkalong? I'd researched powders for the 5.7 a while ago, I bought Accurate #7 and Ramshot Trueblue, and you handed me the load data in your links . *High-five*

 

[five.five-six]

If the trimmer pilot won't fit after sizing, then you need a smaller pilot!

I find that sometimes I have to lightly use a chamfer tool to get the pilot to fit easily. this step also helps to keep a burr from hanging under the pilot when I am pulling the casing out