Brass SG Shell Question

[Tequila Shooter]

I've got some "out of round" hulls, the base is fine, just the walls seem to be oblong.  I've been scratching my head with the best way to get them round again, suggestions?

[Hooligan Howes]

Rcbs makes a die set for brass shells.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I have a steel bar with a hole in it to drive brass shells into/out of to size them.   However, I have had a few with oblong mouths that don't seem to want to stay round even after sizing.  I think that those hulls may need annealing.  These are very old Rem-UMC and Winchester hulls, so no telling how many times they have been fired (some of them 50 times each by me, but with an unknown  previous history).

[Sedalia Dave]

For longevity after reshaping them anneal them. If they are badly bent anneal before and after.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

I have run into the same problem.  A).  The hull mouth is a tad oblong.  running it through the RCBS die doesn't true it up.  For this, I have a leather cradle for my Machine Vice.  I carefully tighten the vice on the hull in about 8 places as turn the hull.  Then check it in the RCBS die.  Then check it for "Drop In" in my go-to shotguns.  B).  The hull shows resistance in the RCBS die and after running thru the die, doesn't quite "drop in."  Same routine.  I also look for the shiny area from the RCBS die and give the hull a little more attention in that area.  Then again, "Drop In" test.

 

I have had to do this on very few hulls.  I suspect someone has inadvertently stepped on the hull.  Annoying that.

[Blackwater 53393]

CH4D has a better sizing die for brass shot shells.  Way better than the RCBS, but much more expensive.

 

I got the CH4 dies in a buy from another shooter’s estate.

 

You have to decide if your shells and your frequency of use will justify the expenditure.

[Blackwater 53393]

I failed to mention in the previous post that I have over 300 12ga brass shells.  

 

ALSO!!  The CH4D die set came with a roll crimp die!  This will help keep the shells round and also improve getting the loaded shells into the gun!!

 

 I occasionally shoot brass shells in my ‘97s.  They cycle better with the roll crimp and I don’t need as much glue to hold the over-shot cards!!

 

 The full length sizing die assures that I can run them in any of my shotguns!!

[Mountain George]

6 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said:

I've got some "out of round" hulls, the base is fine, just the walls seem to be oblong.  I've been scratching my head with the best way to get them round again, suggestions?

 

https://www.buffaloarms.com/reloading-supplies-accessories/reloading-dies/shotgun-reloading-dies

 

[Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223]

All my brass 12 & 16 shells always had a slight roll on the case mouth, helps in many ways.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Lay sizer bar over open jaws of vice.  Pound lubed hull into .795 hole with rubber mallet.  Turn over, insert nutdriver inside hull to tap it back out.  Rarely need the .790 hole.

 

[Tequila Shooter]

37 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Lay sizer bar over open jaws of vice.  Pound lubed hull into .795 hole with rubber mallet.  Turn over, insert nutdriver inside hull to tap it back out.  Rarely need the .790 hole.

 

 

Where did you find that?

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

15 minutes ago, Tequila Shooter said:

 

Where did you find that?

 

Bought it nearly 20 years ago from Nate Kiowa Jones, but he didn't make it.  I guess most any machine ship could pop one out.  Edges are chamfered a bit.

[Tequila Shooter]

15 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

 

Bought it nearly 20 years ago from Nate Kiowa Jones, but he didn't make it.  I guess most any machine ship could pop one out.  Edges are chamfered a bit.

 

Looks like a handy little tool.  Any machinists out there care to make one?

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

As seldom as I need to resize or "fix" a brass hull, the CH4D die set is way too expensive.  No way.  I have only had resistance in the RCBS die on about a dozen cases over at least 4 of 5 seasons and 250 cases in service.  It would take about 100 years to amortize the CH4D.

[Tequila Shooter]

1 hour ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

As seldom as I need to resize or "fix" a brass hull, the CH4D die set is way too expensive.  No way.  I have only had resistance in the RCBS die on about a dozen cases over at least 4 of 5 seasons and 250 cases in service.  It would take about 100 years to amortize the CH4D.

 

CC I agree with you it's a lot more money than I'd spend.  

[Turkey Flats Jack]

I anneal them and if the case mouth isn't round I use a chunk of dowel rod to shove down inside. Just taper the end a bit. I want to say the one I've been using is a 3/4" rod

[Tequila Shooter]

After reading these posts I'm going to try something, here's what I came up with:

1. anneal the brass

2. put brass in a pipe nipple

3. drive a 3/4 inch wooden dowel into the shell

 

TFJ I see we're thinking alike.

 

[Gunner, SASS #1940]

Respectfully, I would only anneal the mouth of the case and not the body.

[Tequila Shooter]

@Gunner I agree that’s all I annealed, just about ½ inch or so.

[John Kloehr]

On 8/27/2020 at 4:01 PM, Tequila Shooter said:

 

Looks like a handy little tool.  Any machinists out there care to make one?

2nd this ^^^

 

PM me if you are a machinist and can make me one. Price with shipping.

[DeaconKC]

If you wind up with any unusable ones, please PM me! Thanks

[Ozark Shark]

I have both RCBS and CH4D dies for my 12g brass.  There is no comparison.  CH4D are not cheap, but will resize and round the brass properly.

[Tequila Shooter]

I’ve been putting the shells over a ¾ inch steel rod and hammering them. It’s a lot of work but they’re round and passing the sizer check.