Capn27
Single-Sixer
I finally have a reliable sequence to reform .357 Rem. Mag. cases into .256 Win. Mag. cases for my Hawkeye.
1. Annealing the brass:
a. Punch out the old primers from the .357 cases. I used a .44 die to do this. No sense running it through a .357 sizing die. It's much easier to just punch out the primer.
b. Sand down a small wooden dowel to fit tightly in the primer hole.
c. Darken the room, jam a case on the dowel, rotate in the flame of a propane torch for ten seconds. Just before it turns red, knock the case off the dowel into a large coffee can of water. Repeat.
2. Forming the brass:
a. Don't try to use a multi-station press like a Dillon 550. The shell plate will tilt a tiny bit under the pressure of forming and the brass will scrape the side of the die, ruining it.
b. Put a Nylon brush in a drill press or lathe and use it to lube the inside of the case neck.
c. Lightly lube the outside of the cases.
d. On a single-station press, use the bullet seating die to initially re-form the case mouth and start a shoulder on the case.
e. Then use the sizing die with the neck sizer/primer punch to finish the job.
f. Toss the formed cases in your brass tumbler or vibrator to shine them up and get rid of the annealing colors. Either prime them first or be prepared to pick the media out of the flash holes and primer pockets.
Or, just buy some new cases from Reed - but where's the fun in that?
1. Annealing the brass:
a. Punch out the old primers from the .357 cases. I used a .44 die to do this. No sense running it through a .357 sizing die. It's much easier to just punch out the primer.
b. Sand down a small wooden dowel to fit tightly in the primer hole.
c. Darken the room, jam a case on the dowel, rotate in the flame of a propane torch for ten seconds. Just before it turns red, knock the case off the dowel into a large coffee can of water. Repeat.
2. Forming the brass:
a. Don't try to use a multi-station press like a Dillon 550. The shell plate will tilt a tiny bit under the pressure of forming and the brass will scrape the side of the die, ruining it.
b. Put a Nylon brush in a drill press or lathe and use it to lube the inside of the case neck.
c. Lightly lube the outside of the cases.
d. On a single-station press, use the bullet seating die to initially re-form the case mouth and start a shoulder on the case.
e. Then use the sizing die with the neck sizer/primer punch to finish the job.
f. Toss the formed cases in your brass tumbler or vibrator to shine them up and get rid of the annealing colors. Either prime them first or be prepared to pick the media out of the flash holes and primer pockets.
Or, just buy some new cases from Reed - but where's the fun in that?
