full length resizing your own brass

[kevin c]

I remember seeing a couple of home made full length resizers, but don't remember the fine details. I'm mulling over the thought of trying to build my own.

Has anybody here done it, and could you give me an idea on how you did it?

TIA

Kevin

[buddy_fuentes]

You can buy them so darn cheap, why would you bother. You would probably spend many times the amount of the die trying to duplicate. I am just wondering, why?

Buddy

[RePete]

Are you wanting do it to get rid of the bulge at the base?

If so, it's a ROLL SIZER, and you still have to full length size.

[scooterj]

Seem to remember someone cutting down the head of a brass bolt to fit in the shell plate and shoving the entire case through either a Lee resizing or factory crimp die. This would only work with straight wall rimless cases like 40s&w.

I could very well be wrong!!

[Intel6]

Seem to remember someone cutting down the head of a brass bolt to fit in the shell plate and shoving the entire case through either a Lee resizing or factory crimp die. This would only work with straight wall rimless cases like 40s&w.

I could very well be wrong!!

Many years ago I took the guts out of my .40 Lee FCD and used one of thier punches from thier bullet sizing kits to push .40 or 10mm cases all the way through the die to full length size them. I did it mainly for a bunch of 10mm cases that had been fired in a H&K Mp5. I wanted to use these cases in my 10mm revolver so I figured I would full length size them once and be done with it.

I played around with sizing .40 cases but found that it wasn't really doing much for the case and I was getting about the same sizing by using the Lee FCD as a final stage in making my match ammo for my Edge. I have loaded thousands of Glock fired cases in my Edge without any problems. I get once fired cases from the Border Patrol and they are from factory ammo fired in Glocks and H&K's. I load them up and shoot them in my Edge once and let them stay on the ground. I haven't picked up a .40 case (in a local or big match) in over two years.

I have some pics of this process if anyone is interested? I know, pics are always good. I will have to add them as they are on my computer at home.

Neal in AZ

[iainmcphersn]

Seem to remember someone cutting down the head of a brass bolt to fit in the shell plate and shoving the entire case through either a Lee resizing or factory crimp die. This would only work with straight wall rimless cases like 40s&w.

I could very well be wrong!!

I've seen a photo of the setup someplace. Seems like the guy added tubing to the top of the die so the sized cases would drop into a bucket.

It reminded me of Lee's bullet sizer.

Edited September 25, 2007 by iainmcphersn

[rookieglocker]

Doesn't Lee offer to make a resizer at your preferred diameter for about 30$?

[ipscbob]

At the vendor tent at area2 last year, I saw a setup that used a standard arbor press which pushed the case all the way through a standard resizing die. I believe it had some arrangement for feeding cases as well. This same person was selling bulk lead bullets as well.

[kevin c]

...I took the guts out of my .40 Lee FCD and used one of thier punches from thier bullet sizing kits to push .40 or 10mm cases all the way through the die to full length size them...

...I have some pics of this process if anyone is interested? I know, pics are always good...

Neal in AZ

I'd like to see that.

I have a SDB, so the FCD and EGW undersized dies are out. Looking at the press though, I think it might be possible to push a case all the way through the sizing die. It hopefully wouldn't take too much to set up.

It's probably true that buying a Case Master Jr. for $325 is the easier route.

[iainmcphersn]

Doesn't Lee offer to make a resizer at your preferred diameter for about 30$?

I see one for the bullet sizer. Don't believe they would make it out of carbide though. I suppose you could lube the cases and run them through a custom sized die but I figure buying a standard carbide resizing die in 40/10mm and chopping off the top end would be better.

[EricW]

It's probably true that buying a Case Master Jr. for $325 is the easier route.

Kevin,

What defect are you trying to fix? Are you trying to un-Glock some range brass or do you want 100% of your brass full-length sized from now on?

[buddy_fuentes]

It would be simple to set up a cheap "C" press (find them at garage sales) and install EGW under-size full length die. Run your range brass through it and keep range brass separated until it has been processed. You would only have to run it through once, unless you are shooting a Glock.

Buddy

[kevin c]

It's probably true that buying a Case Master Jr. for $325 is the easier route.

Kevin,

What defect are you trying to fix? Are you trying to un-Glock some range brass or do you want 100% of your brass full-length sized from now on?

I'm deglocking once fired brass. Most of the once fired brass I buy or pickup has that "dreaded" striker mark on the primer and the beer belly profile. My SDB die gets some but not all of it. Multi fired brass shot through my factory glock bbls gets progressively worse, and actually binds on occasion, and aftermarket barrels are iffy even with the once fired stuff. I was thinking that I could use all the brass in the aftermarket bbls if I just got it to run in the first place.

Maybe the EGW in a single stage press. Or better, in a new 650...

[John Dunn]

What caliber, I have an all the way thru the die sizing set-up I bought at a match in Reno, I think it's the modified Lee die. I've never used it as I went the U die route. It's in .40. If you want it, it's yours.

[EricW]

Hi Kevin,

Is the size die on the SDB threaded or is it the "clip in" variety? If it's threaded, you may be able to grind it down and screw it down deeper and that would work as well as a U-die. And even if it's a clip in, it may be possible to take material off the bottom and shim the die down farther.

I'll be happy to help out if need be. Grinding down and repolishing is a pretty easy operation.

Edited September 27, 2007 by EricW

[johnhurd]

This is how I did it turned a new insert for a crimp die and the pusher replaces the shell holder run em thru rim first feed out the tub and into the bucket

Edited September 27, 2007 by johnhurd

[kevin c]

Nice job, John (I really admire/envy people like you and EricW who are mechanically competent. Me, I'm the kind of guy who got his shirt ripped off by the lathe in H.S. wood shop).

Am I understanding you right that you turned the die yourself? I'd guess that a truly straight walled case like the .40 would feed straight through even a standard resizing die, but did you find different? Do you still have to size the case afterwards? What die diameter would you need in a tapered case like the 9mm, case mouth or case head, or would a push through die set up even work there?

Thanks from one speaking from ignorance and incompetence.

Thanks for the offer for die modification, Eric. Lemme figure out how I'm going to approach this first.

(PM at ya, Dr. Dunn.)

KC

Edited September 27, 2007 by kevin c

[johnhurd]

I made the die to just remove the base bulge then they get thrown into the casefeeder and run as usual

[Intel6]

Here are some pics to go with my earlier post. The date on these pics were May 2004 so i was a few years ago

here is the Lee FCD with the crimp sleeve and stem removed:

This is a pic of the punch I got out of the Lee sizing kit. Some will talk about using a cut down bolt but since I don't have a lathe this is pre made and snaps into the ram easy.

Here is the punch in the press with a case on it, ready to be pushed through the die.

here is my set up, notice the box I mounted under the lock ring to catch the cases:

Here is a pic of the top of the set up showing the catch box:

Neal in AZ

[kevin c]

Nice!

Standard FCD die, right?

Doesn't squash or burr the case rim?

[Intel6]

Nice!

Standard FCD die, right?

Doesn't squash or burr the case rim?

Yep, just a standard FCD.

Since .40 is rimless you won't have any problems with the die screwing up the case rim. It works great with once fired brass. i found that when I tried putting some old tired 10mm brass through it that case head/rim had widened through multiple firings and the rim diameter had increased. Trying to cold swage brass doesn't work too well and I had to punch the case back out. Basically this works well to do once fired stuff but I don't think it woudl work to size brass that you are using over and over.

As I said I did this back in the middle of 2004 and after some experimenting found that for my regular match loads, I was wasting my time. I measured the before and after on once fired Win cases from Glocks and then the before and after for the saem cases that I loaded on my 650 with a regular sizer and the FCD as the last station. What I found was that the FCD sized down far enough to size the bulge down past it widest point on the case and pushing them through the die really didn't do much more than that. I have been shooting my Edge for 2+ years now using this method and have zero problems. I have an abundance of Border Patrol once fired brass and don't pick up reuse my brass so every round I have fired in that time has been that way.

Something you might consider looking into yourself.

Neal in AZ

[kevin c]

As I said I did this back in the middle of 2004 and after some experimenting found that for my regular match loads, I was wasting my time. I measured the before and after on once fired Win cases from Glocks and then the before and after for the saem cases that I loaded on my 650 with a regular sizer and the FCD as the last station. What I found was that the FCD sized down far enough to size the bulge down past it widest point on the case and pushing them through the die really didn't do much more than that. I have been shooting my Edge for 2+ years now using this method and have zero problems. I have an abundance of Border Patrol once fired brass and don't pick up reuse my brass so every round I have fired in that time has been that way.

Something you might consider looking into yourself.

Neal in AZ

You're very lucky to have a reliable source of (free?) brass!

At this point, I'm still reloading my brass a few times before discarding it, and while it's true that even the once fired Glock cases will run in my Schuemann barrelled Limited guns, first time and every time, I've been shooting Glocks in Production this past year. The OEM bbls will take the Glock brass second time around, but I notice that the amount of unironed out bulge around the rim just above the base gets worse each firing. I worry about both eventual feeding issues and overworked brass. After market bbls for my Glocks would solve the problem, and I have them, but the brass has to feed in the tighter chamber in the first place.

What I perhaps didn't make clear is that the SDB I use cannot take standard threaded dies like the Lee FCD or EGW's undersized die (hence EricW's proposal to custom grind and shim the proprietary die the SDB takes). As you point out, either of those two dies would solve my problem, but, for me, it'd mean buying a new press at a time when I need the money to cover the skyrocketing cost of brass and bullets.

[Intel6]

I am fortunate to get the brass and get it most likely because I live in an out of the way area and there are not many people who shoot USPSA. Getting the brass is offset by the fact that I have to drive a bit to get to the nearest USPSA club to use the brass.

I just wanted to point out that if you are reusing your brass you will most likely come to a point where the cases will not go through the die anymore. I would guess that you would eventiually figure out how many times you could size/fire the brass before it won't size anymore.

I understand you load on a SDB but in your original post the SDB wasn't mentioned you talked about "seeing a couple of home made full length resizers"

and mulling over the thought of trying to build my own." If you had started a thread about trying to get better full length sizing while loading on your SDB I would not have even posted because I used to load on a SDB and know the dies are inserts and cannot be adjusted.

The set up like I made does not have to be too expensive. You can get some cheap "O" frame presses these days and the Lee stuff is cheap. You just have to weigh the cost of not doing the full length sizing and the possible problems against the cost fo the equipment and the time it takes to size the brass.

I remembered there was a commercial manual push through sizer made and I remembered where I saw it. Works on the same principal but probably is stronger and certainluy costs more.

Magma Engineering case master Jr.

Neal in AZ

Edited September 28, 2007 by Intel6

[kevin c]

I'm looking at different approaches to the problem, trying to see what works and what won't break the budget. The Case Pro Jr. looks really good, but is a bit outside my price range. I do appreciate the description and photos of your set up - it's very useful information, whether I try/buy something similar or go your route with the EGW of FCD dies in a press that can take them. My SDB can't use them, but I was hoping for a work around still using the press. EricW's proposal is one way. A set up along the lines of your suggestions or a commercially available version like some posters above mentioned are the other practical solutions.

Thanks again!

Kevin C

[Merlin Orr]

Here are some pics to go with my earlier post. The date on these pics were May 2004 so i was a few years ago

here is the Lee FCD with the crimp sleeve and stem removed:

This is a pic of the punch I got out of the Lee sizing kit. Some will talk about using a cut down bolt but since I don't have a lathe this is pre made and snaps into the ram easy.

Here is the punch in the press with a case on it, ready to be pushed through the die.

here is my set up, notice the box I mounted under the lock ring to catch the cases:

Here is a pic of the top of the set up showing the catch box:

Neal in AZ

I missed this one the first time around and now...alas...no photos......

Can you repost the photos?