17 Caliber Carbide ?????

[tred1956]

I have been forming 17/222 rem (NEW RP brand) brass. Have both Winchester and Lapua brass to try next. Used two forming dies with imperial sizing wax without issue. When I run the formed case through the fl size die I am getting a lot of resistance. I also noticed a few split necks after I seated the bullets. I am using a Vickerman seater and a RCBS fl sizer. Sprayed case mouths with Hornady one shot before fl sizing. My question is does anyone make a 17 caliber carbide sizing button? Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks
Doug

[hemiallen]

If your necks are splitting pushing a bullet in, the solution is to anneal your brass. The lesser friction gained by the button isn't what is going to save your necks from splitting when you push a bullet in!

What is the OD of your fired brass from the chamber, and what is the od of your resized brass before you push a bullet in? You might be overworking the brass, but still, annealing the brass is what will stop splitting.

[trapperdan]

I think your problem is with the rcbs expander on the decapping rod. It's short fat shape is extremely hard to push in and pull out of a 17 neck. When you neck down from 22 caliber to 17 and run it through a FL die, the brass thickness in the neck is increased which in turn makes Inside neck diameter smaller. Try taking the rod out of the die and see if it is still hard. I had to go to a hornady die with it's long tapered expander and it solved the same problem for me. A Sinclair neck expander also works great.
as already mentioned, annealing to soften up the brass also helps. In fact if you are not turning the necks, I feel it's a must. You might want to check the length of the cases that you did with the rcbs die as it pulls
through so hard it can actually stretch the neck which tends to weaken it.


Forgot to mention that I still use the rcbs die to size the case then run it over the hornady or Sinclair expander only.

[TinMan]

+1 on annealing the brass. Don't know of any 17 caliber carbide neck size bushings, but the gold colored Redding neck bushings are hardened steel with a titanium nitride (TiN) coating, which is harder than carbide and has a lower coefficient of friction. That might be the best shot to try.

[hemiallen]

Redding doesn't make any sizer balls under 20 caliber
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...urer_1=REDDING

Dan, are you suggesting this Sinclair neck bump part used for neck turning to bump the neck back up to accept bullets after sizing without the die's expander stem parts?
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...prod33136.aspx

Always happy to learn new ways to do stuff.

[tred1956]

Thanks fellows. I do have 17 caliber K & M neck turning equipment that I use on a tight neck 17 Mach IV. Lots of new ideas to try.
Always good advice
Doug

[Jim D]

Sounds like the necks are too thick. Annealing should solve that, as others said.
I've been forming 17 FB brass lately. I turn the necks down at the 221 FB stage to around .012-.013", then use the 17MK4 form, and trim dies.
This step saved a lot of brass failure. Before I was getting a lot of rings, just below the shoulder, after forming.
Turn the necks one more time, to .013" before final full length sizing.
There is good resistance, as I pull the expander buttons back through, My RCBS button seems to drag more than my Redding die button.
The amount you turn down necks is up to you. I'm just trying to duplicate my factory brass closely.

Jim

[pmg]

PMA tools has a 17cal. carbide expander and die body for it.

[trapperdan]

Originally Posted by hemiallen

Redding doesn't make any sizer balls under 20 caliber
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...urer_1=REDDING

Dan, are you suggesting this Sinclair neck bump part used for neck turning to bump the neck back up to accept bullets after sizing without the die's expander stem parts?
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloadin...prod33136.aspx

Always happy to learn new ways to do stuff.

Yes that's the one I use. It has enough taper to it to easily expand the neck without doing any damage to the neck as it expands going in instead of pulling out.
Gives about .001 tension. I make 17 Mach IV out of new LC 223 brass. I don't turn the necks until the case has been completely formed and run through the full length die without the expander.Then anneal, expand with Sinclair expander then turn the necks. Good to go.

[tred1956]

Thanks for all the great input. Bench Source Annealer should ship tomorrow. Next project will be 219 Wasp (forming dies arrived about a week ago). It will have to help with that

Thanks again
Doug