Expander mandrel on primed brass?

MagnumManiac said:

With a calibre specific nylon brush, same sold for barrel cleaning.
A little goes a long way, the difference with/without is amazing, even when using expander balls…no screeching and smooth as silk.

Cheers.

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Pretty messy ordeal? I know graphite to be like anti-seize.

Brathany said:

Pretty messy ordeal? I know graphite to be like anti-seize.

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No mess, dip brush in, tap off excess and brush away, each dip does a half dozen cases.
HBN, on the other hand is MESSY!

Cheers.

Brathany said:

@quandary & @MagnumManiac - How do you apply your graphite to case necks?

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I use 21 Century Moly Powder. See pictures below. One of the containers has a "media", essentially #6 or #7 shot silica balls. You add the powder, other container is extra moly powder container. Close the lid and shake it. The powder is then dispersed within the media, lasts hundreds of rounds before you need to add new powder. Dip the case head neck into the media, tap the side of the jar case head down into the media and you are ready to go.

setter said:

I am going to try using an expander mandrel for the first time and I'm still new to reloading. I did a search in this forum and found a lot of good info. However, when someone asked: "The expander mandrel is the last step before seating the bullet?" and the reply was "Yes", that made me wonder whether I should take that statement literally since that didn't make sense to me. Wouldn't that be difficult with powder in the case since otherwise that would be the last step before seating?.
I have some primed brass and would like to use the expander (before proceeding with adding powder). Could there be pressure build-up when using the expander mandrel since the case is 'sealed' with the primer in place and wouldn't the mandrel actually create an air tight seal at the neck at the same time? Could that either cause the primer to pop out or loosen, and/or cause the case to bulge out?

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have you went through this site a lot of info https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/complete-precision-case-prep/

Everyone has a favorite process, mine is:
Decap
Primer pocket clean
Resize
Mandrel
Clean / tumble
Light ID debur
Prime
Charge
Seat bullet

I prefer the brass clean of all lubes when I charge it, I want nothing foreign in the brass when I load it.
Reloaders are quirky and superstitious

Good luck

Your mandrel operation should follow you sizing operation if you're using something like one-shot or imperial die wax. That is, assuming you tumble them clean afterwards.

If you use graphite powder, it can be done right before charging the case with powder if you wanted to. If you don't anneal I wouldn't really bother, the spring back at a certain point can't really be overcome and it just reverts back to the sized dimension.

Sinclair/ imperial graphite lube and application media are what I use. I have also used Molybdenum powder with the application media.

I have, however, recently started using imperial resizing wax instead of spray on lubricants. So, I use an bore swab 1 caliber undersized, rub my fingers in the wax and twist them lightly around the swab to permeate the fibers. Then I run the swab in the unsized case neck with a twist before using any excess at the case mouth to lube the rest of the case. I reapply wax to the brush about every 3 cases, which, admittedly leaves a little too much on the fingers for resizing, so I wipe the excess from the fingers on an old slick lens cloth. I have found wiping a case with said cloth is actually a decent application method now, Lol.

I'm sure, like me, many of you are curious from time to time how others reloading process goes.

My General process:

If covered in filth like mud or something I start with tumbling in walnut. Otherwise:

-Deprime with decapping die
-Clean primer pocket with rcbs prep station
-Into the Amp annealer
-Lube
-Resize
*** when using my SAC bushing die with SAC expander mandrel I skip separate mandrel operations and lube inside case neck when lubing the case.

-Neck lube (if using dry lube)
-Mandrel
-Tumble in rice 2 hours (outlet timer)
-Remove tumbling media
-Check primer flash hole for media
-Trim, chamfer and deburr if needed
-Prime
-Charge
-Seat bullets

If I'm not shooting right way or soon after loading, I seat the bullets long by 30-50 thousandths for storage; and then, before I head out to shoot, I seat them to length.

Every 10 to 15 passes, rub mandrel with ultra fine tungsten disulfide. Keeps the process smooth an easy.

setter said:

I am going to try using an expander mandrel for the first time and I'm still new to reloading. I did a search in this forum and found a lot of good info. However, when someone asked: "The expander mandrel is the last step before seating the bullet?" and the reply was "Yes", that made me wonder whether I should take that statement literally since that didn't make sense to me. Wouldn't that be difficult with powder in the case since otherwise that would be the last step before seating?.
I have some primed brass and would like to use the expander (before proceeding with adding powder). Could there be pressure build-up when using the expander mandrel since the case is 'sealed' with the primer in place and wouldn't the mandrel actually create an air tight seal at the neck at the same time? Could that either cause the primer to pop out or loosen, and/or cause the case to bulge out?

Click to expand...

If your cases are already primed, you could still use the expander. Carefully. If they are primed and powdered, dump the powder in a scoop, expand, them pour the powder back in. Make sure the cases don't have any brass or debris down in the bottom left over from expanding process.

In the future, Best Safety Practices dictate doing ALL brass prep on a naked case. Then prime, powder, seat, and shoot.

DON'T TEMPT FATE. I know 2 people that have had reloading bench detonations after short cutting safety processes. One guy lost 2 fingers, the other still has deep scars on his chin after 20+ years.

Stay safe and have fun!

Sdvldog1371 said:

Your mandrel operation should follow you sizing operation if you're using something like one-shot or imperial die wax. That is, assuming you tumble then clean afterwards.

If you use graphite powder, I can be done right before charging the case with powder if you wanted to. If you don't anneal I wouldn't really bother, the spring back at a certain point can't really be overcome and it just reverts back to the sized dimension.

Sinclair/ imperial graphite lube and application media are what I use. I have also used Molybdenum powder with the application media.

I have, however, recently started using imperial resizing wax instead of spray on lubricants. So, I use an bore swab 1 caliber undersized, rub my fingers in the wax and twist them lightly around the swab to permeate the fibers. Then I run the swab in the unsized case neck with a twist before using any excess at the case mouth to lube the rest of the case. I reapply wax to the brush about every 3 cases, which, admittedly leaves a little too much on the fingers for resizing, so I wipe the excess on the fingers on an old slick lens cloth. I have found wiping a case with said cloth is actually a decent application method now, Lol.

I'm sure, like me, many of you are curios from time to time how others process goes.
General process

If covered in filth like mud or something I start with tumbling in walnut. Otherwise:

-Deprime with decapping die
-Clean primer pocket with rcbs prep station
-Into the Amp annealer
-Lube
-Resize
*** when using my SAC bushing die with SAC expander mandrel I skip separate mandrel operations and lube inside case neck when luring the case.

-Neck lube (if using dry lube)
-Mandrel
-Tumble in rice 2 hours (outlet timer)
-Remove tumbling media
-Check primer flash hole for media
-Trim, chamfer and deburr if needed
-Prime
-Charge
-Seat bullets

If I'm not shooting right way or soon after loading, I seat the bullets long by 30-50 thousandths for storage; and then, before I head out to shoot, I seat them to length.

Click to expand...

I wasn't planning on annealing as I don't have the equipment, and I am still new and learning. I wonder if anyone knows if there is a different amount of spring back with nickel cases since they are supposedly harder to begin with? Do people anneal nickel cases? I don't know if I've run across any pictures of that yet.

setter said:

I wasn't planning on annealing as I don't have the equipment, and I am still new and learning. I wonder if anyone knows if there is a different amount of spring back with nickel cases since they are supposedly harder to begin with? Do people anneal nickel cases? I don't know if I've run across any pictures of that yet.

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You know, I've never thought about the annealing of nickel plated cases. I admittedly have little experience with nickel cases with the exception of pistol brass. I know that they seem to Crack much earlier on than standard brass seems to. Once again, speaking on pistol cases that get belled and then crimped, so there is quite a bit of work going on at the mouth.

***Annealing Made perfect, the maker of my annealing machine states that the process is the same for nickel plated when it comes both to analyzing the case and annealing.***

Sdvldog1371 said:

***Annealing Made perfect, the maker of my annealing machine states that the process is the same for nickel plated when it comes both to analyzing the case and annealing.***

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This is true of the brass underneath the nickel plating, but the nickel itself becomes brittle and flakes off easier.
My club annealed 1000's of nickel plated 223 cases for IPSC members, it took only 2 sizings for the nickel to start flaking off.
It was never done again.

Cheers.

I don't reload the nickeled brass. I have read too much negative on the topic, main issue appears to the nickel flaking off inside the dies and screwing them up. With so much decent brass out there it just never seemed worth it. I've reloaded cheap, bog standard 308 Winchester brass over 30 times without issue so why bother
If Lapua, Peterson, Alfa, PPU or Norma make the brass you need just buy it, you will be miles ahead.
Took me a couple of years of reloading anything I could pickup to figure this out.

Look at it this way.. 100 piece box of Lapua is good for 20 loadings guaranteed.. more like 40 or more if your not overly hammering it.
20 x 100 is 2,000 rounds. Depending on your caliber, your barrel may be at, or near the end of its life at 2,000 firings.
Make the investment.

Texis said:

Look at it this way.. 100 piece box of Lapua is good for 20 loadings guaranteed.. more like 40 or more if your not overly hammering it.
20 x 100 is 2,000 rounds. Depending on your caliber, your barrel may be at, or near the end of its life at 2,000 firings.
Make the investment.

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I'm loading/reloading 7 WSM and those cases are hard to come by these days, so I need to determine how I should treat the nickel plated cases to be able to keep them for as long as I can use them. I'm wondering if perhaps I should have separate dies for the nickel cases if the nickel is a problem when it flakes off in the dies?