@lancetkenyon I'll send you a text bud.
Fire Forming to harden case heads....do you?
- Thread starter BoomFlop
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Mike Matteson
Well-Known Member
New brass fire form your brass 1st. Be sure the case base is tight to the bolt faces. So reduce powder load to start with, and bullet touching the lands. That will force the base tight to the bolt faces, and make the expanding in the shoulder area. That help stop case stretch at the base. Annealing is done to kept the neck tension the same, and extends the life of the case in the neck area. How often is up to you. Some anneal every time, and other every 3rd firing, or only once. Some don't at all.
In fire forming I use 2nds in bullets, and powders I generally don' use for reloading, to cut the cost down or not use in my favor powders (I generally use H type powders because of temp extremes) . Before the first firing of the case is time to do the case prep. Cutting case to all the same length, cleaning or deburring the flash hole, check primer pockets for depth. (Consistence) If you turn your necks for thickness it the time to do that. I have changed to FL size my brass, but only bump by .002". I have change to bushing die's and use so far bushing to achieve neck tension. I don't use the expander pill to open up the neck any longer.
You are at the same time watch for velocity increases to note brake in.
All above increase your time in reloading, but you come up with a better reload.
In fire forming I use 2nds in bullets, and powders I generally don' use for reloading, to cut the cost down or not use in my favor powders (I generally use H type powders because of temp extremes) . Before the first firing of the case is time to do the case prep. Cutting case to all the same length, cleaning or deburring the flash hole, check primer pockets for depth. (Consistence) If you turn your necks for thickness it the time to do that. I have changed to FL size my brass, but only bump by .002". I have change to bushing die's and use so far bushing to achieve neck tension. I don't use the expander pill to open up the neck any longer.
You are at the same time watch for velocity increases to note brake in.
All above increase your time in reloading, but you come up with a better reload.
if you are forming the Sherman cartridges with ADG brass you will increase the case life quite a bit with a light fireform on your first shot.
it has to do with the design more than the shoulder angle, the case web needs to be expanded to fill the chamber and that is better if done in two steps one being a fireform and also help harder the case head.
there is a reason why the best brass has the case head double struck it helps harden the brass
it has to do with the design more than the shoulder angle, the case web needs to be expanded to fill the chamber and that is better if done in two steps one being a fireform and also help harder the case head.
there is a reason why the best brass has the case head double struck it helps harden the brass
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
Well, I sure as heck am not fire forming every single piece....
@lancetkenyon
Hey buddy Ol Pal, you can send me that box and I'll fire form all of them for you in my chamber and send them back!
Hey buddy Ol Pal, you can send me that box and I'll fire form all of them for you in my chamber and send them back!
PNWdude67
Well-Known Member
. The "hardening" concept the OP is asking about, not so much to me. 
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
The biggest factor in this is clearances. Big clearances, big expansion.
Then breech support. Weak design, bigger expansion.
Then brass alloy. C24000 [low brass] gives up too easy.
If you guys aren't getting at least 20+ reloads out of your cases, due to opening pockets, then it seems to me a good idea to work on that.
No way I would put up with constant brass replacements.
Then breech support. Weak design, bigger expansion.
Then brass alloy. C24000 [low brass] gives up too easy.
If you guys aren't getting at least 20+ reloads out of your cases, due to opening pockets, then it seems to me a good idea to work on that.
No way I would put up with constant brass replacements.
Mikecr
Well-Known Member
I could pick the best 50 out of that box, fill out a reamer print, build something around a BAT action, and shoot out several barrels with those 50 cases. No problem.
Sounds like you want to work harden the primer pockets.....check out a thread, started by Phorwath, I think. I can't find it, I'll look some more. Save your primer pockets, here's how I think is the name
Basically, it involves a ball bearing, a hammer, and a stem . I'll be back.
Sorry, it took a minute to pull my head out.
"Tighten primer pockets here's how" is the thread, and tbrice23 is the op. Good stuff there. And it works. I thought about using that method on new brass. I never did get to it, but I did resurrect some brass that basically were junk, and got many more firings out of them before the necks got so thin they were splitting. That cartridge was a 338-378 Wby , pretty expensive brass. So I wanted to get ALL my money from them.
Anyway, hope this is informative for you.
"Tighten primer pockets here's how" is the thread, and tbrice23 is the op. Good stuff there. And it works. I thought about using that method on new brass. I never did get to it, but I did resurrect some brass that basically were junk, and got many more firings out of them before the necks got so thin they were splitting. That cartridge was a 338-378 Wby , pretty expensive brass. So I wanted to get ALL my money from them.
Anyway, hope this is informative for you.
Sorry, it took a minute to pull my head out.
"Tighten primer pockets here's how is the thread, and tbrice23 is the op. Good stuff there. And it works. I thought about using that method on new brass. I never did get to it, but I did resurrect some brass that basically were junk, and got many more firings out of them before the necks got so thin they were splitting. That cartridge was a 338-378 Wby , pretty expensive brass. So I wanted to get ALL my money from them.
Anyway, hope this is informative for you.
"Tighten primer pockets here's how is the thread, and tbrice23 is the op. Good stuff there. And it works. I thought about using that method on new brass. I never did get to it, but I did resurrect some brass that basically were junk, and got many more firings out of them before the necks got so thin they were splitting. That cartridge was a 338-378 Wby , pretty expensive brass. So I wanted to get ALL my money from them.
Anyway, hope this is informative for you.
Double post, sorry.
lancetkenyon
Well-Known Member
You might be able to say, honestly, "I burnt my barrel out in a single box of ammo!"@lancetkenyon
Hey buddy Ol Pal, you can send me that box and I'll fire form all of them for you in my chamber and send them back!
