Precision reloading equipment, what do you use?

[188MULE]

This is the reason a like this web site, a person can ask any question and get feed back from people that tend to be unbiased. They use what works best for the task at hand. From the posts and replies here I've made some notes on what equipment I need to look at when I go to upgrade and fine tune my methods and equipment.

Thanks, keep it coming

 

[Forester]

I'd avoid the Sinclair neck turner! I've had two of them, and they are a pain to adjust. The problem is that their bodies are made from aluminum, and then they are using a steel screw in there. Aluminum and steel do not work well together, and the threads will sieze after it sets for awhile. Also their cutter is not the best for the job, and then there is the well known mandrel issue. If I buy another it will be a K&M, or else build my own.

I did fix the thread siezing problem by installing a steel thread insert in the body, but still have had problems from time to time with the cutter siezing up in the body. I also built two knew bodies out of 304 stainless steel, and gave them away with the intention of making three or four more. Of course I never got the time to do it!

There's also another neck turner that interests me. Wilson does one, but think it needs a longer frame than the trimmer. With the case secured in the body mimicking the chamber; I think it would be very concentric
gary

Interesting, thanks for the tip. I handled the 4000 model and liked it a lot, but was not aware of the siezing up issue.

 

[Trickymissfit]

Interesting, thanks for the tip. I handled the 4000 model and liked it a lot, but was not aware of the siezing up issue.

I bought mine out of their catalog, and they looked like stainless steel or electroless nickeled steel. I already knew that steel and aluminum was a no no, but I guess the Sinclair bunch wasn't that smart. And really a carbide cutter is not the greatest thing to cut brass with! You'll always get a better job out of high speed steel. The cutter I now use is made from a broken Hi-Roc drill ground to my spec. It cuts 100% better, but still ain't nothing to write home about. You can rebuild the basic unit and make it work very good, but why should a guy have to? The deal with the cutter freezing up is a good reason alone to look else where, and both of mine did it (I have the one with the dial indicator and the one without it). Their indicator is cheap junk by the way, and suggest buying it without an indicator. Then purchase a half way decient one else where (too much backlash in the stem).
I made my own mandrels, and they do work very well. Later I saw the samething in a catalog of machine fixture locators. But once again the K&M is that much better with the doughnut cutter built into the mandrel.

If you have access to a Bridgeport, you man make one in a couple hours that will be mucho better in quality. I mean a kid in highschool shop class would have little trouble getting it right as it's that simple. Just make it out of generic 1020 steel, and 70% of the problems will be gone. Set it up to use the K&M arbor, and your own cutter ground for a 50 degree included angle that has a .03 radius on the point (this will clear all shoulders very well, and the .03 radius will get you close enough to most any case design except for a Weatherby). You could make the cutter out of a screw machine drill bit (it has the needed flt on it for the set screw). Nothing here is rocket science except the cost they charge
gary