Do you skip the expander mandrel?

[Mike D Texas]

Has anyone used a holder that allows standard machinist gauge pins to be used as the mandrel?

The pins are quite a bit less expensive - a set of 10 carbide pins in .0004” increments is only about $100, or a full set of pins to cover all cartridges in .001” increments is about $200.

This is really the process Lee uses with their collet neck dies. That have a collet with an internal mandrel. They make various sizes of mandrel.


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[greyghostnw]

Bought them from wilson. Have yet to use them. Sounded like a good thing. But is it necessary? Been years… Should i as well? Perhaps….use forester dies and press that achieve my goals. Guess its all relative to what your goals are and results. FLS only here. I think annealing is a every time step though. Consistent grip/release, combustion and bc’s is a thing.

 

[HighUintas]

Here's some food for thought. I use Lee FL dies with starline 6.5cm brass with the expander/decapper pin in it. Anneal every other time. Only brush the neck. Quit using inside neck lube.

No more than 0.0015 runout, SD 10 ES 30, high round count group size (25 I think) is less than 1".

The downside is I get more brass growth each cycle than I want using that die.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I use regular RCBS 2 die sets. I’ve never sized my cases without the expander mandrel in it. I’ve seen zero reasons to add extra steps to a simple process.

 

[Castle Rock]

Ponder this for a minute, your bullet is an expander mandrel

 

[northernalpine]

Good conversation in here, I respect the logical exchange of reloading approaches. I guess somebody needs to compromise the maturity level a bit…

 

[SDHNTR]

I’ve tried bushing dies with no expander of any sort, bushing dies with no expander and a seperate step using an expander mandrel, and bushing dies with the expander button installed. Honestly I cannot tell any measurable difference in my group size, nor my es/sd numbers. The only measurable difference I can see is better concentricity with the two step method of sizing down with the FL bushing die and then running the expander mandrel through the neck. That said, the difference is so minimal. So to save time I now stick Redding Type S with an expander button installed, but the upgraded carbide one. I do get better results with the carbide button over the standard one.

 

[SDHNTR]

I use regular RCBS 2 die sets. I’ve never sized my cases without the expander mandrel in it. I’ve seen zero reasons to add extra steps to a simple process.

That’s not a mandrel. That’s an expander button/ball.

 

[Hondo64d]

Reloaded a ton for 20 years, didn’t do much for 15 or so, then had 5 years of a little more reloading. This year I have been at it full force more than ever. Maybe just getting to be one of those old farts who avoids people and sits at his reloading bench every evening. Ha Ha. Now the question.

I use a Redding Type S Full Bushing die 99.9 percent of the time. I resize between .001 and .003 like most. I probably go .002 most of the time. I have tried loads where I use an expander mandrel after resizing, and then worked the same load without the expander. I really don’t see any difference in accuracy (group size). Obviously this all assumes the brass passes inspection after resizing.

Do you always use an expander after resizing?


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I have a Mighty Armory sizing die in 6.5 Creedmoor. These dies are unique in that the expander is really a mandrel rather than the normal expander, so no separate neck expanding step required. Mine makes very straight cases.

I also use bushing type dies. As far as whether to use the expander or not, load a few cases with each method and measure runout at the bullet ogive and see which gives you the least runout.

John

 

[Castle Rock]

I have a Mighty Armory sizing die in 6.5 Creedmoor. These dies are unique in that the expander is really a mandrel rather than the normal expander, so no separate neck expanding step required. Mine makes very straight cases.

I also use bushing type dies. As far as whether to use the expander or not, load a few cases with each method and measure runout at the bullet ogive and see which gives you the least runout.

John

Or put it to the real test and shoot 20 of each and see

 

[N2TRKYS]

That’s not a mandrel. That’s an expander button/ball.

Whatever it’s called, it works great.