I don't seem to be able to get Redding Body dies for .375 H&H, so I intend to have the neck of a FL die reamed out. Anybody know what such an operation should cost, and are there issues I should be aware of?? Is this something any old gunsmith should be able to do?? Or are special tools needed, e.g. due to hardened metal??

I might use a Forster FL die for this, since I can get it in combination with the excellent Forster seater. Is the Forster a suitable starting point?

- mike

P.S. I should say, I intend to NS with a Lee Collet die - which is available in .375 H&H. The decapping assembly will be removed from the FL sizing die.

The resizing dies are case hardened and are very hard. HSS reamer might be ruined in the task. Anneal the die, ream the neck under very slow RPM and reharden by raising to 1550 F and water quenching.

After all this and you're lucky enough to not destroy the die completely you got it made.

Wrapping the die in Stainless steel foil during the annealing, and heat treating and cooling process will help immensely to prevent decarb of the metal and help to keep it clean.

If you're lucky enough to have a carbide reamer you just might make it work at about 100 RPM and a slow feed with some cutting fluid.

This is a sticky thing to do no matter what you do.

I JUST had the same question relative to a body die in which the neck needs to be opened up a few thou's. The cost for Redding to do it is way too high as they have setup charges, etc. They do it with carbide tooling. If your gunsmith, or any good machinist has a carbide boring bar that should enable them to do it.

If you only need it opened a couple thou, a stone in a dremel tool at 40,000 RPM and attached to the tool post of a lathe will grind out a couple easily.....Carbide boring bars will only succeed is screwing it up and most will not fit that small a diameter.

Jig grinding will work too if you know someone with one and he owes you a BIG favor.

Hmmm, that sounds nowhere as easy an operation as I had been led to believe. As a matter of fact, it sounds like a non-starter. That is sad, but I suppose even the best laid plans...

Thanks for the feedback.

- mike

mho!

I cant really se what you would gain by first full size a 375 H&H with a body die and then necksize it?!

There could well be a clever plan around the corner so I´m not going on about this

Ther is a few ways to do this without ruining both reamers and dies! The easyest way to make a body die out of a fl die is to cut the die in the lathe just where the neck starts. It´s no problem with a carbide toolbit and a bit of determination

The other way is to make the FL die into a bushing style die, just like the Redding S-type. I have done this on several FL dies and its doable with carbide tooling. It´s only the surface on the die that is hard like glass. When you get thru the surface everything turns easy!

If you pay the freight to Sweden and back I´ll cut the die for free. A remake to a bushingstyle won´t be free though

Stefan

Stefan, my fascination with the Redding Body die is really very related to my general dislike for FL (or other) dies that rely on 1st sizing down the neck a whole bunch more than is needed, and then wrestle an expander through it to achieve the final diameter. So a combination of a Lee Collet die and a Redding Body die is what I usually rely on (in that order, btw). Alas, no Body dies are available for the .375 H&H, so I'm stuck there. Thus my attempt to see if a FL die could be converted into not sizing the neck (that would be sized first with the Collet die).

I'll certainly remember your kind offer, should I decide to go down this path. Here is to the friendliness of the neighbours in good old Sweden. Heja Sverige!

- mike