i just reseived my 50 alaskan dies today but i dont no how to get 348 case up to 50 cal there isnt no die to expand them up to that can any one help me thanks alot jason
Gunner, You can buy an expander plug from McGowen Rifle barrels that will expand the necks of your 348 cases. You might also try Huntingtons. McGowens # is 1-815-937-9816.
Hey Al...it's Bryan from KS. Do you feel that $195 per 250 is a good price? Is that cheaper than you can make them yourself? I don't know but I knew you would.
Do you still have that steel buttplate on the model 71? Ouch.
Posts: 4168 | Location: Texas | Registered: 18 June 2001
Bryan, yep it's a bit pricey but I think its worth it. One problem that I came across when forming the 348 cases was the neck thickess would never be the same.Sometimes the neck expander would expand and sometime not. I was using bulk brass and that may of had something to do with it. Anyhow, I bit the bullet and bought the 250 pack.
Still have the steel butt plate on. Just can't bring myself to putting a Pachmayer pad on...yet.
Posts: 711 | Location: Michigan , USA | Registered: 03 June 2000
GET THE STARLINE! I started forming brass for my 50 AK Encore last December. Of the two lots of 100 (200 cases total) I had about 15% of the cases, after forming to be too thin after sizing to hold the bullet properly. In order to get these thin-necked cases to work I had to buy a set of Lyman 50-90 reloading dies. This caliber shoots a smaller diameter bullet than the 50 AK so the cases are therefore sized more. These dies allowed me to keep using the 348 formed cases but what a pain in the butt. Size up to 40 cal, anneal, size up to 50 cal, anneal, size, then size again if needed in the 50-90 die.... The Starline brass is SUPPOSED to be much thicker than the Winchester brass so the problem of the sizing die not sizing enough will be eliminated (yes, I did send the die back to RCBS but they were unable to do anything to help much, and the cost of a custom die was $125, or about $100 more than the 50-90 Lyman set). The RCBS case forming die set is pretty damned expensive too! While all dies came in the deal with my barrel, if memory serves correctly the MSRP of RCBS forming dies is over $300 for the 50 AK. That buys a LOT of brass. The last 348 brass I bought was $48/100. To me, the price of pre formed and properly headstamped brass is well worth the money. If they sell enough of it, or if Marlin ever gets off their butts and starts chambering for the 50 AK, the price will come way down. We can only hope...
Nice to hear all this about the new Starline brass. I got an email from Starline informing me that their brass is now available. Guess I need to spend more money! I now have all the expanders to form the 50 AK from .348 Win brass and 250 cases to boot... thanks to my gunsmith, just haven't decided to commit the barrel yet :-).
Can anyone here speak for the .450 AK - ie does it have this same problem when forming brass from .348 Win? Is it better to form from the .50 AK Starline brass?
