I have a Contender that is chambered for this round. Any of you familiar with it? The only problem I have is there is some neck splitting after the fire forming, both verical and horizontal. Although I would not call it a split, more of a pinch. This is new brass also. I am lubing the inside of the mouth and the outside of the case with Imperial wax. I was using a set of RCBS dies but now have a set of Reddings, that I have yet to use.

Am I doing somthing wrong here, as I have always annealed before necking up. Or when necking down I annealed after the process.
I have my dies set so that it takes a smart snap to get it to shut, kind of like a giant Herrett round so to speak.

Would the 303 British be a better parent case? I have a few that I may try.

Thanks in advance
Jeff

There is a strong chance that the Krag cases, which I assume you are using, are hitting inside the top of the die when you run the cases in.

Try cutting the cases closer to final .35 Rem. length before necking up and pushing the shoulders back.

I have made this conversion for many, many years, and yours may be one of them even. Most of the time I tapered and polished the expander ball, which makes the necking up process much easier on the cases.

But there should be virtually no loss making cases. It is usually very trouble free.

In regard to adjusting the size die, while ".... it takes a smart snap to get it to shut" has been common practice with this, the Herretts, and many other rounds, it is a crude fix when a more intelligent one is preferred.

First, know what the actual barrel-to-frame gap measures, then try this novel idea. Make the rounds fit the gun. But do it in a manner that does not require forcing the gun to do it and interfering with lockup. Make your cases so that they stick out of the barrel approx. .001" less than what the barrel-to-frame gap actually measures.

A marginal lockup produced from too much force required to close the barrel leaves only a small surface area of the locking bolts in contact with the locking table inside the frame. Continued shooting like this tends to wear and round the locking table, often to the point where the barrel will fly open when the locking bolts unlock themselves during firing. It produces an "auto-ejecting" Contender, but can be hard on the nerves when every shot results in a flying case kissing your cap as it flies by. It won't do folks standing behind you any good either..... besides casting doubts about the situation, and maybe even your ancestry.

Hard closing does not give the same full lockup as when there is no interference, as in this instance with a case that sticks out of the chamber too far.

Sorry to keep harping on this and promoting my Headspace Indicator, but yours is another classic example why everyone needs one.

This url will help:

Bellm Headspace Indicator
http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?category_id=38

As far as annealing, I don't recall ever having to anneal the Krag cases so formed, though annealing is always prudent when indicated.

It just sounds like your cases are getting crumpled or crunched due to not enough room inside the short .35 Rem. die for the longer Krag case.

If you have further problem with making cases, let me know. Glad to help.

.35 Rem. rimmed is a very simple, cost effective way to make the .35 Rem. much more user friendly! Once you get past your problems, I think you will like it quite well.

Mike

[ 04-19-2003, 23:06: Message edited by: Mike Bellm ]

Mike, The expander ball is polished, though not tapered. The expander assembly is taken clear out of the die on the initial forming, so as not to have any interference. The case is cut back some what but not fully as most brass when sizing up seems to grow unevemly at times.

As far as lock up is concerened, I have had the "auto-eject" happen once, just last year as a matter of fact. This was my own fault as the positive feel of the lugs was not there, I opened it and closed it again. I thought maybe I had done somthing that may have kept them from making full contact. Squeezed the trigger it went off, left a little more than half the case in the chamber. Full length sized them the next go around and no problems so far, just pumped the shoulder.
BTW, the full length sizing on this batch of brass was #14 for this batch of LC brass.
Jeff