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

The necks are splitting both horizontally and vertically? I never heard of that?
What I at first thought was that you were getting folds in the brass from having lube on the place where the shoulder is formed, but that doesn't sound like what is happening here.
Please let us know what the answer was when you find it.
BTW, I think the rimmed 35Rem is a great idea. I had a reg. 35 Rem. contender for several years and all it lacked was that rim! The cartridge seems to be about perfect for the 14" Contender.
T.D.

hmmmm,
does the split look like an unside down T? what are you using for parent brass? 30-30? or 32 win?

You have a couple areas that could cause this
1: brass too hard (try another brand)
2: not "close enough" to chamber size when fire forming (goto 40 call and back down)
3: expander ball is too small, and when you seat your bullets, you are WAY stretching the case (bigger ball)
4: if the % is low (5%), then it could just be the "cost of doing biddnes"

jeffe

TD,there were just a couple that were horizontal. Most were vertical, but like I say they looked more like a "pinch".
You never saw a horizontal neck split or seperation? You should have seen all the problems I had with the Federal Gold Medal brass when making 6 and 7 TCU's. Lost about 80% of them on the initial fire forming. Some of them would even leave the neck in the chamber, like a small bushing. This happened on two differnt lot numbers, went back to LC and WW brass and no problems. Just goes to show you, if it ain't broke don't fix it LOL.
Also, I think this round has had a lot of bad press in the TC as some others have had. That is why I had passed on quite a few in this caliber in the past. It is not unpleasant to shoot, but it does let you know when it goes off with a 200 grainer .

jeffe, the parent case is 30-40 Krag. The stuff is thin to begin with, but the 303 Brit is a little heavier, or so it seems. I have lost about 40-50% so far, and this was on the first firing. I think I am going to try and anneal the next bunch and see what happens. I was just afraid that it might cause the shoulder to colapse by softening it?
Jeff

since you say 30-40, I would go with new, 303... does federal make 303, as their brass is pretty durn soft...

looks like winnie makes it.. a princly 12 bucks per 50...

http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe/browse?TabID=2&CategoryID=7390&CategoryString=9315+***+652+***+670+***+9013+***

best of luck

jeffe

I'm just about to get started playing with this round. I've got a .35 Rem barrel I'm going to have the rim cut done on. Remove the rimless extractor spring and voila, .35 Rem. rimmed.

I got Winchester .30-40 and haven't heard (but that doesn't mean it isn't done) of using .303 Brit. for reforming. First case was while waiting on the missus and with the expander plug in the die. Off center. Will remove plug and decapping pin for next effort.

I think that it is a big .357 Herrett as well. Should provide the best of all worlds but I'm going to know I can make usable brass BEFORE altering my barrel.

Hobie, if your project is on a TC, all is not lost if the brass problem persist. Just swap out extractors and go back to the standard 35 Rem. I have used the 35 rem in this, but like the rim on this round for positive ignition.
Jeff

jsh,
.303 British cases work fine for a rimmed .35 Rem.
Trim case to 1.900 and fireform with pistol or shotgun powder,I use 10 grs.of Green Dot,a 2"sq. of T.P.,fill with cornmeal,plug neck with wax,and fireform.
I have also expanded the neck with a .357 Mag.expander plug,then size in a .35 Rem. fl die.
The secret is to trim to length first.I have never lost a case doing it either way.
S&B brass is thicker than Win. brass,so pay close attention to your neck diameter.
There is no need to anneal before forming.
I have blown the .303 British out to .454" straight and necked it to .25 cal while setting the shoulder back .625" at the same time,both operations were done without annealing.You should lose no cases.
WC

jsh,

It is a Contender (21" factory blue). I am among those that prefers the rimmed case. Have lots of .35 Rem brass so all will not be lost if this doesn't work out. After all, it is the playing about that makes this so darn much fun!

My guess is that the horizontal split is akin to a hard crimp.. Is that what "smart snap" is?

huntr, I sized these cases just like my 30 Herret for fire forming. The chamberings on these are so irregular that I leave the shoulder just a little long so as not to work that area of the case to much. I don't want to bump the shoulder back, and then shoot it and have the shoulder move back forward.

Like I said above, I feel it is more of a pinch than a split. Because you are actually necking down so to speak. I think the brass moves more irregular when going down, rather than up.
Jeff

jsh,

Since you ask about using .303 British brass for the parent case,I assume you are using .30/40
Krag cases.
If your horizontal splits are about .100" up from the shoulder it will be traced to the location of the lower part of the shoulder on the Krag case.
I have noted at times,when taper expanding a case that there will be a ring left in the neck
of the new case,if the old shoulder falls within the neck of the formed cartridge case.Fireforming
usually does not leave a ring where the old shoulder was.
WC

WC, yes to the 30-40 Krag. So if I go with the 303 I will be farther away from the original shoulder or the thiner area form original sizing? I do know what you are talking about with the ring though. Thanks again.
Jeff

I found the easy way to do these is get a Redding 35 rem form-trim die to start with. Run 303 Brit brass in all the way, hack off what sticks up with a fine blade saw, full length size, trim, and you're done. Never lost a case yet using the form-trim die and it's a lot faster.