Did I Screw Up New Lapua Brass?

[Cookieman8]

Hello all. Finally purchased some new 308 lapua brass and a Sinclair Mandrel die body. Thought it would be a good idea to finally try out the Neck Turning Mandrel with straightening out some dinged Lapua cases (dinged from shipping)

after I lubed the Mandrel with imperial sizing wax I noticed the cases were a little stiff going in and out of the die body. Low and behold I was creating some very apparent scratches on the inside of the necks!! Not sure if it was lack of lube, or maybe a ruff mandrel. But the main question is how bad is scratching the inside neck?? I would absolutely hate to ruin virgin Lapua smh.

 

[XLR308]

Did you chamfer the ID before running the turning arbor into them ?

 

[Cookieman8]

Did you chamfer the ID before running the turning arbor into them ?

I did. I chamfered the Virgin brass then started to run through the mandrel.

 

[XLR308]

It's hard to tell from the pictures but are they actually scratched or gouged or is it just from contact with the arbor creating the shiny linear lines ?
Use a tooth pick and feel around in a few to verify if you haven't allready.
I use the Tin coated 21st century mandrels and arbors and have never noticed anything like that before.

 

[Cookieman8]

It's hard to tell from the pictures but are they actually scratched or gouged or is it just from contact with the arbor creating the shiny linear lines ?
Use a tooth pick and feel around in a few to verify if you haven't allready.
I use the Tin coated 21st century mandrels and arbors and have never noticed anything like that before.

I did run a cotton swab around the insides and some seemed rougher than others, but mostly all cases would "grab" the cotton. I'm not sure if the cases are scrap now or if I should load and forget about it? Possibly firing them would do some good or make the loads shoot like shit.

 

[XLR308]

If the scratches aren't extreme I wouldn't worry to much about it, if it really bugs you you could wrap a bore brush with some 0000 steel wool and polish them up a little chucked in a cordless drill.
What does your arbor look like ?

 

[Cookieman8]

If the scratches aren't extreme I wouldn't worry to much about it, if it really bugs you you could wrap a bore brush with some 0000 steel wool and polish them up a little chucked in a cordless drill.
What does your arbor look like ?

The mandrel doesn't look bad? It does have some brass markings on it tho.

 

[XLR308]

The mandrel doesn't look bad? It does have some brass markings on it tho.

Sounds like you have a uncoated stainless one and it wasn't lubed very well.
I've never used Imperial wax but I hear it's pretty good stuff, been using the LEE sizing paste in the tubes for 25 years and never had any issues so never changed.
I use it for everything from sizing to expanding and turning necks with great effect and it won't contaminate powder or primers either.

 

[XLR308]

I would give the mandrel a light polish and see if it's still doing the same thing.

 

[TheMammoth]

This is one reason why the Sinclair carbide mandrels are better. They’re WAY more forgiving on lube.

I doubt those are scrap, clean your mandrel up, neck size those down, and run them through the mandrel again but make sure you live the inside of every neck with a q tip. Skip the wax and use a thinner lube that's easier to spread.

 

[Anderson_A]

Just went through the same thing I polished the stainless mandrel and it helped but ultimately ordered the 21st century TIN coated mandrels which as someone said made it much more forgiving and the brass dosent stick to the mandrel which caused those gauges for me I wish I took a pic but I had small dots of brass stick to the stainless mandrel around the circumfrence no matter how much imperial wax or one shot I used

 

[spife7980]

Did you wax the mandrel each time? You’re supposed to. That’s why I spray lube all the brass necks at once instead of the mandrel or cases one at a time.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I can't believe that nobody's said this already, either:

All that brass is scrap, and of no accuracy whatsoever. Send it to me, and I'll dispose of it properly.



(in other words, load it and shoot)

 

[Cookieman8]

I can't believe that nobody's said this already, either:

All that brass is scrap, and of no accuracy whatsoever. Send it to me, and I'll dispose of it properly.



(in other words, load it and shoot)

Lol I think i will try and get by with it hehe

 

[Cookieman8]

Did you wax the mandrel each time? You’re supposed to. That’s why I spray lube all the brass necks at once instead of the mandrel or cases one at a time.

I put a good coat on the mandrel and a small amount on the case necks.

 

[Cookieman8]

Just went through the same thing I polished the stainless mandrel and it helped but ultimately ordered the 21st century TIN coated mandrels which as someone said made it much more forgiving and the brass dosent stick to the mandrel which caused those gauges for me I wish I took a pic but I had small dots of brass stick to the stainless mandrel around the circumfrence no matter how much imperial wax or one shot I used

My mandrel has brass on it as well, and possibly the carbide mandrels from Sinclair would work better?

 

[beenawhile1]

I went through the same thing using a lubed and polished mandrel. Though the marks weren't as bad but made me notice them. They shot just fine

 

[MtnCreek]

My mandrel has brass on it as well, and possibly the carbide mandrels from Sinclair would work better?

The carbide mandrels do work well.

You'll need to remove all brass from your steel mandrel before using again or it will keep galling the necks.

 

[Threadcutter308]

I can't believe that nobody's said this already, either:

All that brass is scrap, and of no accuracy whatsoever. Send it to me, and I'll dispose of it properly.



(in other words, load it and shoot)

Such an act of unselfish kindness from our Canadian Brethren !

Cheers Sean, my hat is off to you !

 

[Anderson_A]

My mandrel has brass on it as well, and possibly the carbide mandrels from Sinclair would work better?

I’m sure they do the same thing just a higher surface hardness the 21st century were just half the price if I remeber correctly so I went that route

 

[padom]

You're fine. Shoot them.

 

[Snuby642]

I tumble virgin brass with nu finish cut with mineral spirits.
Gets a coat of polish in the neck.

I dip to the shoulder in dry lube tap out excess and they do not gaul like that.
I think virgin brass and wet tumble / sonic cleaned are too dry no lubricity.


IMHO.

 

[Cookieman8]

Would you guys recommend stepping up to a Sinclair Carbide mandrel for future use? Or possibly getting the 21 St century TiN arbours? (I believe those are .002 under neck diam.)

 

[TheMammoth]

I have a full set of sizing and turning Sinclair carbide mandrels for all the calibers I shoot. They’re phenomenal and have become a critical part of my process.

I’ve only ever head VERY good things about the 21st century mandrels, I’m sure you will be fine either way.

The increased hardness and inherent lubricity of either will be vastly superior to the stainless ones.

 

[spife7980]

Would you guys recommend stepping up to a Sinclair Carbide mandrel for future use? Or possibly getting the 21 St century TiN arbours? (I believe those are .002 under neck diam.)

My regular stainless mandrels work just as well as my 21st tin do. They just need lube inside the neck. Even carbide will do better with lube inthe neck. Theres no getting away from needing lube.

 

[TheMammoth]

My regular stainless mandrels work just as well as my 21st tin do. They just need lube inside the neck. Even carbide will do better with lube inthe neck. Theres no getting away from needing lube.

Yes. I have carbide and I lube them generously. Even carbide, as you say, will gall the piss out of a case neck if your brass is perfectly clean(wet tumble/new)

 

[bax]

... and after you shoot them the neck will have a powder coating impressed into it at about 55,000 psi. If you don't wet tumble, and if you hit them with some inside-the-neck lube - one of the sprays or graphite or whatever, yer done. FWIW, I rarely use new cases so if I ever buy any I will try to remember all of the wisdom I read here. And the rest of you bozos too.

Seems to me that brass cartridge reloading is pretty forgiving if you stay in the lanes. Has anyone here ever blown up a gun? I have been reloading for almost 50 years and I saw 1 gun blow up ("my buddy Bubba gave me these reloads") and I showed up at a range when they were taking away another guy ("go to the range, pour the case full of mystery powder, jam in a bullet with a Lee Loader and touch it off") and that's it - two cases, both easily explainable, both violated clear and well-understood rules.

Accuracy rules are a bit more strict but if the case is intact, holds a primer, and fits the chamber reasonably well, you can probably make it shoot well with good components and careful assembly. Scratched necks and dented cases don't even warrant a yawn.