GL Rasch double rifle

[collath]

Leatherman,

They are all excellent forming tips from Mike and Sharps. I think the file trim die may hold some promise since your case is 83mm long and would allow the excess to just pass through. However, I am not sure how long a 45-70 trim die is but they are usually not very long. This could present a problem by overworking the case by reducing the diameter further down on the case than it needs to be. Also since they are made for the case to go through and get cut off it may get hung up on the sharp edge when you try to pull it out. A slight chamfer at that point should fix it. This is where a regular 45-70 sizing die with a hole large enough to pass through would be an advantage. I think you would end up with a case at about 0.505” somewhere near 0.22” above the rim and taper to 0.480 at about 2” from the rim. That would leave a neck about 1" long. I am assuming the bullet is going to be about 0.456” diameter and you state the brass is 0.010" on a side and that would give an OD at 0.476”. It looks like the 45-70 has a neck diameter of 0.480” so it may end up a little loose on the bullet with your brass.

Mike is right that you can cut a die with carbide or ceramic tools but they don’t like it one bit and some are through hard and never give up. I prefer to anneal them soft and then do the machining and re-harden if needed. A bolt or threaded rod in 7/8” x 14 will work as well. I like to use old orphan dies because the steel is usually good quality and the thread a higher class. Unfortunately I don’t have any at the moment or I would have started to try and make something for the heck of it. There are a couple of gun shows coming up soon and I’ll stock up.

Good photo and drawing by the way. It was very easy to scale the sizes.

Thanks, collath

[Leatherman]

This all very helpful. I read on an forum last night about getting old sizeing dies at gunshows just for resizeing brass down as I am trying to do here. They suggested to anneal them soft to bore them out if necessary and said it usually isn't necessary to reharden them as the brass is so soft and it isn't going to be used very much anyway. I wish I had read that a month ago as there were a couple of shows I went to. I did pick up a set of 44 special dies for $20. I think I will try annealing them and opening them up to what the 45/70 is . I will see what the opening is on the crimping die too. Maybe I can have two sizes and do this in two steps as not to work the brass too hard at once. I got my RCBS Summit press. Man what a nice press for these long cases. Plenty of room to set bullets on top of 3 1/4" cases without anything in the way.
As far as the neck size, I have access to a set of 43 Spanish Mauser dies. I can try neck sizing a brass after fire forming it and see how it shoots with some 43 Mauser bullets. If I get good results without problems I can go ahead with a set of reloading/ sizeing dies.

[collath]

Leatherman,

Sounds like you have it covered now. Look for the dies that are all mixed up in a box for a buck or so apiece and you never know what you will find. Anyway good luck and I would still like to meet sometime.

Thanks, collath

[mike ford]

Boxes of individual dies like collath mentioned is where I found trim dies for 32-40, 38-55, 38-40,8x57 and 300 Savage;all very useful in forming cases. If it's cheap, buy it even if you don't need it today, you may need it tomorrow. You don't always have to run the case all the way into the die(sometimes, you can't), just size them as much as necessary to chamber. I never had a neck that extended through a trim die hang up. Everyone has their own idea of how do things,or maybe they are more confident of doing some things, than others. In my own case, I find it easier to thread a piece of drill rod (or old barrel stub) to 7/8-14 (use old locking ring as GO guage) than to anneal an old die,although I can also see the benefit of using a common (not hardened)bolt chucked within a threading die.The suggestions any of us make may work, the best way is the way that works best for you. This is not my project, but I have learned some things that may help on other projects, down the road.
Mike