Resizing 8 Gauge Hulls

[Mills]

This is for the 8 gauge shooters out there. I have a reloader now (retrofitted MEC), but was wondering how you get the lip off the new Winchester hulls?

Thanks for replies and help in advance!

[Paul Harm]

What do you mean " retrofitted Mec" ? Is there a 8ga resizeing ring on the deprime station ? If so, just put the shell in and pull down hard. I used a die made up by a friend and a arbor press. Was a lot of work, then Mark offered to resize them all on his press.

[Mills]

I got it from Tom Armbrust. It is good work. I tried to pull down hard, but the lip is a little big. I feel I will break something if I pull down harder.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

The extra thick "band" on industrial hulls must be swaged (compressed) to the normal size of a sporting 8 gauge brass part of the hull. The band is there so that one doesn't try to shoot a high pressure industrial round through an old sporting gun.

For this I will recommend two options. There are however a bunch of homemade solutions that others use.

The first recommended option is a set of C-H 8 gauge forming dies. The photo is of their normal 2-die set which swages down the industrial band to fit into English chambers. The trouble is that Parkers have a smaller diameter chamber! I special ordered from C-H a third, smaller die to fit my Parkers. The rod is to ram the sized hull out of the dies!

I use my 40+ year old RCBS Rock Chucker press for this. The 8 gauge dies are 1" so the 1" to 7/8" reducing flange must be removed from the press.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by Mark Ouellette

The extra thick "band" on industrial hulls must be swaged (compressed) to the normal size of a sporting 8 gauge brass part of the hull. The band is there so that one doesn't try to shoot a high pressure industrial round through an old sporting gun.

For this I will recommend two options. There are however a bunch of homemade solutions that others use.

The first recommended option is a set of C-H 8 gauge forming dies. The photo is of their normal 2-die set which swages down the industrial band to fit into English chambers. The trouble is that Parkers have a smaller diameter chamber! I special ordered from C-H a third, smaller die to fit my Parkers. The rod is to ram the sized hull out of the dies!

I use my 40+ year old RCBS Rock Chucker press for this. The 8 gauge dies are 1" so the 1" to 7/8" reducing flange must be removed from the press.

Hey Bill,

Okay, with a photo and the words above I didn't mention that the three dies in the photo are progressively smaller. Okay, my bust... I guess I will have to add directions next time

You of course may do what you like. Me, I have been there and done that. Let us know what you end up doing.

Mark

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Another option is the swaging contraption shown below. I bought it from a guy in British Columbia. The handle presses the swaged hull from the dies.

Please forgive me for the terrible photo! I am so ashamed...

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

For those unfamiliar with 8 gauge hulls, in the center below are a new Winchester and a once-fired Remington industrial hulls. These have the industrial band. They are flanked by Winchester hulls which the band has been swaged to the proper size for Parkers.

Below are a hundred hulls swaged and ready for loading!

[Mills]

Thanks Mark!

[William Davis]

Never sized 8 G but if I wanted to think I would use a Arbor press and lube the case with Imperial Die size wax. Chinese made arbor presses are cheap at northern tool harbor freight and the like. Knock the sized Hull out with a delrin rod turned to fit.

Sound right ?

William

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by William Davis

Never sized 8 G but if I wanted to think I would use a Arbor press and lube the case with Imperial Die size wax. Chinese made arbor presses are cheap at northern tool harbor freight and the like. Knock the sized Hull out with a delrin rod turned to fit.

Sound right ?

William

Yes on the Imperial Die wax.

Swaging the hulls puts a strain on the Rock Chucker. My recommendations are listed above. Heck, I've only swaged a few less than a thousand. What would I know?