Received My Custom 32 Win Spl EZ X Expander

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Received My Custom 32 Win Spl EZ X Expander

Post by Ranch Dog »

Over the course of a year, I've been ordering custom oversized EZ X Expanders for all my bottle-necked cartridges, the expander for my 32 Win Spl and 35 Rem showed up on Friday.

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I cut my teeth on the 30 calibers, trying to figure out the relationship of bullet size vs. expander but I think I ended up getting a grip on it. To confuse matters, I was also ordering custom mandrels for the Collet Sizing Die, and that is a bit confusing as it is sizing brass under compression vs. expansion. Plus, you always need to consider that brass is very malleable but that said, I think I'm there on what size is needed.

The expander in the 32 Win Spl Pacesetter Sizing Die has a greater diameter of .320" so there is no way that I can get a .323" bullet started down the case neck even if it were to deliver that diameter. After years of doing this, I do not think that flaring the case is the way to go. I had thought about switching from the Lee to Lyman "M" dies for my bottle neck cartridges but along came the NOE Expander Plugs for the Lee Universal Expanding Die and that use confirmed for me that an expanding plug is better than a flaring plug for these types of cartridges. Flaring is great for straight walled cartridges, but I'd rather expanded a bottle-neck. What I didn't like with the Universal Expanding Die with the NOE Expander Plug is that it added another die to the process.

So, with the .324" expander in the Sizing Die, a case was formed and then some measurements were taken. I use pin gauges. In the top of the photo the .323" pin rests just into the inside chamfer, it can pass no further but a .322" pin slides in. With the feel of the fit, I would call the diameter inside the neck .3225" +/-.0001". So, after passing a .324" expander through the neck, the brass sprung back to .3225".

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This worked out real well as what I've learned from mistakes I've made ordering expander plugs is that the inside diameter needs to be .0005" to .0010" UNDER the bullet diameter. If it is at bullet diameter, there is no neck tension even after it is seated and if it is more than .001" under diameter, it is tough to get the bullet started. Here it is, the .323" bullet sitting straight and proud at rest within the chamfer inside the neck of the case.

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Here is my proof that a proper expander leaves everything alone while getting a bullet seated under neck tension. The outside diameters of the case that has just been sized are identical to the case that has just had the bullet seated.

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Well here it is, back to four dies and the NOE plug has been retired!

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Will do the same checking with the 35 Rem prior to loading ammunition.
Michael
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Re: Received My Custom 32 Win Spl EZ X Expander

Post by HankRearden »

Wow,very interesting and detailed. I'm going to take some measurements and try a custom expander for my 223. Lee makes them cheaply enough it is worth a shot.
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Re: Received My Custom 32 Win Spl EZ X Expander

Post by Ranch Dog »

Thanks! Yes, a custom expander is an easy option. It does take a bit of time, these last two took 44 days, just over six weeks. I have had them show up in a couple of weeks.

I've also learned to be a bit more specific with the dimension because of how you must order them. On the Custom Oversize EZ X Expander page, I use the cartridge field to state what diameter my expander is.

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Just a learning curve I went through because I was considering a SAAMI bullet vs. what I was shooting and I had mixed results with what was delivered. With this cartridge as the example, bullet diameter is listed as .322" bullet and with me using a .323" bullet, I thought it would be easy and just ordered an expander that was +.001". Well, that didn't work out, and unfortunately, I had ordered a few across the a couple cartridges based on that assumption.

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So from that point, I started working with a measurement from the expander in hand and stating what that measurement was, then stating what I wanted over that measurement. The last couple of orders I've made have worked out exactly if I order an expander .001" over my cast bullet size and then make that required diameter relative to the diameter of the expander that is in my die. I hope this makes sense?

You are probably working with a jacketed bullet. Give me a couple of hours, and I will tell you how this works out with a jacketed bullet diameter and neck tension vs. the cast. I have done this comparison already with the 30 calibers, but I would like to reference my notes and give it a quick try with 22, 25, and these larger calibers which I can knock out this morning.

Were this leading to, another first for me after all my years, is priming on the turret with the Lee Safety Prime. After I place the cartridge in the shell holder, I don't want to handle it until I'm done. The Load-Master has made me what to do this!
Michael
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