simpleman wrote:I am curious about the "Tight Neck" process. Read some about it here and wanted to know what the latest was on sizing the 450 brass with the 45 ACP or 45 dies.
What are the results? Is it worth the extra step and the price of the die?
Yes, it is applying an additional couple of mils sizing down the case from the mouth, the depth that the bullet will be seated, to pre-load some neck tension since there never seems to be enough. I didn't buy a die to try it out. The member who pioneered the method used a .45 Long Colt die. While I didn't have one of them, I did have a .45 ACP die set, so I used it.
Right now, I haven't been pursuing it, mainly because of symmetry of the sizing being a bit of a challenge. Without any method to register the case squarely in the center of the die, or holding the base any firmer than a standard shell holder as it constricts, the case can sometimes constrict more on one side than the other. When you seat the bullet, though it's lined up straight to that shifted neck, the entire length can sometimes be a little off center. a little ingenuity and experimentation could fix that. It did not turn out to be the manna from heaven for tightening up the velocity SD or significantly improve accuracy outside the normal variations I see, so while it has promise, I have not pursued it. That and being in the midst of a busy summer, has left me with less shop time that I'd like.
If the process can be tuned a little better, it will buy you some additional neck tension, but the jury it out on whether it's worth the extra effort. At least that's been my experience so far. Not a lot, but enough to develop an understanding of it.
Hoot