Technical

Neck Turning Tools

Neck Turning is a case preparation step that is performed to uniform the neck wall thickness of your brass and is also a step necessary for those shooters loading for rifles with tight neck chambers. The Sinclair neck turning tools and accessories are used by shooters all over the world in almost every rifle shooting discipline. For more information on neck turning, our Reloading Handbook (BK10) contains detailed step-by-step instructions. If you have questions when you get started, remember, we are only a phone call away.

Common Questions about Neck Turning:

Q: Do I need to neck turn my standard factory chamber?

A: The answer is yes and no. Check your brass with a case neck micrometer or a tool like our case neck thickness variance gage. If you find significant variances in wall thickness on your brass, then we would suggest neck turning to correct the situation. In typical lots of brass we see variations of .003" around the neck of the case as well as variations of more than .003" between different pieces of brass in the same lot. If you have variations of .001" or less then don't waste the effort or time to neck turn.

Q: How much material should I remove when neck turning cases for a standard factory chamber?

A: The general rule is to set your tool up so that you are cleaning up approximately 70 to 80% of your case neck surface. The uncut area will appear dull. Some beginning neck turners try to clean up the entire surface, which usually results in too much material being removed.

Q: What benefits will I see if I neck turn my cases?

A: Cases with significant variations in neck wall thickness will expand differently and create a pressure column that is not in line with the center of the bore. If you are using a bushing style die you will have significantly more uniform bullet tension.

Q: What is the difference between neck turning and neck reaming?

A: Neck turning removes metal from the outside of the case neck and uniforms the neck wall thickness at the same time. Neck reaming removes metal from the inside of the case neck but does not make the case neck wall thickness any more uniform.

Q: I am going to turn a lot of cases, how can I speed up the process?

A: A good way to turn cases with our tools is to use the Sinclair Driver and case holder with a power screwdriver. These tools turn at the right speed and have enough torque to handle the job. The case holder/driver makes neck turning a lot easier. You can find these tools by using Quick Search for Sinclair Driver or Case holder.