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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases (Read 1576 times)
critter68
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #15 - May 8th, 2025 at 10:44pm
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Just fyi: The forming die I used was from C H Tool and Die in Ohio.  Good folks.  Had it in stock. Don't know if the others with an easier time got a die somewhere else?  Maybe my particular chamber?  But chambers done poorly are usually oversized.  How do you undersize a chamber?  I don't know who chambered my rifle but I have since rechambered but still using brass from my original 500 Starline 357 Max conversions mentioned above.   If you size/form that far down on a case, essentially the web, as I did you need your wheaties.  You may not need to.  IDK.  My old chamber the brass was sticky after a few firings. PITA  New chambering no problems and I have lost count of how many firings.  Long story short, I believe with any wildcat chambering and many of our beloved single shots in general your mileage may vary.  If or when I need to make more brass I have since gained access to a H frame hydraulic press.  10 ton I believe which is overkill but breaking my Forster twice and then watching that Redding Big Boss strain, no thanks ....but then again with a different 32 ms chamber I may not need to size so far down the case.  Just my experience take it for what it is worth.  Just don't break a press.
mike

as an aside:  I am currently forming 32 rks from 360 DW and it is like melting butter compared to my 32 ms endeavor.  I like that
« Last Edit: May 8th, 2025 at 10:52pm by critter68 »  

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gnoahhh
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #16 - May 9th, 2025 at 1:23pm
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bpjack wrote on May 8th, 2025 at 3:27pm:
I was thinking of picking up a Harbor Freight 1 ton press. Would that be sufficient?


Probably, worst case might need a cheater bar.

My form die came with the rifle. It's a simple 1 1/2" diameter un-threaded steel dowel with the chamber cut in it. The reamer which I assume was used for the task came along too - it's a simple home made looking affair. Luckily whoever did the work had skills such that interior surfaces are relatively smooth and resulting cases look decent and are a perfect fit to the chamber.

Like I said above, case lube isn't needed and my big arbor press squeezes them in and out effortlessly. Maybe I should start lubing them anyway (and shall in future) if for no other reason than to minimize wear on the die as it's not hardened. (That could be moot as it's not like I'll be doing thousands of them.)

Seeing as it's a small world we single shot guys inhabit, I wonder if anybody here built my rig (Stevens 44 1/2) with its attendant home-built loading apparatus, or know of it.
  
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Bob259
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #17 - May 9th, 2025 at 3:59pm
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Wish I had a little mini lathe, it would make this task so much easier.
  
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wesg
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #18 - May 9th, 2025 at 10:55pm
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No 32 Miller, but a bunch of 30 Herrett.

Case form die, the right amount of lube ... die is hardened, hacksaw and file. Usually didn't require more than 2 strokes of the hacksaw.

Usually just 1 when I was 'fresh' .
  
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GT
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #19 - May 10th, 2025 at 1:10am
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"[color=#ff0000] I use my lathe with a forester trimmer shaft, cutter and pilot in chuck. Lyman case holder for drill in tail stock. Push by hand tail stock in to cut. Use the cross slide as a stop for tail stock" 

Bnice, I used this method tonight, slick! The means of holding the case works well.
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rkaires
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Re: Converting 357 maximum to 32 Miller short cases
Reply #20 - May 10th, 2025 at 7:03am
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I've used their file trim die with 357max brass from remington and starline. Anneal and lube with lanolin. No issues using a Lyman brass smith press.
  

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