When I went to load a dummy round for the 12/15 Martini, I just converted for the ubiquitous and under appreciated 218Bee, I scrunched the first couple of necks on some old cases. They were one time fired cases I had picked up at our range a few years ago.
I did a lot of reading on different forums and commercial sites on the cartridge, and nowhere did it mention that the sizing ball was only .222 diameter, to provide lots of tension between the case neck and the bullets, which were sometimes used in lever action rifles.
When I went to insert the first couple of bullets, they wouldn't enter the properly chamfered case mouth, unless it was slightly flared.
There wasn't anything include in the 3 die set to flare the case mouths, as there is in pistol or other straight wall die sets.
I did read the rifles weren't popular, and not many were made, but reloading dies cater to them anyway.
My die set is a Lee, and I'm not thrilled with their one piece expander rod and decapping pin. If the pin breaks, the whole rod needs to be replaced.
This was a good opportunity to modify the rod decapping pin to the more useful RCBS interchangeable type expander ball and replaceable decapping pin system.
The die set also includes a crimp die.
Finally got a couple of dummy, snap cap type rounds put together, then shut it down for the evening.
Tomorrow is another day.
I did a lot of reading on different forums and commercial sites on the cartridge, and nowhere did it mention that the sizing ball was only .222 diameter, to provide lots of tension between the case neck and the bullets, which were sometimes used in lever action rifles.
When I went to insert the first couple of bullets, they wouldn't enter the properly chamfered case mouth, unless it was slightly flared.
There wasn't anything include in the 3 die set to flare the case mouths, as there is in pistol or other straight wall die sets.
I did read the rifles weren't popular, and not many were made, but reloading dies cater to them anyway.
My die set is a Lee, and I'm not thrilled with their one piece expander rod and decapping pin. If the pin breaks, the whole rod needs to be replaced.
This was a good opportunity to modify the rod decapping pin to the more useful RCBS interchangeable type expander ball and replaceable decapping pin system.
The die set also includes a crimp die.
Finally got a couple of dummy, snap cap type rounds put together, then shut it down for the evening.
Tomorrow is another day.
