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New Page - Using Lyman 310 Tong Tools for Reloading

Below I have listed the relevant dimensions of various center fire cartridges. I can guarantee they are wrong and that I take no responsibility for their use.

Why are the dimensions listed below wrong? Because they are "ideal" measurements. Tooling wears as it is used. Every cartridge must have minimum and maximum dimensions. Chamber dimensions must also have minimum and maximum dimensions. It is obvious that the MAXIMUM cartridge must be smaller than the MINIMUM chamber or the odds are that someone, somewhere at some time would purchase cartridges that would not fit into the chamber of his weapon!

Neck sizing fired brass to fit a particular chamber is a perfectly useful way of reloading ammunition PROVIDING that brass was previously fired in the same rifle for which it is being reloaded. That does not include semi-auto firearms as their brass must be full length resized. Brass picked up in the field may have been fired in a chamber that was closer to the high end of the maximum dimension permitted and thus would not fit into a minimum-cut chamber without first being full length resized.

NECK SIZING PORTABLE EQUIPMENT

FULL LENGTH SIZING PORTABLE TOOLS

The making of cartridge brass involved expensive draw dies. Whenever possible, draw dies were used to make many different cartridges, the length and caliber being irrelevant as those were formed and trimmed AFTER the basic case was drawn. The rim and extractor groove were also cut and formed after the basic case was drawn.

The draw die for .410 brass was used to make the .44 Russian cartridge in the first drawn cases. Later, that same draw die was used to make .303 British, .30-40 Krag, then the .44 Special and much later the .44 Magnum. The base or web of each of those cartridges is essentially the same, with only the rim being of various widths.  The overall length of the drawn case is irrelevant to a shell holder.

Neck sizing, full length sizing and case forming

There is nothing wrong with neck sizing only.  The cases must have been fired in the chamber into which they will be fired when reloaded, but that is not a handicap so long as pressures are kept at close to factory specifications (SAAMI standards) or lower so the action does not compress and thus lengthen the case.  As the shoulder is not touched when neck sizing, the headspacing is not changed at all.  In fact, neck sizing of rimmed or belted cases generally results in prolonged case life because then the shoulder IS properly headspaced in the chamber because rim or belt IS the headspace "gauge" in rimmed and belted cases, not the shoulder as in rimless cases.

Neck Splits

Now we can look at the dimension tables to find how they are useful.

A shell holder cut to fit the smallest rim diameter, the .44 Special and Magnum, will not accept a .303 or .30-40 Krag case because the cut for the rim diameter is too small. Conversely, a shell holder cut for the largest rim, the .30-40, will accept any of the cartridges from that family of cases with smaller rims. That means a #5 adaptor ring for a .310 Tong Tool will accept any of those cases, and an RCBS # shell holder will work for all of them.

"Standard" 30-06 cases also have various widths of rims, even if they are rimless cases. Looking at the dimensions listed below, it is clear that the widest rim is the 0.474" rim on the 7.65 Belgian Mauser. The smallest rim is that of the .280 Remington at 0.470. Therefore, a shell holder for a 7.65 Belgian Mauser (or 6.5 x 55 Swede) will accept any ‘06 based cartridge case whereas a tight shell holder for a .280 Remington would not.

The same holds true for normal belted magnum cartridges. The 7 x 61 S&H has a rim diameter of 0.534". The other standard-sized belted magnum cases range down to 0.530" diameter. If packing equipment for survival reloading, the shell holder for a 7.61 S&H would be the one to choose as it will accept the other belted magnums.

Now look at base diameters of 0.379". The .38 Special was one of the first using this draw die, followed by the .222 and .223.

For neck sizing versatility, to see what size die will neck size other cartridges, the length to neck, shoulder diameter and neck diameter are all important. The body of the case to be sized must have a shoulder diameter larger than the case to be sized and the body of the case must be the same as or longer than the parent die. A .308 Win has a neck size die can size the necks of 300 Savage, .30-40 and .30-06 when sized properly to hold bullets of 0.308" diameter, for example. A .222 Rem die can be backed out and size the necks of .222 Rem Magnum and .223's/5.56's.

It is best to have complete, original die sets for every cartridge for which you intend to reload, but for survival reloading there are a few shortcuts that can be made. If you can keep a neighbor’s weapon working that lessens his desire for YOUR rifle or handgun.

Name/designation of cartridge

A. Rim diameter

B. Base or Web Diameter

C. Length to neck

D. Shoulder diameter

E. Outside neck diameter

F. Overall length

G. Bullet Diameter