Even with the very best cartridge brass, you can achieve the most consistent neck-wall thickness with precision case-neck turning. This can be done slowly with hand-tools (such as a K&M Tool), but powered neck turning can produce superb results in a fraction of the time. For today’s Saturday Showcase we feature the excellent 21st Century Power Neck-Turning Lathe and the state-of-the-art AUTODOD machine from F-Class Products. In addition, we show how neck turning can be done using a vertical milling machine fitted with a neck-turner. And to start off, we offer a Keith Glasscock video that analyzes when it makes sense to turn necks, considering the demands of your particular shooting disciplines.
To Turn or NOT to Turn — Wisdom from Keith Glasscock
In this video, top F-Class Shooter and Wind Coach Keith Glasscock discusses the process of turning case necks. Neck-turning may be mandatory if you have a chamber with reduced-diameter neck dimensions. With a standard chamber you may still want to do a minimal neck-turn to make your brass more consistent or to increase clearance. On the other hand, high-quality brass, such as Lapua, may perform exceptionally well right out of the box. Keith explains how to determine whether you need to turn your brass for your discipline, and explains procedures that help you achieve great results.
21st Century Innovation Powered Neck-Turning Lathe
The 21st Century Innovation Power Neck-Turning Lathe is a superb system for quickly and precisely uniforming the neckwall thickness of cartridge brass. With this powered system you can turn necks faster and more efficiently, with less effort. The cases feed very smoothly and the results are beautiful. Power is activated by the red button on the end of the blue, horizontal feed handle
The Powered Neck-Turning Lathe is a modular system. Swing the bar from right to left to feed the case. The power head (with case holder) glides on stainless steel rails for smooth movement. This allows very precise feed rate. Power is supplied via a button that is built into the end of the feed handle. Push the red button to make the case spin. It’s as simple as that. NOTE: The 21st Century Power Neck-Turning Lathe has been updated — the frame and motor are now flat black in color.
Here is another video that shows how the lathe system operates:
AUTODOD Power Neck-Turner from Black Machine
Bryan Blake of F-Class Products has created an ultra-precise and speedy neck-turning machine, the AUTODOD. This employs twin precision cutter tips to turn case necks inside and out quickly and efficiently, with superior precision. The advanced AUTODOD Neck Turning Machine holds cases securely in a precision-machined spindle attached to an electric motor. Twin blades move precisely during the cutting process, milling the necks inside and out. The turned necks come out perfect every time, with the shoulders trimmed exactly (with doughnut removed) as well. If you turn hundreds of cases during a shooting season, you may want to consider getting an AUTODOD from F-Class Products. Below is a video from F-Class John Showing the AUTODOD Machine in action.
Neck-Turning Cases with a Milling Machine
Our friend Erik Cortina figured out how to turn his match cartridge case-necks using his milling machine. Erik told us: “While in Raton [a while back], Mid Tompkins told me that he turns his brass on milling machine. He said he could do about 500 in two hours, so I decided to try it.” Erik fitted a Don Nielson “Pumpkin” neck-turner to the mill, and he used a modified 21st Century case holder to secure the brass. As you can see from this video, Erik was very successful with the process. The tool spins at 1500 rpm, turning Lapua 6.5-284 cases that have been necked up to 7mm.
It’s hard to argue with Erik’s results. Here are his turned Lapua cases, which have neck-wall thickness consistent to two ten-thousandths of an inch.
Neck-Turning Lubricants for Turner Mandrels
For Neck-Turning, Try STP Blend or Assembly Lube
For hand neck-turning, a variety of lubricants can work well on the outside of the necks. You will also want to lube the mandrel which runs inside the case. There are many options for lubing the neck-turning tool mandrel while turning case necks. Some folks use a blend of STP® Oil Treatment and Mobil 1 lube. Chuckw2 reports: “Try STP and Mobile 1 Synthetic oil in a 50/50 mixture. Very slick, you will need to tumble your cases after turning.” STP is a very thick lubricant, that flows and clings almost like honey. Jason reports the STP blend comes off easily in an ultra-sound bath, using a bit of detergent. At many retailers, STP is also available in a convenient 7-ounce tube, so you don’t have to buy a large bottle.
Another even cheaper option is assembly lubricant. For turning his case necks, RStreich uses assembly lube from an auto parts store. He notes: “The brand I have is reddish in color and kind of sticky like honey. It’s far better than the Imperial die wax I was using before.” There are a variety of types, both with and without moly additive, and you can select the viscosity you prefer if you sample a few brands. Be sure to clean out any lube residue from the inside of your necks when you have completed your neck-turning.
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Happy Thanksgiving folks. Major gun and optics makers, tool crafters, and large outdoor gear vendors are offering great bargains for Black Friday week. Expect discounts from 10% to 30% on a wide range of quality products.
While some sales are set for Friday, November 24th only, most of the featured Black Friday Sales have already started. And some of these promotions run through Cyber Monday (11/27/2023). Find other sales at Gun.Deals.
Most of the showcased vendors offer discounts on a large inventory selection — in some cases, everything in stock is discounted 10%, 15%, 20% or more. For other sellers, only specific items are on sale, so we’ve identified those particular deals. In addition to the ten sellers showcased below, Brownells is offering big Discount Code savings on nearly all products. Get 15% OFF your Brownells orders with Code BF15.
Come back tomorrow for Part Two of our Black Friday Sales Showcase!
21st Century Innovation 20% Off One-Day Sale
21st Century Innovation makes some of the very best tools and hardware for precision handloaders. 21st Century’s Arbor Presses, Neck-turning lathes, Concentricity Gauges, and other tools rank at the very top. And now you can get these superb products at a huge 20% discount. Virtually all 21st Century hardware (except the Hybrid-X Shooting Rest) will be 20% OFF for ONE DAY ONLY, Friday November 23, 2023. Use Coupon Code 20BFRI2023 at checkout to save 20%.
Annealing Made Perfect (AMP) — $200 Off MK II Black Friday Sale
AMP Annealers are the most advanced annealing system on the planet. With such high demand for these products, you’ll rarely see a discount on AMP Annealing machines. But this year, for Black Friday, AMP will offer a U.S. $200.00 discount on the advanced MK II (MK2) Annealer “while stocks last”. AMP will will run a countdown clock which will hit zero at 12:00 noon USA Pacific time / 3.00 pm USA Eastern on Thursday, November 23rd (Thanksgiving day 2023). At that point, AMP MK II Annealers will be added to stock at $1,395.00, a $200 discount off regular $1,595.00 price. NOTE: This sale is limited “while stocks last”.
F-Class Products Black Friday Sale
The biggest F-Class Products (FCP) sale ever conducted is happening this week. Sale items include the new Paragon actions, 7 FCP Bundle Kit, two in-stock F-TR complete rifles ready to go, and much more! Save 10% off sitewide with discount code BLACKFRIDAY.
Graf’s Black Friday Promotions and Savings
If you need ammo, bullets, powder, or primers, head over to Grafs.com this week. Graf’s is running a series of promotions. For example you can get 7 lbs. of tumbling media for FREE with a $200 purchase of the excellent Peterson brass. In addition, you can get FREE Hazmat if you buy $150 or more of powder and/or primers. Note: The Free Hazmat offer ends Saturday 11/25/2023 at 11:59 pm CT.
Palmetto State Armory Black Friday Sale
Need an AR Upper/Lower or a carry pistol? Then definitely check out the Black Friday Sale at Palmetto State Armory. Save 20% or more on AR components, handguns, optics, accessories and more. There are also excellent deals on ammunition, such as CCI Blazer 9mm for just $13.99/box.
Area 419 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
Area419 is running a great extended Black Friday Promo for the next few days. You’ll find significant discounts on most Area 419 products, including tools, scope mounts, muzzle brakes, and Arcalock products. In addition, the superb Area419 Zero Press goes on sale 11/27/2023, and a variety of reloading products will be discounted for Cyber Monday.
Precision Reloading Early Black Friday Sale
Precision Reloading has been running an early Black Friday Sale, with items discounted starting Monday, 11/20/23. New items are added daily through 11/27/2023. Some of the hot deals are: Berger Bullets and Ammo, Hornady Products (including tools, dies, ammo), and Starline Brass. With the full Black Friday Sale, for orders over $79.00, you can get 10% Off Sitewide with code BLACK23. That code should work through 11/26/23 at 11:59 pm.
EuroOptic — 10% Off Black Friday Nightforce Sale
This week you can save big bucks on Nightforce scopes which are rarely discounted this much. With the EuroOptic Black Friday Sale you save 10% on Nightforce NX8 and ATACR scopes. This 10% discount can be worth $175 to $395 in savings! In addition, EuroOptic is offering some sales tax rebates.
Weatherby 15% Off Rifles, 20% Off Ammo, 15-25% Off Gear
Right now, through an extended Black Friday Sale, Weatherby is running its “biggest rifle discount of the year”, with 15% Off Weatherby Mark V and Vanguard rifles. Plus ammunition and and brass is discounted 20%. In addition, Weatherby is offering up to 25% off accessories, hunting gear, clothing, gun cases, and other products sold through the Weatherby online store.
Springfield Armory 20% Off Black Friday Week Sale
You can save 20% sitewide now at the Springfield Armory online store. NOTE: Springfield Armory rifles and handguns are NOT sold direct through the website, so this sale applies to AR Uppers, airguns, pistol slide assemblies, optics, magazines, holsters, apparel, and other accessories.
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November 5th is the final day of the 2023 NRA F-Class National Championships at the Ben Avery shooting facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Along with America’s ace F-Open and F-TR shooters, there are many top foreign shooters at the Nationals, including Sebastian (“Seb”) Lambang, creator of the outstanding SEB Rests and SEB Joystick bipods. For this Fall 2023 event, Seb commissioned a handsome new, state-of-the-art F-Open rifle built by Blake Barrel and Rifle. Above is Seb’s F-Open rifle on the firing line this week at Ben Avery. For full results from the F-Class Nationals, click the link below:
Seb Lambang’s impressive new 7 FCP rig was crafted by Blake Barrel and Rifle using a 7mm, 1:8.5″-twist Blake barrel chambered in 7 FCP fitted to a Borden Accuracy BRMXD action. Mated to the Borden action is a Bix’N Andy Competition Benchrest trigger. On top is a March 10-60x56mm HM scope.
The handsome laminated wood XR stock is made by Cerus Rifleworks. The XR stock boasts a R.A.D. recoil reduction system in the rear, and a metal bag-rider system at the forward end of the stock. The rig employs an adjustable F-Class Products F-Open Barrel Tuner.
Seb Lambang is a talented shooter as well as a great craftsman. On the side of his March X scope it states: “Sebastian Lambang, QRA Queens 2022, F-Open Winner”.
Sebastian Lambang — Founder and Chief Designer of SEB Rests
When he is not competing, Seb works hard producing SEB Front Rests, SEB Neo-X Rests, SEB Mini-X tripod rests, and the class-leading SEB JoyPod-X joystick bipod, favored by F-TR shooters worldwide. Here are products at Seb’s warehouse, getting ready to be shipped out.
About the 7 FCP — New 7mm Cartridge Derived from 6.5 PRC
The 7 FCP was a cartridge designed from the ground up by F-Class Products out of Phoenix, Arizona in the fall of 2022. The developers believe it is the “ultimate cartridge” for the F-Class Open Division competition. F-Class Products notes: “We wanted a cartridge that [had] an efficient case capacity [matching] the 7mm Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum. The 7 RSAUM has proven to be the most winning cartridge in world F-Class competitions and many nationals and finale events. The problem with the RSAUM is brass availability. Remington stopped making brass for the RSAUM years ago and recently Norma has also stopped producing brass for it. The only option now is ADG. While the ADG brand of brass is good, it is quite expensive and also is only run in short runs and is hardly ever available.”
So the 7 FCP was developed from the 6.5 PRC, which has high-quality Lapua brass available. The 7 FCP was designed to shoot the 180 grain Berger Hybrid bullet at 2960 FPS out of a 30″ barrel without excessive pressure. SEE: 7 FCP Cartridge INFO FAQ Page.
7 FCP Cartridge — Wildcat Based on 6.5 PRC Necked up to 7mm
How Does the 7 FCP’s Case Capacity Compare?
F-Class Products states: “The parent case of the 7 FCP is a 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a magnum case that has a head diameter of 0.532″ and has a overall length of 2.020″. It is the same overall length as the 7 RSAUM but with a smaller diameter body. Hence, without improving it, you will get not get the case capacity of a 7 RSAUM case, and therefore you will not get the velocities that the 7 RSAUM produces either.” F-Class Products has compared the capacity of cases commonly used in F-Open competition:
.284 Winchester = 63 grains of water capacity
.284 Shehane = 66.5 grains of water capacity
6.5 PRC = 65 grains of water capacity
7-6.5 PRC = 66.5 grains of water capacity
As you can see by the data above, the 6.5 PRC that is simply necked up to a 7mm does not provide more case capacity than the .284 Shehane. That is why the PRC has the shoulder moved forward.
What Powders Work Well in the 7mm FCP?
F-Class Products has tested many powders with the 7 FCP: “Any powders that work well in a .284 Win, a .284 variant or a 7 RSAUM and/or variant, can work well in the 7 FCP. We have tested many different powders and many show to work excellent. Here is a list of the powders we have tested that work well in our testing and in our customers’ testing:
Hodgdon H4350
Hodgdon H4831
Hodgdon H4831 SC
Alliant Reloder 16
Alliant Reloder 23
Vihtavuori N160
Vihtavuori N550
Vihtavuori N555
This is just a short list of what we believe are the core powders that will burn and work efficiently in the 7 FCP. There are plenty of other powders that also can work, yet they may be temperature sensitive and or not burn efficiently in the case.”
What Velocities Are Optimal?
F-Class products observes: “With the 180 grain Berger bullet we see accuracy from 2920-2980 FPS muzzle velocity. With the 190 grain Hornady A-Tip bullet we see accuracy from 2860-2900 FPS.”
What Twist Rates Do You Recommmend?
F-Class Products recommends a 1:8.5″-twist barrel. An 8-twist can work, yet the accuracy nodes may be narrower than the 8.5 twist. A 9-twist barrel can also work if you are shooting a 184 grain bullet or less. These twist rates are recommended for lead cored bullets. If you are planning on shooting a solid copper bullet, consult the bullet manufacture for recommended twist rates for that particular bullet.
What Is the Parent Case?
The parent case of the 7 FCP is a 6.5 PRC. The 6.5 PRC is a magnum case that has a head diameter of 0.532″ and has a overall length of 2.020″. It is the same overall length as the 7 RSAUM but with a smaller diameter body, hence without improving it, you will get not get the case capacity of a 7 RSAUM case, and therefore you will not get the velocities that the 7 RSAUM produces either.
For Neck-Turning, Try STP Blend or Assembly Lube
Another even cheaper option is assembly lubricant. For turning his case necks, RStreich uses assembly lube from an auto parts store. He notes: “The brand I have is reddish in color and kind of sticky like honey. It’s far better than the Imperial die wax I was using before.” There are a variety of types, both with and without moly additive, and you can select the viscosity you prefer if you sample a few brands. Be sure to clean out any lube residue from the inside of your necks when you have completed your neck-turning.
Happy Thanksgiving folks. Major gun and optics makers, tool crafters, and large outdoor gear vendors are offering great bargains for Black Friday week. Expect discounts from 10% to 30% on a wide range of quality products.
How Does the 7 FCP’s Case Capacity Compare?
