making your own modified case

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flatsticks

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Have seen posts about people making their own modified case to fit the hornandy oal gauge .

I picked up the drill bit and tap on amazon .

I do not have or know annybody with a drill press .

Tried a couple cases by hand with my corless drill and I was not able to get the hole straight enough.

Has anybody been able to do this by hand without a drill press , if so any tips for keeping that bit perfectly straight ?

Looked around and could not find an old socket or anything to act as a good pilot .
 
flatsticks said:
I do not have or know annybody with a drill press .

Tried a couple cases by hand with my corless drill and I was not able to get the hole straight enough..
Click to expand...
Use of drill press is an alternate method to make your own modified case if you don't have a lath.

Not sure if you will be able to drill a perpendicular hole with a hand drill.

Why not just buy a modified case for $7-$9 instead?

"There are over 60 different modified cases available to use with Hornady Lock-N-Load Gauge. Hornady will make custom cartridges for those not listed."​

https://www.brownells.com/reloading...ols/lock-n-load-modified-cases-prod32817.aspx
 
How are you holding the case to drill it?

Is the one drill bit you ordered with the tap the only one you have?
 
I used a drill press because my.lathe is 1800 miles away. Use a block and collet to hold the case. A different collet is required for each case size. This is a precision operation and the equipment for a single use way outweighs the cost. If you want your own case done I believe hornaday will do it for 10 bucks plus postage.
 
I had a guy modify a BR ackley case after fire forming, I can get really accurate measurements that way.
I just can't remember who it was.
 
If you want an accurate fit and measurement, you need to use a case that has been fire formed fire formed in your chamber and not a generic Hornady's modified case. I would be carefull using anything other than a lathe collet because you run the risk of distorting the case. Either send a case off to hornady or find a local machine shop who can thread it for you.
 
I saw a video on YouTube recently where the gentleman used a sizing die to hold his brass to drill it out for a modified case gauge.

As an idea - why not try to find a sleeve (some sort of metal?) that is a close fit to the drill bit. You can then insert the drill bit into that sleeve, then put the sleeve against the headstamp of your brass. You’d then just have to hold the sleeve tightly against the brass and it would, hypothetically, guide the drill bit straight into the brass. (You’d also have to have a solution to holding the brass, but I it imagine could be done in a vice.)

^Obviously, this is far from ideal. But based on your situation, and what you’ve told us, it could be an option for ya!
 
I'm in the "send the case to Hornady" camp.

I did that a few years go with a couple wildcats and the cost was something like $10 per and it took a couple weeks.
 
I did try and find some type of metal guidefor the bit around the house but was unable to find anything that would work.

Like others have said I wanted to use a case fired from the gun for accuracy .

Currently I have at least 3 makes of brass for the gun and to me that seems like I would have send it all three to get cases made if it was sent to Hornandy.

Tried starting out with a smaller bit and the fact is very hard to get the hole drilled as straight as I need it by hand.

No access to a lathe either .

Used my vise and it holds the case well it does not spin , did not seem to change the shape of it .
 
flatsticks said:
Tried a couple cases by hand with my corless drill and I was not able to get the hole straight enough.
Click to expand...

Mark the case(s) with a sharpie so you now what side was against the back jaw of your vise. At that point you will at least know what direction you need to go as they don’t align.

If you have more than the one drill bit for the tap. You could also use a smaller drill bit and go through the case mouth with it and drill the pocket out from the inside out, that pilot hole is going to be straight.
 
Ruger 15151 said:
If you want an accurate fit and measurement, you need to use a case that has been fire formed fire formed in your chamber and not a generic Hornady's modified case.
Click to expand...
And there's the reason Hornady's tool will never be worthwhile.

Measuring throat position accurately is far too easy to do with common reloading tools to bother buying a special tool that does it poorly.
 
edwardware said:
And there's the reason Hornady's tool will never be worthwhile.

Measuring throat position accurately is far too easy to do with common reloading tools to bother buying a special tool that does it poorly.
Click to expand...
If you have access to machine tools I would disagree. If you are using factory made cases I would agree. Singular answers and solutions are always partially fouled.
 
edwardware said:
And there's the reason Hornady's tool will never be worthwhile.

Measuring throat position accurately is far too easy to do with common reloading tools to bother buying a special tool that does it poorly.
Click to expand...
It is an overall length tool that works pretty darn well and dual purpose with a FF case.
 
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Don't know what all the fuss is about. I believe a pilot is not needed because of the primer pocket and flash hole acting as a pilot. If one only had a hand drill, no big deal, carefully clamp a case in a vise and hold the drill as perpendicular as possible. Stand back a bit and see how straight it is and carefully drill out the case head. Accuracy of +/- 3-5 degrees isn't necessary as the modified case is not a precision measuring tool. K.I.S.S.!!
 
mdi said:
I believe a pilot is not needed because of the primer pocket and flash hole acting as a pilot. If one only had a hand drill, no big deal, carefully clamp a case in a vise and hold the drill as perpendicular as possible. Stand back a bit and see how straight it is and carefully drill out the case head. Accuracy of +/- 3-5 degrees isn't necessary as the modified case is not a precision measuring tool. K.I.S.S.!!
Click to expand...

I second that.

The "pusher" is flexible plastic anyway.

"Straight enough" will do.

What matters is that you have a nice fireformed case, with a neck dilated juuust right... It's the neck which keeps things all tacticallyamericansnipersheepdogwarrior aligned and precise!

What was the brand of this doohickey, before Hornady bought the rights to it?
 
FWIW it’s not like there is a lot of force on the threads, if the OP tapped one crooked it could likely be “wallowed out” to the point the threads are loose but still able to hold the case, the base of the case will square itself on the shoulder of the tool itself and not rely on the concentricity of the threads.

EB223B7D-9E76-4A36-8720-5E5C76826EED.jpeg

B206C8DC-8A54-412B-9482-D149F40EB38C.jpeg
 
Will give your ideas a shot and see how it goes. drilling from the inside with a smaller bit seems like a good idea. if the next one is crooked will see how it goes putting it all the way down to the base . thank you
 
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