Thread: 284 Win case fix advise - is it stuffed??

Hi experts

Found about 30 284 cases with a learning error from about 15 years ago when I got some old stuff returned recently. The neck was pushed back into the shoulder when seating die wasn’t adjusted right. Can this be formed back to original using an expanding die or fire formed safely? Original Winchester 284 cases so might be worth it. If someone wants to try I can send them for a play.

Photo of mistake next to a fired case

I'm no expert but I sure wouldn't try fireforming on a case that headspace off the shoulder.
A rimmed case like the 30-30, I would probably still be too chicken to try

As long as the fired case chambers and they have some life in them worth saving, you can form them.
Seat a cheap projectile so it hits the lands and forces the base onto bolt face. Load a couple grains lower than your settled load and it will form fine.
Pretty much how Ackleys and other Wildcats are formed from a parent case anyway.

You could look at forming without projectiles as well but I have found depending on brass you dont get as good a result.

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I believe the original Winchester brass cases are quite sought after. If the shoulder has not bulged and can be chambered I’d think they could be fire formed back with some fast powder and a patch.

Originally Posted by kiwijames

I believe the original Winchester brass cases are quite sought after. If the shoulder has not bulged and can be chambered I’d think they could be fire formed back with some fast powder and a patch.

There is a knack to doing the above and a bit of trial and error to get it right depending on powder and if you have enough case length in the first place. But most important is you need to expand the neck to ensure the crush and force the base back hard into the bolt face.
If you have some pistol or shotgun powder it will be the cheapest option.

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What about this one?

Yeah. NA

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New wildcat.

why did you do a single flair on it

Originally Posted by superdiver

New wildcat.

.264 Far Cup

Back to the original post, would people recommend something like Trailboss for fireforming the case?

Chalk it up to experience and chuck them. Get a box of Lapua 6.5-284 cases and neck them up.

What R93 said. Normal practice for doing Ackley type improved cases. Try one with your full face motorbike helmet on first
As long as it chambers without jamming on the shoulder,it'll pop back out. But load them long as mentioned.

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Originally Posted by Cigar

.264 Far Cup

Back to the original post, would people recommend something like Trailboss for fireforming the case?

Looks more like one of those .264skins

Not saying this' the world's best solution, but had a big pile of heavily dented 303 brass that had built up over the years - big crosswise creases in the cases making chambering difficult, case mouth and shoulder deformation kind of thing.
Was curious if they could be salvaged, so put a mild load of powder, cotton fluff filling packed over the powder to keep it from detonating, and beeswax plug the diameter and length of the neck. Marked the damaged areas with a permanent marker so I could check them after. They fireformed quite well to my surprise, even with just the beeswax plug and cotton. Sectioned a bunch of them across the previously damaged area to see if there was any noticeable thinning, cracking etc but didn't find anything on any but the absolute worst cases that were almost banana shaped to begin with and had to bend them straight to work, which is pretty understandable. There's almost certainly some sort of embrittlement from being worked though, so it's one of those things that the value of the brass has to be assessed against the likelihood and implications of a failure.