Create Cases Without Fire-forming With Hornady Hydraulic Form Die Kit
Hornady recently highlighted a unique item in their reloading catalog with a new explanatory video. The Hydraulic Form Die Kit is a custom-made tool to create "Ackley Improved" or nonstandard cases without fire forming the brass. This saves a lot of headaches and powder for reloaders trying to feed their unique guns.
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While most cartridges can be bought off the shelf, there are some that do not exist as factory loads. Experienced shooters may be familiar with the Ackley Improved family of cartridges, which take standard cases and steepen the shoulder while moving it forward to increase powder volume and thus velocity as well.
With most of these cartridges the process of creating brass involved "fire forming" it by shooting it in a chamber that is cut for the nonstandard caliber. The brass expands during firing to fill the excess space and can then be reloaded to its full capacity. But with the prices of gunpowder and primers these days it is an expensive step to fire form a batch of brass. It also can put additional wear on the barrel and shorten its life.
Hornady's Hydraulic Form Die Kit provides a way to create that brass at home without firing. This is not a new product, but a new video very effectively shows how it works:
This is a custom-made product for each application, so interested buyers need to place an order by calling Hornady. Each die will be specific to a caliber because the outside of the die must match the chamber dimensions for the brass to expand against it. The pricing is based on the length of the die, with cartridge lengths under 2.6 inches costing $210 and cartridges from 2.601 to 2.999 inches long costing $234.
From the manufacturer:
Our Hydraulic Form Die Kit is designed to expand a standard case into an improved case design without having to fireform cases. Saves time, bullets, powder, primers and barrel wear.
Find out more at www.hornady.com
AKA @fromtheguncounter on Instagram. Gun nerd, reloader, attorney, and mediocre hunter.
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This is hydroforming, GM has been doing this for decades to make vehicle frames and complex shapes.
You can fireform a lot of brass for $210. Just sayin'.