Backordered Grendel Basic Brass for my 6mmARC

[markr6754]

I grew weary of searching for 6mm ARC brass or 6.5 Grendel brass that I could convert and placed my Backorder for Starline Grendel Basic brass. I don't need 250 cases, but that's the only quantity available. 

I watched multiple forming videos and it seems to me that making 6mm ARC from right-sized brass blanks will be easier than converting formed brass. Time will tell. The key appears to be frequent annealing. My Burstfire Annealing and Case Prep Center will come in quite handy.

I'll update when (if?) my order ships.

[alwie]

I grew weary of searching for 6mm ARC brass or 6.5 Grendel brass that I could convert and placed my Backorder for Starline Grendel Basic brass. I don't need 250 cases, but that's the only quantity available. 

I watched multiple forming videos and it seems to me that making 6mm ARC from right-sized brass blanks will be easier than converting formed brass. Time will tell. The key appears to be frequent annealing. My Burstfire Annealing and Case Prep Center will come in quite handy.

I'll update when (if?) my order ships.

Mark,

 I did the same thing a year ago.

[JWillard]

I am looking to do the same care to point me in the direction of a video using the Grendel Basic Brass, also whats your choice of die, will you anneal before or after forming?

[alwie]

I am looking to do the same care to point me in the direction of a video using the Grendel Basic Brass, also whats your choice of die, will you anneal before or after forming?

I used Hornady full length resizing die set: https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/i...ip-spindle

 I always anneal and lube before resizing. 
For lube see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgsimvLoddo

process I used:
1 - anneal with:  INDUCTION INNOVATIONS - Mini-Ductor II Handheld Induction Heater
- - can do one case per minute or unit will start to over heat
2 - lube
3 - resize with 6 ARC full length resizing die
4 - trim and debur brass
5 - load  beginning powder load 
6 - fire form brass

[markr6754]

I am looking to do the same care to point me in the direction of a video using the Grendel Basic Brass, also whats your choice of die, will you anneal before or after forming?

Not a specific video on forming 6mm from basic Grendel, but a video on forming 22-45 from 223 Basic brass. Different caliber, exactly the same concept. And yes, anneal first. The Starline website states a body anneal is needed prior to forming. Starline advised me to anneal the basic brass just below where I expect the 6mm ARC neck to be. Easy enough to mark a case, set up my Burstfire Annealer, and go. I used Hornady full length sizing die. Formed 6mm ARC from new 6.5 Grendel brass. I expect it’ll make easy work of unformed, annealed brass.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/videos?id=64294

[GRH]

The trick to Starline 6.5G brass is to watch until the website says "back order allowed" or "place back order" and do it immediately, spots fill up fast and it will disappear again.

After the "back order" is placed it usually takes a week or two for the brass to ship. When the next time 6.5G brass is actually sitting in stock on a shelf somewhere collecting dust is impossible to know.

[markr6754]

The trick to Starline 6.5G brass is to watch until the website says "back order allowed" or "place back order" and do it immediately, spots fill up fast and it will disappear again.

After the "back order" is placed it usually takes a week or two for the brass to ship. When the next time 6.5G brass is actually sitting in stock on a shelf somewhere collecting dust is impossible to know.

Isn't that the truth. I've been cheking the Starline website every day for weeks. My Grendel Basic Brass order remains Processing, 6.5 Grendel Brass not available and not back orderable. Yet another forum posted that Starline had 6.5 Grendel available for Backorder on Wednesday at 57 cents and lower. That's 24 cents a case cheaper than I could order the basic brass. I'm going to pretend that he was wrong...

[GRH]

The trick to Starline 6.5G brass is to watch until the website says "back order allowed" or "place back order" and do it immediately, spots fill up fast and it will disappear again.

After the "back order" is placed it usually takes a week or two for the brass to ship. When the next time 6.5G brass is actually sitting in stock on a shelf somewhere collecting dust is impossible to know.

Isn't that the truth. I've been cheking the Starline website every day for weeks. My Grendel Basic Brass order remains Processing, 6.5 Grendel Brass not available and not back orderable. Yet another forum posted that Starline had 6.5 Grendel available for Backorder on Wednesday at 57 cents and lower. That's 24 cents a case cheaper than I could order the basic brass. I'm going to pretend that he was wrong...

Processing good, (as annoying as it can be) cancelled bad.

I did exactly the same thing you did, only to be told the same thing by guys on Discord RLD that it was open on the Starline website for a week. I checked daily for it to appear as "backorder available"  or whatever it says and never saw it.

I ended up lining Uncle Larry's pocket with Platinum for 200 of them. I hated doing that knowing I was grossly over retail, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

I miss the old Midway before he sold out to big corporate, but he's laughing all the way to the bank now.

Since we're on the topic, how do you plan on shaping the basic brass? I've never done it and only resized 6.5G so I'm curious if there are different dies for that, to bring it all the way down in steps

[markr6754]

My plan is to anneal the brass following Starline recommendation. 
1 Find where the new neck will be for the 6mm ARC and mark the case
2 Anneal the brass to extend just below that line
3 Form the basic brass with Hornady 6mm ARC FL sizing die, with the expander ball removed
4 Trim the brass to 6mm ARC max length 1.490"
5 Anneal the formed and trimmed 6mm ARC brass
6 Size the brass with expander ball in place
7 Trim brass to Case Trim Length 1.475"
8 Load with cheapest 6mm bullet I can find

I expect the brass to stretch a bit after the 1st firing, but the once fired brass will re-enter the sequence at step 5. I anneal all my rifle cases after firing. I have a BurstFire annealer, so it's no trouble at all.

[GRH]

My plan is to anneal the brass following Starline recommendation. 
1 Find where the new neck will be for the 6mm ARC and mark the case
2 Anneal the brass to extend just below that line
3 Form the basic brass with Hornady 6mm ARC FL sizing die, with the expander ball removed
4 Trim the brass to 6mm ARC max length 1.490"
5 Anneal the formed and trimmed 6mm ARC brass
6 Size the brass with expander ball in place
7 Trim brass to Case Trim Length 1.475"
8 Load with cheapest 6mm bullet I can find

I expect the brass to stretch a bit after the 1st firing, but the once fired brass will re-enter the sequence at step 5. I anneal all my rifle cases after firing. I have a BurstFire annealer, so it's no trouble at all.

Well... If/when you get your brass I'd be curious in the results!

[markr6754]

I'll certainly be providing an update once my brass arrives.

[markr6754]

So this is the latest update. Starline never did ship or fulfill my order for Grendel Basic Brass. Surprisingly, they opened up the window for ordering 6.5 Grendel brass, which, I presumed, they would need to produce Grendel Basic before it could proceed to become 6.5 Grendel. Alas, no...however, when I saw the backorder indicator appear for 6.5 Grendel brass, I placed an order. Especially as I discovered that the completed brass cases were 40% cheaper than the incomplete Basic cases. And so....today, my 6.5 Grendel brass proceeded to ship. It is expected to arrive by Tuesday.

Thus, my plan will be to convert the new Starline 6.5 Grendel brass into 6mm ARC brass. If Starline ever does contact me regarding my backordered Grendel Basis brass I'll forego the order. While I'd prefer to have unmarked cases that I've sized and trimmed to 6mm ARC, I'm not foolish enough to pay for the privelege.

[CZ527 Guy]

Seems like a sound decision to me. Suppose they will be offering 6mm ARC brass anytime soon? Anyone have an inside line on how 6mm ARC is working into their priority list?

Look forward to seeing quality 6mm ARC brass being offered with the proper head stamp & proper pricing. Can't be long now!

[GRH]

It's a straightforward process once you figure out the sequence of steps that works best for you. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Not knowing what to expect at first and fears of sticking a case, I got carried away with the Imperial so I dented a number of shoulders until it dawned on me and cleaned the die, wiped the cases of excess lube.

[markr6754]

I previously purchased 150 NOS 6.5 Grendel cases and converted all of them without issue. Hornady sizing die barely noticed them, so they formed readily. After the first firing I annealed the cases and loaded again. I've been quite fortunate with the lube, having not dented a single neck to this point.

6.8 REM SPC on the other hand...whoo boy! I may opt for Hornady One Shot on them next time. Using the Hornady Unique Case Lube they look like I used a wheel bearing race as a neck bushing. Really embrassing. Lesson learned, start with "that's not enough"...then use less than that!

[markr6754]

My 250 6.5 Grendel cases arrived today from Starline.

6.5 Grendel is 1.509" from factory. It sticks out about of a 6mm case gauge by 0.262"

Very light touch of Hornady Unique case lube and it runs smoothly through a Hornady 6mm ARC sizing die. I read a few comments from loades complaining that they crushed the necks of their brass using a Hornady die. I still can't figure out how they did that...but hey, it's their story.

After sizing the length grows to 1.515" so I'll have some trimming to do to get it to 1.475", where I have trimmed all of my 6mm ARC brass to in the past. I have previously converted 150 NOSLER 6.5 Grendel cases to 6mm ARC, and the Starline brass proved no more challenging than that. 

On a totally unrelated note, my tax stamp came in today as well. Submitted 7/15/2022, approved 5/02/2023. So much for e-Forms speeding things up...or, is that what sped up means in fedspeak?

[grayfox]

Hah! It sped up from normally 7 months to a whopping speedy 10!!!
Yeah that's the feds for you. Logic in reverse.