Common Reloading Mistakes, and Their Cures — The Stuck Case
This article originally appeared in the Sinclair International Reloading Press.
We have all been there…..you place a piece of tumbled brass in the shell-holder of your press, raise it into the die, and suddenly it is like somebody hit the brakes. The case is stuck in the die. Your first instinct is to reverse it out. You crank on the handle, and BANG! The rim rips off the case head and you are looking at a piece of brass stuck in the die.
A stuck case is one of the boo-boos that all of us reloaders have faced from time to time. If proper lubrication is applied, then it should not be a problem. No matter if you are a seasoned reloader or new to it, this situation can happen. Take your time, use the proper procedures, and you will be back in business in no time! This article explains how to avoid stuck cases (through proper lubrication) and how to use a stuck case removal system.
What Causes Stuck Cases
One of the first common mistakes reloaders face is the stuck case. It can be caused by too much or too little lube. Too much and a vacuum can be formed causing the case to become suctioned into the die. Too little lube and friction is the culprit. So what is the cure? There is no exact cure, but the best lube that we have found so far is just a dab of Imperial Sizing Die Wax on your fingers and applied in a thin coat on the body of the case, not the shoulder or neck. Too much of this wax can cause the vacuum effect, or can eventually load your die up with gobs of residue. If it is applied to the shoulder area, or the leftover wax moves up into the shoulder region of the die, you will see dents or dimples in the shoulder. [AccurateShooter.com Editor’s Note: For normal full-length sizing of small cases such as 220 Russian/PPC, 6mmBR, 6.5 Grendel, or 6.5×47 Lapua we recommend Ballistol (aerosol) lube. It is very slippery, goes on very thin, and does not gum up the die.]
A great way to ensure that your dies are clean is to use a simple chamber mop with a dab of your favorite solvent on it and clean out the die. Be sure all of the solvent is out after cleaning by spraying the die out with Quickscrub III or use a clean chamber mop. If you are storing your dies, you can apply a thin coat of a good oil to protect the steel such as TM oil or Starrett M1 Spray.
Using a Stuck Case Removal Kit
If you do stick a case in your die there are a few good stuck case removal kits available. Each one works in a similar fashion. I have found the Hornady kit very effective and easy to use.
Basically what you do is remove the die from the press. Unscrew the decapping assembly and pull it out as far as you can. You then need to drill/tap threads into the stuck case head (this is why it is suggested to unscrew the decapping assembly as far as you can to get it clear of the drill bits). Once this is done screw the die back into the press. You then install the included shellholder attachment on the shellholder ram, and thread it into the case via a small wrench. With some elbow grease you can reverse the stuck case out of the die with the leverage of the press, and not damage the die.
However if the case is stuck….REALLY stuck, you may pull out the threads on the case and you are still left with a stuck case in the die without any way to pull it out. If the case is really difficult to remove even with the use of a stuck case removal kit, do not try to be Hercules with the press ram. Here is a trick that may work. Take the die with the stuck case and place it in your freezer for a couple of hours. Then repeat the removal with the cold die. The freezing temperatures may cause the brass to contract, and make removal easier. If this does not work it is recommended to send it to the die manufacturer. They will be able to remove the case without damaging the die.
Another fix if you can remove the decapping assembly completely is to use a tap hammer and a punch or small wooden dowel to knock the stuck case out. This isn’t the best way since it is very possible that you will damage the die internally or externally on the threads, or both. Send the die to the manufacturer to have this done properly. You will be happier in the long run.
This article appears courtesy Sinclair International. It first appeared in Sinclair’s Reloading Press Blog.
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Tags: Case, Hornady, Lube, Reloading, Sinclair Int'l
As a Newbie, I am often searching on the web for articles which will aid me. Thank you
I recently had a customer bring a 308 Win die in that had a case head seperation. There was no head to work with and the body was still in the die. I cut small slots in a 223 case, plugged the neck of the 308 case and filled it with expoxy, then I inserted the 223 case and made sure some of the expoxy filled the slots I had cut in the 223 case. I let it cure, screwed the die into my press and slid a 223 shellholder on to the rim and into the ram of the press, then pulled everything out with very little pressure.
while i have a remover that i made a stack of washers and a bolt will work just fine,and if you start with a 1/4 bolt and it strips just tap out to a 5/16.pulling with a bolt works better then using a press its a slow even pull.
Byron
I tumble the brass in treated walnut (treated with Nu-finish car polish) after the media is thoroughly separated I spray cases with dillon case lube and I never had a stuck case since. I have used the hornady one shot, the ballistol and the rcbs sizing lube on the pad, nothing beats dillon case lube.
The whole vacuum suction thing is completely bogus, and that it was on Sinclair’s web site does not make it less so. If it was a vacuum issue, loosening the decapping assembly would break the seal. The rest was fine. One tip, when you change types of lube, clean the die, and use something like a Q tip to lube the die lightly. Different types of lube sometimes do not play well together.
An easy prevention:
Take a FULLY sized case for each chambering you load. Store it in a marked box. Each time you start to size your cases, use the already sized case to lightly pre-lube your die before the tighter fit of your unsized cases.
The “whole vacuum suction thing” is completely true and accurate Boyd. Science 101 Boyd. +1 Jim Hardy.
A compliment from me to Mr. Allen for pointing out the the vacuum “problem” mentioned is improbable.
1. An vacuum is unlikely to form, since the threads on the decapping stem aren’t sealed.
2. If the threads were sealed, a positive pressure would have formed upon insertion of the case into the die.
3. If a vacuum actually did form, at most it would be one atmosphere, roughly 15 psi. This much pressure difference acting on the .47″ diameter of a 308 case would exert a force of…about 2.6 pounds.
Regarding the Dillon case lube, I have checked the bottle that the DCL comes in. It says the lube is composed of lanolin and isopropyl alcohol. Check You Tube. There are many videos there explaining how to make your own lube like Dillon makes.
I started using the Lanolin/Alcohol mix lately but I still prefer the Imperial Sizing Wax. It is THE very best in my opinion.