Lapua brass problem

[PRR1957]

I’m loading some 22-250 for a friend. He originally gave me eighty five mix R-P, PMC. I used his RCBS dies to resize, which the wotked like usual. Before I could load them my friend obtained one hundred virgin Lapua cases new in an unopened case. Most of these case had out of round case mouths and the base of the neck OD was +/- .0013”. So I lubed the inside of Lapua case necks and set the die stop at the neck shoulder junction. The first case I inspected and noted that the case neck exterior was scored its entire length and the full circumstance. The second case neck scored even worse that I could drag my finger nail across the scoring and feel it. I took the die apart an with 0000 steel wool wrapped around a 22 caliber bore mop and applied some WD-40 to it and spun it with a drill motor. Cleaned it up, reassembled, and neck sized another case, which the necks exterior scored again slightly, and successfully more with a second and third case. I did the steel wool cleaning again and then ran one of each of the previous resized 22-250 R-P and PMC cases through the die, without any scoring on the exterior of the case neck. Ran another Lapua case through the die and the case neck exterior scored again. I decided to run all the cases through the dies cleaing out the die every ten case or so cases, and then turning the necks exterior removing .00026” to clean up/remove the scoring. It’s been a long time since I worked any Lapua cartridge cases, but don’t remember having any problems like with this batch, and actually I’ve never had this problem with any brand of cartridge brass or with RCBS, Redding, Forester, and Bonanza resizing dies. It’s like the brass was to soft and easily galling at the neck/shoulder junction in the resizing die. A light coating of the annealing discoloration was still on case necks and shoulder/body junction. To me, this is obviously a problem with this batch of Lapua brass alloy, or they annealed them for to long or to hot.

I do intend to contact Lapua about this batch of cartridge cases. I did an Internet search, but only Lapua’s website with no contact info. In the meantime, any thoughts about this.

 

[Webster]

I’m loading some 22-250 for a friend. He originally gave me eighty five mix R-P, PMC. I used his RCBS dies to resize, which the wotked like usual. Before I could load them my friend obtained one hundred virgin Lapua cases new in an unopened case. Most of these case had out of round case mouths and the base of the neck OD was +/- .0013”. So I lubed the inside of Lapua case necks and set the die stop at the neck shoulder junction. The first case I inspected and noted that the case neck exterior was scored its entire length and the full circumstance. The second case neck scored even worse that I could drag my finger nail across the scoring and feel it. I took the die apart an with 0000 steel wool wrapped around a 22 caliber bore mop and applied some WD-40 to it and spun it with a drill motor. Cleaned it up, reassembled, and neck sized another case, which the necks exterior scored again slightly, and successfully more with a second and third case. I did the steel wool cleaning again and then ran one of each of the previous resized 22-250 R-P and PMC cases through the die, without any scoring on the exterior of the case neck. Ran another Lapua case through the die and the case neck exterior scored again. I decided to run all the cases through the dies cleaing out the die every ten case or so cases, and then turning the necks exterior removing .00026” to clean up/remove the scoring. It’s been a long time since I worked any Lapua cartridge cases, but don’t remember having any problems like with this batch, and actually I’ve never had this problem with any brand of cartridge brass or with RCBS, Redding, Forester, and Bonanza resizing dies. It’s like the brass was to soft and easily galling at the neck/shoulder junction in the resizing die. A light coating of the annealing discoloration was still on case necks and shoulder/body junction. To me, this is obviously a problem with this batch of Lapua brass alloy, or they annealed them for to long or to hot.

I do intend to contact Lapua about this batch of cartridge cases. I did an Internet search, but only Lapua’s website with no contact info. In the meantime, any thoughts about this.

Chamfer the i.d. and o.d. before sizing. Scratches are not galling. It's caused by small pieces of brass breaking off of the neck edge and getting dragged towards the shoulder. Check the die for adhering brass

 

[Walt Krafft]

What are you using for lube?

 

[LiveFire]

I had the same issue with 223 lapua cases and a hornady fl sizing die. I cleaned my die extremely well and polished the inside with mothers mag and aluminum polish on a bore mop chucked in a drill. The scoring went away and sizing became a lot easier.

 

[KMart]

I do intend to contact Lapua about this batch of cartridge cases. I did an Internet search, but only Lapua’s website with no contact info. In the meantime, any thoughts about this.

When you get your answer from Lapua, please post their answer. This seems to be an ongoing problem with new Lapua brass and this question comes up quite often.

 

[chop house]

Chamfer the i.d. and o.d. before sizing.

this. and if possible, inspect the inside of the die before and after cleaning (a teslong scope works very well), and also the outside of the case neck under magnification after chamfer. i have a couple of dies i really have to stay on top of keep from scratching. no doubt the fresh anneal on the lapua vs the work hardening of the other headstamp cases (oh, and pmc i have found is among the hardest brass) is the difference you are seeing




and this contributed to my problem:

 

[rijndael]

This may be one benefit to a bushing die. If you get it too much embedded in that area, and can't get it out, you'd just change the bushing.

 

[6BRA]

Just curious what the expander ball mics out at?

 

[jepp2]

To me, this is obviously a problem with this batch of Lapua brass alloy, or they annealed them for to long or to hot.

I wouldn't put any money on that position being accurate, but that is just me.

I've found the surface on freshly annealed brass tends to easily rub off in the neck of the sizing die. Causing exactly what you found and described. My normal practice it to anneal after sizing to avoid this. (I can hear everyone telling me I am doing it wrong). To remove the brass accumulated, I polish it off, not remove it with steel wool as you did. Like another poster, I find after polishing the interior (including the neck) with Flitz followed by Mothers, the sizing effort is reduced by at least 50% and the die is much less likely to pick up brass after annealing.

Another practice I use if I am going to size after annealing or for new Lapua brass, is to put the brass in my vibratory tumbler with Nufinish added for 2 hours. This polishes the annealed surface and prevents the pick up brass in the die. It also provides more consistent bullet seating as the inside of the case neck isn't as "sticky" to bullets as new annealed case necks are before they have any carbon present.

 

[KMart]

Another practice I use if I am going to size after annealing or for new Lapua brass, is to put the brass in my vibratory tumbler with Nufinish added for 2 hours. This polishes the annealed surface and prevents the pick up brass in the die. It also provides more consistent bullet seating as the inside of the case neck isn't as "sticky" to bullets as new annealed case necks are before they have any carbon present.

Winner winner chicken dinner!!!! It sure does make a reloaders life easier.

 

[PRR1957]

I’ve annealed cartridge brass before with out this problem occurring.

Also as KMart stated that this type of problem is inherent with recent Lapua brass. I hoping that only people here who’ve had experience with Lapua cartridge cases would respond.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I’ve annealed cartridge brass before with out this problem occurring.

Also as KMart stated that this type of problem is inherent with recent Lapua brass. I hoping that only people here who’ve had experience with Lapua cartridge cases would respond.

What's worked well for me with my Lapua brass is using a Lee Collet die to essentially size the necks. Not only does the die take out any denting round the mouth making it nice and round, but the collet also squeezes against the mandrel to squish away any other deformities, like some burrs around the mouth. Any scratching of the die or case necks doesn't really happen if the die is set up properly. It make for much better seating with any virgin brass.

 

[KMart]

Here is a post from May 2019 that gives the answer from Lapua Tech Support

milanuk​

Gold $$ Contributor

• May 22, 2019
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• #22

I have fought a running battle with new Lapua cases for years on exactly this. Especially the brass loading on expanders (mandrels and otherwise). Forget about loading them 'straight out of the box', as the seating force required was beyond ridiculous.

Then about a year ago, I was talking with someone at a local match (a Service Rifle shooter, of all people) and he'd called Lapua about it and said their tech support told him pretty close to the same thing: tumble them for a couple hours in *dirty* media to get rid of the oxidation on the insides of the necks and ease seating forces considerably.