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Lube Dent Chronic Problem Solved

Vodoun daVinci

I started reloading 6.5 CM this year - first time I have ever hand loaded rifle ammunition. Used the same lube I have used for hand gun for decades and ended up with severe lube dents. Tried different lube (virtually all of them) and then tried all kinds of fooling around with wiping most of the lube off (and getting stuck cases) and all kinds of crazy stuff....still, the issue persisted.

I have been using RCBS dies my whole Life but bought Redding higher end dies. I have been making awesome and accurate hand loads but the lube dent thing has really made it tedious and hard learning. Then against all advice I decided that I have ruined enough brass to justify buying an RCBS 6.5 CM full length resizing die and *Voila!* no more lube dents.

Less than $30 and now I can full length resize and decap with RCBS and then use my fancy Redding dies to fix the neck and seat my bullets with the micrometer seating die.

No more dented brass. just passing it along - sometimes it *is* the die.

VooDoo
 
You don't mention it, so I thought I would, just in case it helps. Cleaning the die and especially it's vent hole will help prevent this. In some instances, like my 6.5 CM Hornaday FL sizing die, the lock nut sits right over the vent hole, making it hard to keep clear and hard for the die to vent. Dented cases were often the result.

Not putting lube on the outside of the neck/shoulder helps. But with a FL die, you need to lube the inside of the neck to prevent a dreaded jam of the sizer in the neck, or just pulling the shoulder forward on the up stroke, something that is almost as bad. Lubing one and not the other is sometimes a trick.
 
Texas10 said:
You don't mention it, so I thought I would, just in case it helps. Cleaning the die and especially it's vent hole will help prevent this. In some instances, like my 6.5 CM Hornaday FL sizing die, the lock nut sits right over the vent hole, making it hard to keep clear and hard for the die to vent. Dented cases were often the result.

Not putting lube on the outside of the neck/shoulder helps. But with a FL die, you need to lube the inside of the neck to prevent a dreaded jam of the sizer in the neck, or just pulling the shoulder forward on the up stroke, something that is almost as bad. Lubing one and not the other is sometimes a trick.
Click to expand...

Redding does not pinhole vent like RCBS does.
 
I have had the same issue with 2 different whidden fl dies.. one a 22 creed and the other a 6 creed.. didn't matter what lube I used whether one shot or imperial or lanolin.. only way around it that I can find is wiping the lube off the neck and shoulder... neither of these dies has a vent hole in them.. ( wish they did ) never had that problem with a die with a vent hole...
 
This is a common occurrence with Redding Dies, they are extremely finicky about how much lube is on the case. I called Redding one time when I was having the same problem and explained the situation and said I couldn't find the vent hole. I was told there isn't one and there never will be in a very condescending tone. O.K. Toyed with the Redding dies that were giving me the problem developed a technique to get just the right amount of lube on and viola it worked but had to be readjusted about every 8 to 10 cases and I got the pleasure of doing this with dies that cost a whole bunch more than most of the other brands I have used in the past. Needless to say I don't purchase Redding dies anymore, especially since they didn't accomplish anything better than all of my less expensive dies. Forster dies are inexpensive and work well and for competition dies I use Whidden, Harrell, and Wilson. Glad you got it figured out.
 
Hornady One Shot dry film case lube does not cause case dents. ;)

Excessive case lube flows upward in your dies.

The reloading manuals tell you to wipe the case lube off the shoulder and neck before sizing.

That being said the last time I full length resized my 30-30 cases I had dented shoulders using home made alcohol and lanolin lube and a vented RCBS die. And the only reason I had dented shoulders was too much lube and not wiping the shoulders and necks off before sizing.
 
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The hole diameter measures at .0469 or 3/64" ths. It intersects about .050 below the shoulder junction. The hole was most likely drilled before the die was hardened. It would be an EDM possibility to install a vent hole. A 3/64" carbide drill bit runs about $16.00
 
Last edited:
I've never dented a case with Redding, RCBS, Lee or any other dies, using spray, wax, pad or other lubes. I did get stuck cases using one shot, but never dented cases.
 
I tried everything and finally just spent a few $ and instantly stopped denting brass. I like Redding just fine but I'll buy RCBS for 5.56 when I start reloading that. I like precision but holding yer mouth just right and playing with a finicky die and finessing lube for something as simple as full length resizing just bugs me to no end. YMMV but I just thought I'd throw this out there - read many, many threads on many forums trying to solve it and 99% of the answers were that it's *not* the die. In my case, yes it was.

Way simpler/cheaper to just buy another die. The time/money spent searching/researching solutions and brass that was *really* dented resulted in a cash expenditure that was way easier to solve than that. Just buy another die.

I have dents even with wax and dry lube - I think the die is so tight it traps air as well as lube.

VooDoo
 
Vodoun daVinci said:
I started reloading 6.5 CM this year - first time I have ever hand loaded rifle ammunition. Used the same lube I have used for hand gun for decades and ended up with severe lube dents. Tried different lube (virtually all of them) and then tried all kinds of fooling around with wiping most of the lube off (and getting stuck cases) and all kinds of crazy stuff....still, the issue persisted.

I have been using RCBS dies my whole Life but bought Redding higher end dies. I have been making awesome and accurate hand loads but the lube dent thing has really made it tedious and hard learning. Then against all advice I decided that I have ruined enough brass to justify buying an RCBS 6.5 CM full length resizing die and *Voila!* no more lube dents.

Less than $30 and now I can full length resize and decap with RCBS and then use my fancy Redding dies to fix the neck and seat my bullets with the micrometer seating die.

No more dented brass. just passing it along - sometimes it *is* the die.

VooDoo
Click to expand...

Dented one case in 45 years. I over lubed the pad. I judge how much lube is on the pad by running my fingers across it. I want shiny finger tips no buildup. If I think the pad has too much lube I wipe it with a paper towel. I push the neck down on the pad and roll it. The neck/ shoulder area is partially lubed. Next I spin the neck/shoulder area between two fingers and spread the small amount of lube. The neck/shoulder area gets less lube than the body.
 
I only use Redding dies and Dillon lube and have no problems with dented cases. If there is a little dent it will blow out and causes no problems that I can detect.
 
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