Redding .223 small base body die problems

[RussellJ]

I have a Redding Small Base Die. It rips the lips off every cartridge, no matter which lube I use. The markings on it are " .223 SB Body Go" Any ideas. Never seen one with "Go" on it. Maybe it means Go into the trash.

Tom

I had the same problem with the exact same dies. I contacted Redding and sent them the die and a few size cases with the ribs. Redding sent me a new die and no more robbed cases.

 

[EOD Rob]

Master Gunns,
Uncle Ed maybe on to something. I'd give the die a good scrubbing in solvent and then I normally shoot some One Shot case lube up into the die before I get started. If you do not normally use One Shot, after spraying it into the die, give it a few min to dry. It works best when its dry. Also, double check to make sure your not over sizing and the die in not to deep in the press. Thats the point of a SB die. It allows you to push the shoulder back more for autoloaders.

 

[divingin]

Thats the point of a SB die. It allows you to push the shoulder back more for autoloaders.

Small base die is made tighter towards the case head, or made with a shorter base. It's purpose is to get a bit more sizing near the web of the case. It has nothing to do with the shoulder position. It's use is often suggested for auto loaders because of the way (on some auto rifles) that the case is yanked from the chamber while still under pressure, allowing the case base to expand. Small base dies allow sizing further down the body, correcting that (hopefully.)

 

[Uncle Ed]

Below is an image of three Forster .308 dies. and a small base die will reduce the case body diameter approximately .003 smaller in diameter. Meaning it does not just size the base of the case body smaller.

MGYSGT

Clean inside the die body with Hoppe's and then polish the die with a snug-fitting shotgun cleaning mop. Put the mop in a drill and use Flitz, J&B Bore paste, automotive rubbing compound, Mothers Mag and Wheel polish, any of the above, and polish the die.

If you are sizing once fired Lake City brass the case might have been fired in a machine gun with a "FAT" chamber. And you might need to size the case first in a standard FL .223 die that is larger in diameter.

If you wet tumbled the brass this increases friction when sizing. And if the die was not perfectly cleaned of old sizing lube OneShot will not work properly.

Lake City brass is harder than commercial brass and if it was fired in a machine gun sizing can be a headache.
Below are a few of my .223 dies, the two dies I use the most are the Forster and RCBS small base die, And the Lee collet die and Redding body dies just gather dust.

If Chesty Puller was here he would tell you to get a Forster FL die.

 

[EOD Rob]

Small base die is made tighter towards the case head, or made with a shorter base. It's purpose is to get a bit more sizing near the web of the case. It has nothing to do with the shoulder position. It's use is often suggested for auto loaders because of the way (on some auto rifles) that the case is yanked from the chamber while still under pressure, allowing the case base to expand. Small base dies allow sizing further down the body, correcting that (hopefully.)

Thanks divingin, I stand corrected and appreciate the better understanding!

 

[EOD Rob]

Below is an image of three Forster .308 dies. and a small base die will reduce the case body diameter approximately .003 smaller in diameter. Meaning it does not just size the base of the case body smaller.

MGYSGT

Clean inside the die body with Hoppe's and then polish the die with a snug-fitting shotgun cleaning mop. Put the mop in a drill and use Flitz, J&B Bore paste, automotive rubbing compound, Mothers Mag and Wheel polish, any of the above, and polish the die.

If you are sizing once fired Lake City brass the case might have been fired in a machine gun with a "FAT" chamber. And you might need to size the case first in a standard FL .223 die that is larger in diameter.

If you wet tumbled the brass this increases friction when sizing. And if the die was not perfectly cleaned of old sizing lube OneShot will not work properly.

Lake City brass is harder than commercial brass and if it was fired in a machine gun sizing can be a headache.
Below are a few of my .223 dies, the two dies I use the most are the Forster and RCBS small base die, And the Lee collet die and Redding body dies just gather dust.

If Chesty Puller was here he would tell you to get a Forster FL die.

Uncle Ed,
No one likes a show off. LOL

 

[Uncle Ed]

Uncle Ed,
No one likes a show off. LOL

I'm not really a show off, I just try and remember what I read

And now more information, in a semi-auto and pump-action rifles the resized case body should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than its fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

Showing off is putting castor oil and magnum primers in the cattle feed.

 

[EOD Rob]

I'm not really a show off, I just try and remember what I read

And now more information, in a semi-auto and pump-action rifles the resized case body should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than its fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

Showing off is putting castor oil and magnum primers in the cattle feed.

Hahahaha!

 

[EOD Rob]

I'm not really a show off, I just try and remember what I read

And now more information, in a semi-auto and pump-action rifles the resized case body should be .003 to .005 smaller in diameter than its fired diameter. This allows the case to spring back from the chamber walls and extract reliably.

Showing off is putting castor oil and magnum primers in the cattle feed.

Good info to know! Thank you!

 

[MGYSGT]

Below is an image of three Forster .308 dies. and a small base die will reduce the case body diameter approximately .003 smaller in diameter. Meaning it does not just size the base of the case body smaller.

MGYSGT

Clean inside the die body with Hoppe's and then polish the die with a snug-fitting shotgun cleaning mop. Put the mop in a drill and use Flitz, J&B Bore paste, automotive rubbing compound, Mothers Mag and Wheel polish, any of the above, and polish the die.

If you are sizing once fired Lake City brass the case might have been fired in a machine gun with a "FAT" chamber. And you might need to size the case first in a standard FL .223 die that is larger in diameter.

If you wet tumbled the brass this increases friction when sizing. And if the die was not perfectly cleaned of old sizing lube OneShot will not work properly.

Lake City brass is harder than commercial brass and if it was fired in a machine gun sizing can be a headache.
Below are a few of my .223 dies, the two dies I use the most are the Forster and RCBS small base die, And the Lee collet die and Redding body dies just gather dust.

If Chesty Puller was here he would tell you to get a Forster FL die.

Thanks for the info. I did clean it and polish it. Works better now. I only have 3 sets of dies. 1 for each rifle, that way I never have to reset the dies for the different chambers and bullets.