Redding Small Base Body Die Issues (223)

[cowboyarcher]

Hi All,

I recently got a batch of ammo that I was having issues cycling in an AR15. I assumed it was a sizing issue after bumping the bullets back some and crimping the necks. So I ordered a Redding Small Bases Body die hoping to be able to size the loaded ammo. I'm having cases stick in the die and am having a hard time pin pointing what is causing this? Cases are also very difficult to size and I have to work them in and out of the die in order to get the whole case sized. . . I have it adjusted to touch the shell plate and am using RCBS case lube on their roll on pad.

Any thoughts fellas?

Thanks and God bless you,

Adam

 

[fdshuster]

Adam: I've had similar problems with a Redding small base body die in 6BR. For me, it's simply not putting enough lube (Imperial Die Sizing Wax) on the cases.

Does the case make a "squawking" noise when you run it into the sizer? Mine do, and at the first "squawk" I add more lube & all is normal.

 

[cowboyarcher]

No squawking or other strange noises. . .

I was thinking it might be a lube related issue, but was having stuck cases right away and never have stuck one in another die so thought I might have missed something with this particular die style. I'll be sure to use sufficient lube and pay better attention to that part of the operation.

Thanks!

 

[Shynloco]

Cowboy,
Had the same issue and changed lubes to RCBS-2 Lubricant which has a much better viscosity than does Imperial Sizing Wax. Mine was a .308 base issue and changing to the RCBS lube cured the problem instantly.

Alex

 

[bigedp51]

cowboyarcher

I had the same die and the same problem, I then cleaned the die with acetone to remove the preservative. I initially just used a dry paper towel inside the die and thought that it was good enough because I saw no grease or oil on the paper towel.

I didn't buy the Redding small base die because of chambering problems, I bought the die because some of my full length resized cases were short in cartridge headspace and I thought the die would squeeze them more and make them longer.

The majority of AR15 rifles have military type chambers that are .002 larger in diameter than a SAAMI .223 chamber. Meaning a small base die is over kill and not needed unless you buy military cases that were fired in a M249 machine gun. I'm loading for three AR15 rifles and do NOT need to use small base dies.

Below, the base diameter (C) of the AR15 chamber is .002 larger than the SAAMI .223 chamber.

 

[cowboyarcher]

Thanks for the tip on cleaning the die too. I too saw that in the instructions, but could not see grease or oil so assumed it was GTG. That chart is great to visualize just where the differences are in the 223 and the 556 dimensionally.

I went small based b/c I figured having AR's around that it just sounded like a good idea. I've since realized it may just overwork the brass unnecessarily. I hope to only need to use the body die those in cases like this where an odd batch of ammo seems to have been improperly sized in an effort to make it shoot-able. I figured after it was fired it would size just like any other brass in my standard decapping/FL die. I may have been taken by the marketing on this one though.

Thanks again fellas, I always get good help around here!

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I've been using Redding S-type Bushing FL S/B dies in .223 and .308 for several years now. I originally bought oe in .223 after installing a new barrel in my Match AR. The barrel was chambered by Krieger as their 5.56 NATO match and it was very tight. The prior barrel had a Wylde chamber and in it I had used brass that I wanted to continue using in my new barrel. It was Lapua brass and had had no more 2-3 firings in the Wylde chamber.

When I started shooting this brass in the new barrel, I was getting ejection problems, to the point where the case stayed in the chamber and I had to push it out with a cleaning rod. I immediately ordered a small base FL die as well as a small base body die, all Redding. The first thing I noticed is that either die squealed when I tried to resize this brass; it was very difficult to push trhough but I did not stick a case. Imperial wax is great stuff.

Anyway, the ned result is that it made no difference, I could not shrink back the case to provide dependable cycling and even after a few trips through the SB die, the Lapua cases would not fit in the guage that I used. Sadly, I relegated 200 Lapua cases to another AR with a Wyle chamber and I bought a mess of Winchester virgin brass for the new barrel. I used the small base die immediately after the first firing (I never resize virgin brass,) and for every firing after that and never had a single problem with ejection.

A couple years later I moved to a .308 rifle and it also had a tight chamber. I got a .308 small base Redding Type S F/L die for it and for that one I got 500 Lapua virgin brass cases and treated them the same way as above from the beginning. I never had a single chambering or extraction problem and when I built yet another .308 F-TR rifle, I retired the brass after 8 full power firings. Just for grins, I measured the cases at various points and the 8-fired brass was dead-nuts on to the specs. The brass even fits beautifully in the guage. I have never had to push hard on the handle to resize using the small base dies, I can push it with two fingers. Case life is excellent.

The conclusion that I reached at the time was that small base dies do their job if you use them from the first resizing operation on; they will maintain the small OD that you seek. What small base dies will not do for you is fix a problem several firing cycles later and you will definitely be pushing hard on the handle to accomplish nothing.

I am totally sold on small base dies and will never use anything else again for rifle rounds with heavy brass usage.

 

[cowboyarcher]

Ran about 400 rounds through it today without a problem. I did not clean the die out, but used more case lube than before. I am thinking there is some break in w/the RCBS lube pad getting it saturated.

Thanks for all the tips fellas, will get out to see how they shoot Sunday afternoon. . .

 

[cowboyarcher]

Did not get out to check the ammo until today, but running it through the SB Body die seems to have solved the problem. They fed and functioned without issue, thanks again for the help fellas!

 

[treeman]

interesting thread... thought I'd share my experience with small base die in 30-06. bought some lc military brass once fired sized in regular hornady die and it didn't want to chaber so i got out an RCBS sb die. it didn't size the base any smaller but sized the shoulder about .004" smaller . the brass then chambered fine... who would have known?

 

[Beau]

I think I'd sell that die. I seriously doubt that you need it, it is just over working the brass.

Go back to your old die, trim your cases and check your headspace. Size to headspace - .003" using a Hornady/Stoney Point gauge.