Simple tip to avoid stuck brass in size die

[ireload2]

I have a Herter's 7X57 die that will pull the rim off of almost any case regardless of the amount of lube that is used. The die does not have a very good internal finish and it is about .004 smaller than other 7X57 dies at the shoulder. If you run into a 50 year old die that looks new, beware that there may be a good reason for it to be unused.
There are not too many good rules when there is such a wide variety of cases, dies, shell holders, brass, lubricants and rifle chambers.
Revolver shooters have no idea why rifle shooters have problems because they only size small cases with big rims. The same goes for those of us that size 45-70 and 50-70. The big rims never pull off. With .223/ 5.56 rims - beware.

I always clean my dies out with automotive mass airflow sensor solvent about every 50 sizings or so. Dont like a lot of lube "in" the die. If cases are sizing hard enought to stick with proper lube, probably best to check your reamer or chamber dimensions.



I fully clean the inside of my dies using automotive MAF cleaner. Never pre-lube my dies before use. If fired cases are sizing hard enough to get stuck in a clean die when using a good lube like imperial wax or whatever else, you probably have a chamber that is out of spec. I've seen this with factory rifles, but even then, I've never stuck a case that was lubed properly.

I will usually lube the entire body and shoulder of the first case in a clean die. After that, I just hit the shoulder and about half way down the body. No issues

 

[jlow]

This was my first thought!!!!

Exactly correct. I have NEVER had a stuck case when I use this stuff.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I have a Herter's 7X57 die that will pull the rim off of almost any case regardless of the amount of lube that is used. The die does not have a very good internal finish and it is about .004 smaller than other 7X57 dies at the shoulder. If you run into a 50 year old die that looks new, beware that there may be a good reason for it to be unused.
There are not too many good rules when there is such a wide variety of cases, dies, shell holders, brass, lubricants and rifle chambers.
Revolver shooters have no idea why rifle shooters have problems because they only size small cases with big rims. The same goes for those of us that size 45-70 and 50-70. The big rims never pull off. With .223/ 5.56 rims - beware.

Would be nice if die manufacturers gave folks the option of nitride coatings in their rifle dies like they do for handgun dies. Though you might still have to use lube with the longer cases

 

[XBBR Shooter]

Would be nice if die manufacturers gave folks the option of nitride coatings in their rifle dies like they do for handgun dies. Though you might still have to use lube with the longer cases

Hard coatings do not change the need for case lubrication - tapered cases with bottlenecks will stick if they are not lubed.

 

[jlow]

Hard coatings do not change the need for case lubrication - tapered cases with bottlenecks will stick if they are not lubed.

Agreed! Even carbide dies like the ones I use in pistol sometimes gets iffy...

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Hard coatings do not change the need for case lubrication - tapered cases with bottlenecks will stick if they are not lubed.

Yeah, I figured it would still need to be lubed on bigger rifles cases. But I don't need to lube brass for 10mm, 40 S&W, 44 Mag, etc with nitride dies. So I was thinking that it might work for some of the smaller rifle cartridges like 22 Hornet, 17 AH, 221 FB, 20 VT, and maybe 223 family cases. Though I still wouldn't really trust it with factory chambers. Definitely would want to use it with custom barrels having chambers made with my own reamers (make them tighter than SAAMI) so I know the dimensions arent at a point where excessive FL re-sizing is taking place.

 

[CaptainMal]

Think it's a good tip. Thanks.

 

[carl1575]

I am 77 and started with my Dad when I was about 13, so I have been doing it a while also. Back then you were really on your own, one little reloading book and here we go. I know me and my Dad made every mistake you could make short of blowing a gun up. Opening up a bolt with a block of wood and a hammer, holes in primers, you know just little things like that. And that's what we though they were, little things. Any one on this site can learn more in a couple of nights about reloading-shooting than we learned in a couple of years. We are all very lucky to have all this combined knowledge at our finger tips, I for one am going to try his tip on preventing stuck cases Thanks for the tip Carl in Yakima

 

[Lou Tenant]

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I am 77 and started with my Dad when I was about 13, so I have been doing it a while also. Back then you were really on your own, one little reloading book and here we go. I know me and my Dad made every mistake you could make short of blowing a gun up. Opening up a bolt with a block of wood and a hammer, holes in primers, you know just little things like that. And that's what we though they were, little things. Any one on this site can learn more in a couple of nights about reloading-shooting than we learned in a couple of years. We are all very lucky to have all this combined knowledge at our finger tips, I for one am going to try his tip on preventing stuck cases Thanks for the tip Carl in Yakima

Do you still have any of the really old reloading manuals? Remember how much heavier some of the listed max charges were? I remember that some of the old manuals had as much as 3 full grains more than current manuals listed for max charges in some cases. Probably explains a lot of the pierced primers and stuck bolts

I learned through trial and error as well. Before any Internet forums existed. Beat a few bolt handles open myself.

 

[MarkS]

I never realized there would be so much confusion on such a simple tip. Lube you cases as you always do. The tip was just to address what might be a tight fit on a the first fired case when you first start to size your cases.

I continue to learn the danger of leaving tips of any kind. That is on me. You never know the experience of the person reading the tip or whether they read something into the tip that you never intended -- sometimes because the author of the tip did not make it clear -- that would be me. With that in mind, there is a reason to post and not to post. I have found them both. To those who found the tip useful I hope it helps. To those that did not find the tip helpful, I also hope that helps in some way.

Sincerely,
Jim Hardy

Jim,
Great tip. There are 2 kinds for reloaders " The ones that have stuck a case in a die, and ones who will stick a case in a die. I went 30 years before I stuck one, it happens.

Mark Schronce

 

[Tuxedo007]

I never realized there would be so much confusion on such a simple tip. Lube you cases as you always do. The tip was just to address what might be a tight fit on a the first fired case when you first start to size your cases.

I continue to learn the danger of leaving tips of any kind. That is on me. You never know the experience of the person reading the tip or whether they read something into the tip that you never intended -- sometimes because the author of the tip did not make it clear -- that would be me. With that in mind, there is a reason to post and not to post. I have found them both. To those who found the tip useful I hope it helps. To those that did not find the tip helpful, I also hope that helps in some way.

Sincerely,
Jim Hardy

Jim,
This is a very good tip!! I too fail to comprehend the confusion myself! It has been a long time (50 yrs +) since I stuck a case. I learned from the 1st time to be sure of very important items!! Apparently, this is lost on some people & thus they are forced to repeat things since they did not learn from them the first time around! Please don't stop posting tips...there are many who appreciate them!

Regards,
Tuxedo007

 

[Tuxedo007]

Do you still have any of the really old reloading manuals? Remember how much heavier some of the listed max charges were? I remember that some of the old manuals had as much as 3 full grains more than current manuals listed for max charges in some cases. Probably explains a lot of the pierced primers and stuck bolts

I learned through trial and error as well. Before any Internet forums existed. Beat a few bolt handles open myself.

I'm not too far behind you(73). You are absolutely right! I have beat open a few bolt handles myself!