stuck case removal

[jec]

I have some 6mmbr lapua brass that has several reloadings on it. The other day I had a case head pull off leaving the case stuck in the die. I know about stuck case removers, but the seem to be for cases that only have the rim pulled of not the entire head. What are my options for removal. FYI the case did not feed hard into the die so it was not a lube issue. Thanks Jason

 

[Rustystud]

Try using a cleaning brush for a 50 caliber muzzle loader. They usually come right out. If not a push a 6mm cleaning rod half way through the neck and see if it will come out. It that does not work I use a Threading tap with course theads and screw it into the brass. Then pull it out. This usually requires removing the barrel from the action.
Nat Lambeth

 

[MrMajestic]

Sounds like case head separation. After it is removed(I like the tap idea) you might want to check the rest of your cases and your sizing/shoulder bump amount. After ultra-sonic cleaning of a batch of cases I found 3-6.5X47L cases and 4-.223AI cases with the dreaded lines/cracks around the case and were immediately culled. With a bent paper clip I could feel the separation inside the case.
If this does not apply please disregard! ;D

 

[spclark]

I've used a 308 bronze bore brush to pull left-behind 6HAGAR case fronts out of my spacegun. Small enough to force thru the neck, large enough to provide resistance in the back stroke.

50 cal seems like overkill but may work if used carefully.

 

[ukshooter]

Try this link.
http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/reloading/reloading2.html

 

[K22]

Agree with Mr. Majestic, this sounds like the case head was on the verge of separation so much so that the force needed to remove the case from the die caused it to separate.

I would examine my other cases for incipetant case separation and review my sizing procedure to make sure that you are not oversizing your cases. You may want to have a gunsmith check the headspace on the rifle also.

Sorry, can't advise on case removal but I would be more concerned with a potential problem of case separation.

 

[itchyTF]

Maybe you could try removing the decapping rod, jam some kind of a plug in the top of the die to the top of the neck, heat the die in the oven to maybe 200 deg (don't think that will affect the hardness of the die) then remove quickly and pour cold water in the bottom of the die and tap the die to hopefully drop the case out. If it doesn't come out on its own, maybe you'll need to tap it, repeat the above process then use the tap to pull it out.

I can't say from experience that this will work but thought it's worth a try if you have no luck with anything else.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Or, stick the die in the freezer. The metals will contract and expand at different rates. Might help getting the broken case out?

 

[jec]

Thank you for the responses. I am sure I dont have a headspace issue. I have .001 headspace from bolt/breach face. The gun is a custom encore. rounds fires from an encore will stretch more than a standard bolt gun due to the frame stretching. This can allow the round to grow as much as .010. Mine go from 1.157 sized and ready to shoot to 1.161 when fired. So that constant back and forth has caused me to have a few case heads separate. Usually not a big deal till it gets stuck in the die. I think I may try something with cold and heat.

 

[K22]

Thank you for the responses. I am sure I dont have a headspace issue. I have .001 headspace from bolt/breach face. The gun is a custom encore. rounds fires from an encore will stretch more than a standard bolt gun due to the frame stretching. This can allow the round to grow as much as .010. Mine go from 1.157 sized and ready to shoot to 1.161 when fired. So that constant back and forth has caused me to have a few case heads separate. Usually not a big deal till it gets stuck in the die. I think I may try something with cold and heat.

Case head separation is a big deal; it's like playing Russian Roulette. I have a friend who has the same issue with a 243 in the same kind of rifle, a break open action. After only one reload there is evidence of incieptant case separation, a thin line around the base of the case forward the head. I'm no gunsmith but I'd have this examined, including your fire cases by a competant rifle smith.

 

[bigedp51]

On a .303 British Enfield a fired case would be forced into the separated case in the chamber and then the bolt would be pulled to the rear. If that didn't work a stuck case remover would be used.

A case head separation is not the same as a catastrophic case failure, below is a Enfield rifle and a .303 case that is ready to separate. The action has been wrapped with paper over the chamber vent holes.

As you can see below the paper was not blown to smithereens and the biggest damage was scorched marks on the paper.

 

[NorCalMikie]

I had thought of mentioning a "broken case extractor" but I figured there wouldn't be enough room in front of the case neck for the extractor to get a bite? And you would need a way to grip the extractor to get a pull without distroying it. The case is in a reloading die and not a chamber. There's the problem.
And I just happen to have a 6BR "broken case extractor". 8)

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I asked the OP privately if he made it a practice to resize his virgin brass before first use and he replied back that does indeed resize his virgin brass.

As I explained in an earlier thread, resizing virgin brass is a practice that will shorten the life of your brass by creating a headspace problem where none existed. Virgin brass is a minimum specs and the only thing that you can accomplish by resizing this virgin brass is to push the shoulder of a minimum size case further back thus creating the headspace problem.

The better practice is to round out the mouth with a mandrel, chamfer and deburr the mouth if needed (as in non-Lapua brass), pop the chad in the flash hole (again, if non-Lapua brass) and then load powder, seat bullet and go shooting. You will then adjust your sizing die to push the fired case's shoulder back to either virgin case dimension (minimum) or just a few thousandths from fired dimension.

Never. Resize. Virgin. Brass.

 

[OKIE2]

I had the same thing happen to me.
after trying different ways to no avail.
removed sizing ball & stem.
I sanded the inside of case to clean all carbon to shining brass
plugged the neck with patch
then poured it full of cerrosafe then used drift punch from top of die
the case came reight out

 

[ED3]

Try this link.
http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/reloading/reloading2.html

Realizing fully that the above was posted more than 6 years ago, I nonetheless want to announce my appreciation for the information.

After soaking the die overnight in Kroil, the process worked flawlessly.

 

[Texas10]

I start by drilling out the head of the brass with progressively larger drills until the web portion of the brass casing is so thin it cannot hold itself tight against the die. The drill never touches the hard face of the die before the case gives up and comes loose. Takes about 10 minutes if you're being careful.