Tight necks ?

[oldokie]

Need some insight on a new to me problem. Had a box of Winchester Supreme nickle plated 243 cases I had worked up and started to load, when I started seating the bullets they were extremely hard to seat. So much so the copper was slightly peeled on the bullets.I was trying to seat 87gn V-max's. I only use classic Lee loaders with a modified arbor press instead of the hammer but I have loaded hundreds of rounds of 223 and quite a few 243's and never run across this problem. What's happening ?

 

[Laurie]

Nickel plating! It changes the metallurgy of the brass underneath. Some people find them OK to reuse, but your problem is a common one. It also makes the neck more brittle and hence likely to split after a firing or two.

I've got some Federal 7mm-08 nickel plated cases that gave exactly this result too. They look pretty, but are IMO best avoided.

Do a search on the subject in the forums. It's an issue that has been raised before, and some interesting points came out from those with expertise in the subject.

 

[jonbearman]

Does this hand (lee) loader size and expand at the same time.Measure the inside of the neck and see what the difference isin how much undersize the sized neck really is.If it is more than .004 under,you better chamfer the case real good to get it started.Laurie is right but do the checks anyways.

 

[oldokie]

Didn't do any research on nickle before I started, guess I better get busy. Necks were chamfered but Lee does not expand neck. Think I'll toss these, twenty primers is not a huge loss and with reloading safe is always better than sorry. Thanks for the info.

 

[stool]

lee loaders do not expand as a rule, only compress the neck.

the knock out rod is typically of a dia to open the neck up if dinged.

it is designed as a one gun tool, one lot of brass for one rifle.


sounds like you need to chamfer the necks a bit to get the bullet started....

the nickle is actually slicker than the brass....so clean the neck chamfer, reclean and then try seating