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Posted: 8/2/2009 4:16:37 PM EDT
I'm having problems with cases getting stuck. I can't seem to get my .308 LC brass to resize without a lot of problems. I did 50 or so with my lee .308 full length with no problems, but then I switched to a small base die by Redding and I can't keep them from getting stuck. I'm even using imperial sizing wax to no avail. any help?
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Try a little more lube. Check the interior of the dies to make sure they are properly finished. Since you've had stuck cases, you need to clean the dies with a copper remover to get any traces of brass left behind from galling as this will aggravate the problem.
Lube the full length of the cases, and add a tiny bit inside the case neck to eliminate stretching upon withdrawal of the expander button (if you're using one). |
I'm having a similar problem with my 1978 FL RCBS 30-06 dies. Decided to tumble some once fired brass and get to sizing. They get about half way in and then they get crazy tight. They were fired in my bolt gun, so should I just neck size them ? Got one stuck so bad it tore the rim off the case. Had to break out the tap-n-die set and pull it that way  For lube at first I was using PAM (works great for me in .223), then switched to RCBS lube, same thing. The die is clean as far as I can tell...
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| Have you switched sizing lubes without thoroughly cleaning the dies? Or neglect to thoroughly clean the dies before you started using them? Sometimes, if you switch between different kinds of lube, they may not be compatible with each other and they can cause sticking problems. It can be like not using lube at all. Also, some dies come with corrosion preventitive on them. It needs to be cleaned off before you try using them. |
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Quoted:
I clean my FL dies with denatured alcohol and Q tips. Why did you switch to a small-base die; were your reloaded rounds not chambering? No, my rounds chamber fine. I started using the small base die because of a article I read by glen Zediker. I'm loading for an M1A and he recommends using a small base die for this rifle. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I clean my FL dies with denatured alcohol and Q tips. Why did you switch to a small-base die; were your reloaded rounds not chambering? No, my rounds chamber fine. I started using the small base die because of a article I read by glen Zediker. I'm loading for an M1A and he recommends using a small base die for this rifle. Unless you're having problems with your sized cases chambering, there's no need to use small-base dies. Maybe Glen's M1A has a tight chamber, but in general box magazine fed autoloaders like M1As and ARs do NOT need this special handling. It overworks the brass, giving you shorter life without providing any real benefit. Back to the original question: CLEAN THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF THE DIE. Pull the die out of the press and clean it very thoroughly. I'd start with a BATH in rubbing alcohol (assuming Imperial Sizing Wax dissolves with alcohol), then swab it out thoroughly with Q-tips to get all the lube out. THEN maybe chuck a ball of 0000 steel wool onto a drill and polish the insides of the die-because you may have scratched it. But do try going back to the original sizing die and determine if your loads chamber, then ONLY if you have real problems go to a small base die. |
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Read this page from Redding, http://www.redding-reloading.com/techlinepages/casedenting.htm...make sure you've throughly cleaned the die.
Is your .308 brass fired from your rifle or is it virgin brass, or possibly fired from a M-60 or such? And out of curiousity, did you try to resize the brass that was resized ( and un-fired) from your Lee die? In a sense, resizing the brass twice. And try to resize the brass with the neck expander/decapper out of the die, maybe that isn't quite right. |
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