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Posted: 11/2/2010 1:37:46 PM EDT
i just got my first reloading setup. single stage. and so far i tumbled a bunch o' brass and now i was deprimeing and resizeing the brass and yesterday i did about 100 cases. everything seemed fine (after i ruined my first die that is. no lube and a stuck case ). so today i starting deprimeing some more and after about ten cases i noticed that the neck (.223 brass) got a dimple and the next was worse. so i pulled the die out and cleaned it (though maybe somehow a piece of media might have been in there) but after i cleaned it, i got two more cases and then another dimple.
so i cleaned it again. two more cases and a dimple. needless to say those 3 pieces of brass are in the trash. but i cant figure otu whats going on. and while im thinking of it. this case lube is kinda a pain in the butt. i heard there are dies that you dont have to use lube on, but i searched on midways website and they are all steel (or am i just missing it). anyway im stopping till i can figure this out. dont feel like throwing any more brass away. thoughts? |
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i just got my first reloading setup. single stage. and so far i tumbled a bunch o' brass and now i was deprimeing and resizeing the brass and yesterday i did about 100 cases. everything seemed fine (after i ruined my first die that is. no lube and a stuck case ). so today i starting deprimeing some more and after about ten cases i noticed that the neck (.223 brass) got a dimple and the next was worse. so i pulled the die out and cleaned it (though maybe somehow a piece of media might have been in there) but after i cleaned it, i got two more cases and then another dimple.
so i cleaned it again. two more cases and a dimple. needless to say those 3 pieces of brass are in the trash. but i cant figure otu whats going on. and while im thinking of it. this case lube is kinda a pain in the butt. i heard there are dies that you dont have to use lube on, but i searched on midways website and they are all steel (or am i just missing it). Post pics and we can give you an idea if they're junk or not. anyway im stopping till i can figure this out. dont feel like throwing any more brass away. thoughts? First, I hope you saved that original die. You can use a stuck case remover to get the brass out, or send it back to the manufacturer for removal. Second, too much lube can cause dents in the case. Third, most dents from too much lube aren't catastrophic. I wouldn't use them for your .25 MOA uber-match loads, but they are generally safe to fire. The dents will pop out under ignition. Bottleneck cases - rifle and pistol - require lube. Carbide dies for straightwall cases generally do not require lube. |
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Case dimples can be caused by too much lube.
Get some Imperial Sizing Wax, and apply just a very small amount to the body of the case, and none to the neck area. If your necks need lube, dip them into a jar of graphite or, even better, Mica powder. For straight walled cases, like pistol cases, you can get carbide sizing dies that do not require lubricant. But for bottle necked cases, you need to lube the cases to prevent a stuck case. Imperial Sizing Wax only takes a very little and a small container will last for years. Edited to add: strat81 types faster than me.
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Quoted: i just got my first reloading setup. single stage. and so far i tumbled a bunch o' brass and now i was deprimeing and resizeing the brass and yesterday i did about 100 cases. everything seemed fine (after i ruined my first die that is. no lube and a stuck case ). so today i starting deprimeing some more and after about ten cases i noticed that the neck (.223 brass) got a dimple and the next was worse. so i pulled the die out and cleaned it (though maybe somehow a piece of media might have been in there) but after i cleaned it, i got two more cases and then another dimple.so i cleaned it again. two more cases and a dimple. needless to say those 3 pieces of brass are in the trash. but i cant figure otu whats going on. and while im thinking of it. this case lube is kinda a pain in the butt. i heard there are dies that you dont have to use lube on, but i searched on midways website and they are all steel (or am i just missing it). anyway im stopping till i can figure this out. dont feel like throwing any more brass away. thoughts? Too much lube now, "once bitten twice shy", the dimple in the brass wouldn't hurt anything. You still have to lube rifle brass used in carbide dies. No real way around the lubing of rifle brass, just something you need to get the hang of. |
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Hang onto the brass if the dimples are small. After you get a little experience you'll be able to load them, which will blow the dents out and save the cases.
All bottle neck cases must be lubricated before sizing, even when run through the (very expensive) carbide style dies. Straight wall pistol cases are typically sized in carbide dies without lube, but sometimes you'll find that lube makes the job a hundred times easier. I have to lube .30 Carbine cases for example; I haven't stuck one, but I've made them squeal, and that's too close to stuck for my comfort. If you're using the lube that came with a LEE kit, that is the only type I have ever dented a case with. Either get some Imperial and follow the method 7zero1 taught us up in the Gateway thread, or get a spray on lube such as Dillon or Midway. Or make your own. Avoid Hornady One Shot if you don't like stuck cases. If your cases were stuck hard enough there may be brass galled inside the die. Clean the die with a good copper removing bore cleaner. Brass left inside the die will aggravate galling and gradually get worse. |
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If you have new dies I suggest you take them apart and clean them well. There is a small vent hole at the neck area, very close to where the lock ring ends up. Sometimes new dies are clogged there with polishing agents. Take a straight pin or very small paper clip and push whatever gunk has accumulated in that small hole. Clean and lube and start over.
Anytime you are getting dent in the shoulder it's because there is too much lube and no place else for it to go. Sometimes simply spraying brake cleaner up inside the die will wash it out. Make sure you have lube on the first case going in the die after that, because there will be no lube left at all following a blast of brake cleaner. |
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I have never understood WHY this happens. I know the cause, but why/how does too much make the neck dimple? The lube is trapped in the shoulder area, and cannot escape. Being a liquid, it does not compress, so it dents the brass under pressure. Ahhh, the simplest answer is usually the right one. Thanks |
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finished deprimeing and re-sizeing a bag o' brass (probably about 500) and they all look great. i was deffinetly useing waaaaaaaaay too much lube. im useing lymans case lube. i found it a little goes a long way. eventually i could feel if a case was tight from not quite enough lube.
i even mic'ed some every now and then and compared against a factory round. now i have to trim then down. thanks for the help guys. leon |
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