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1/4 of my cases won't resize

wheelchairman

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 5, 2008
119
0
Lebanon Mo
I'm going through my spent 223 brass that is a mixture of range pickup and known once fired by me. Of this I started with a batch of 100...

Some of the cases that won't resize feel like the depriming rod is hitting the case itself. Just a solid stop. This is happening only with remington cases with red paste on primer pocket.

Others that won't resize start out good but then it gets to hard to push. The die leaves a nice line around the case about 3/16 from the case head. This is happening on PMC and Hornady cases.

I'm lubing the crap out of the cases inside and out so I know it's not a lube issue. At first I thought it was so I literally dipped the case into the dillon case lube to only get identical results. The good news is that the cases that resize fine go smooth as silk and will chamber smooth as silk. I just want more cases to not be scrapped.

In case it helps I'm loading on a dillon 550
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Have you called Dillon's 800 number and asked them? What dies are you using?
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

the primers are crimped. There are special tools for removing the primer. You may be able to get some out with a regular decapping tool but most likely you will break the pin. Dillon swage tool will get the job done. RCBS makes one too.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

No I have not. I figured I'd ask here first while I'm making lunch.

I'm using Dillon dies non carbide.

ETA: I wouldn't think Rem cases to be crimped. I figured any LC cases would be but not Rem.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

The Dillon swage tool won't remove the primer. It will remove the excess crimp after depriming making it easy/possible to reprime Get a Lee universal decapper die. Cheap and hard to break. If after you remove the primer and you try to size the case and it won't...then you have a different problem. In that case, send a half dozen of the non-resizeable cases and your die to Dillon and let them sort it out. By the way, I've never had a crimped primer make it impossible to resize. There may be some other issue witht the cases...such as an undersized flash hole or severely off center flash hole in the pocket. Use a strong flashlight and look down in a bad case and see what you can on/about the flash hole and compare it to a resizeable case. JMHO
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Yes I got a little ahead of myself. I have used the Lee tool but broke that too. Get a few extra pins.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Try some imperial wax or paste-type lube.

Are you positive that the die is set up correctly?
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize



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Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Good pictures. Much expansion. Maybe fired in machine gun? Anyway, send them to Dillon. Or, if you have a buddy that has a different set of dies, try them. The lead in on that sizing die looks a bit abrupt.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

those cases look like the problem is in the chamber,too much expansion. what were they fired from? machine gun?
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

I believe the ones that look bulged at the bottom to be range pick ups and possibly from a saiga or very shot out ar.

I sized another batch and of the 50ish only 4 were like this. None of these 50 resisted the primer coming out.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wheelchairman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


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Whats up with the primer pocket on the left case? Maybe it is caused by the angle of the photo.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

I just re-read your post again, and even thought you are lubing the crap out of them, i see how they are bulging. Have you used the die before, i have had a couple over the years that were out of specification.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

It might just me or the angle of the picture, but the decapping pin does not appear to be centered.

I agree that you are having to size those bulged cases a LOT.

Could the hard stop be the decap pin not aligning with the flash hole? From the picture where the sizing stops appear to roughly equal where the decap pin would impact the web.

Just out of curiosity, when resizing/decapping one of the problem cases have you tried to rotate the case a quarter turn in the shell holder and try again? Just in case the flash hole or decap pin are not initially aligned.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

You can remove the de-cap pin, punch the primer out then size a few cases to determine if you still have the problem.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Are you perhaps using small base dies? With those cases being bulged from a loose chamber, you'd be hard pressed (no pun intended) to get them into SB dies...

Just a thought...
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

I never tried to rotate the case to see if the decap pin just wasn't lining up. I doubt that was the case becase those that did the hard stop were all the same casehead. I can't see into them but I'm betting on berdian cases like what has been suggested.

I have done other cases that seem to be fine and all so I'm positive it's the cases being range pickup not the die.

On a good note: I arrived home to find my 600 Hornady 75 grain BTHP were delivered a day early from midway. Looks like I gotta get to trimming so saturday I can load!
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

Well...to set that issue to rest, take one of the cases that you can't use and cut it off 1/2 inch from the head and look inside. If you have two flash holes, it is Berdan. If not, you can see where the decapping pin may be hitting the inside of the head...and you can ascertain whether the flash hole is off center or not. Inquiring minds want to know!
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oldgrayone</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
wheelchairman said:
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I am wondering what the problem is with the WCC case on the left, looks like ejector marks and the rim is messed up.Maybe someone done a home rechamber job on something like an H&R 22 hornet to 223 conversion.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

i once haad the same problem with 308 brass that I was given that was LC brass fired in an M 60. Case heads were so swollen they would not resize and looked just like your photos when I tried to resize them.
 
Re: 1/4 of my cases won't resize

I've resized brass that was bulged pretty bad like that. Brass is soft, steel dies are hard. that brass will press back into shape. Make sure your shell plate is touching the die at the top of the stroke so that the case is being resized as far up to the case head as possible.


the only solid stops I've come to on my dillon were when the case wasn't pressed all the way into the shell plate and the case hit the rim of the resizing die. Maybe a few times there was a stubborn primer, but nothing that sufficient lube and more pressure wouldn't take care of.