Damn it!!

[savages]

Part stupidity, part one shot, caused the stuck 308 case in my RCBS resizing die.

After I got it out I ran another one in to see if I had hurt the re-sizer die its self.

Shit...
So much for reloading 308 this weekend.

I've gotten a few stuck over the years but this one took the cake.

Anyone else ever ruined a die from getting a stuck case out?

 

[HANDYMAN]

I keep a 1/4in bit and 1/4x20 tap on hand and simply drill then tap the primer hole then run a bolt in with a nut over the case to pull on it.

 

[UNCIVILIZED]

Dare I ask, other than insufficent lube, how this happened exactly?

 

[savages]

Distraction. Should have just closed the door to the man cave before I started.

 

[milo 2.0]

What did you do, pry it out with a screw driver. If you're worried about scratch marks inside the die, take some 0000 steel wool or some scotchbright wrapped around a cleaning eye and chuck it up in a drill, put some flitz on it and polish it. Might come out fine.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Don't feel bad.

I stuck cases into two 308 dies in a row.

Using some ~12 year old Dillon spray lube with a RCBS die and bam! Got out the spare Hornady sizer and bam bam!

Couldn't have been more than 10 minutes total, back to back! I sucked that day.

RCBS and Hornady fixed up the dies for free, but I chucked that Dillon stuff into the trash and bought a new bottle.

Chris

 

[savages]

What did you do, pry it out with a screw driver. If you're worried about scratch marks inside the die, take some 0000 steel wool or some scotchbright wrapped around a cleaning eye and chuck it up in a drill, put some flitz on it and polish it. Might come out fine.

Ahhh so your familiar with the screw driver technique.
I will try the polish idea, not holding my breath though.

Chris, you bring up a good point. Time for some new case lube since mine is a few years old.

 

[XOR]

I did this for the first time ever just last month. A case didn't have enough lube and it got stuck in my RCBS die. I unscrewed the expander ball adjustment up top and that allowed the expander ball to fall into the case. I then used a drift punch from the top and a light tap from a hammer and it popped right out with (thankfully) no damage.

 

[NoFail]

Do what Handyman said. Works like a charm and actually very easy when you have the right simple hardware and the drill and tap. I use 6mm.

 

[milo 2.0]

Ahhh so your familiar with the screw driver technique.
I will try the polish idea, not holding my breath though.

Chris, you bring up a good point. Time for some new case lube since mine is a few years old.

I have the stuck case kit, but tried to walk a guy through the screwdriver technique last week, what a dumb ass I can be!
Dies are so hardened you really can't remove too much material.

 

[Macmathews]

I have the stuck case kit, but tried to walk a guy through the screwdriver technique last week, what a dumb ass I can be!
Dies are so hardened you really can't remove too much material.

Not sure I agree with this. Removing thousands of an inch from anything is easy with sand paper and power tools.

Kyle

 

[cobravenom39]

Ah, this happened to me a month ago. I didn't have the "kit," but since I use the lock n load setup, I turned the bushing die over and used a huge washer as the counter to "unscrew" it after tapping.

 

[JGorski]

Part stupidity, part one shot, caused the stuck 308 case in my RCBS resizing die.

After I got it out I ran another one in to see if I had hurt the re-sizer die its self.

Shit...
So much for reloading 308 this weekend.

I've gotten a few stuck over the years but this one took the cake.

Anyone else ever ruined a die from getting a stuck case out?

Nope, I was careful not to touch the inside of the die when getting the shell out, next time use Hornadys Unique lube, works like Imperial, much cheaper. You dont need much.

 

[milo 2.0]

Not sure I agree with this. Removing thousands of an inch from anything is easy with sand paper and power tools.

Kyle

Scotchbrite and steel wool are a far cry from sandpaper, and he really has nothing to lose.

 

[msiebert]

I have been resizing cases since 1980 and lately {last year or so} I get a stuck case or one that tries to stick on the first one I try. I have used two different types of lube, one a spray the other a roll on. It happens with 223 and 308 and for some strange reason it's always the first round I try in a new batch. I have even tried spraying lube up into the resize die body. In fact I can do a tray of cases and the first case on the next tray will try to stick. Follow on cases run with little efort. Anyone else have this issue???? Even if I roll the first case in Imperial it still feels harder than the rest and occasionally I get one in the middle of a tray that will feel tight.

 

[milo 2.0]

It's the base of the case that needs lube more so than the neck or shoulder area. Try tipping your cases upside down in your tray and spraying them, if it gets tough coming back though the expander, put some lube on the inside of case neck with a q-tip, every 10th one or so.
The first case is always touchy, the die has no lube, or it has old built up lube, a guy should really clean them after use. If one is tough after doing some, lower it and rotate it 90 degrees, it'll slip right in.
As for in between trays, the time it takes to load and spray, the lube inside the die has dried up, just put extra on the first case to be sized. Go slow, it's not a race.

Also, you really need to shake the spray lube up, shit settles while sitting.

 

[savages]

Preparation for next time.

RCBS is sending me all new parts minus the die. That I have to send to them so they can inspect and try to polish it.