My friend and I were working on some .223 brass he picked up at his range. This was all once fired WCC marked .223. They were fired from three different guns none of which were his.. Some of the brass sized up normally but about a dozen or so out of about a hundred were very difficult to size. We were using Hornady one shot lube on a Hornady LnL ap press. Also had Hornady full length sizing die. This is not a small base die a least not marked as such. There was lots of brass shaved onto the bottom of the case and it left a ridge where the die stopped, more on one side than all around the case.. I have loaded many rounds over the years and lots of 223 for my BM rifle.I use the one shot lube and RCBS dies and have never run into this issue before. Any thoughts on what might the issue be?
.223 Brass resizing difficulties
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FROGO207
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It's likely that there is some crud inside the ring of the shell holder or where it attaches to the press ram. This will allow the base of the bullet to get out of alignment with the die and shave off some of the brass as you are observing. A thorough cleaning of the grooves mentioned will most likely help a lot. Also if the heads of the brass are damaged this same thing can happen.
P-32
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It also seems One shot Sticks more cases than about any other lube, or at least reported on most gun boards.
I use RCBS case lube 2 on a lube pad. RCBS 2 wipes off with a damp rag.
I agree the problem is more than likly a dirty die. Might even be out of adjustment some how.
I don't generaly pick up range brass because I don't know the history of the brass. If GI brass still has a crimp, it tells you it's once fired. The other problem is ya don't know what kind of chamber/headspacing the range pick up was fired in.
I've found for my 233 sizing I need to turn the size die down 1.4 to 1/2 a turn futher down after adjusting the die so the bottom touched the shell holder with the ram all the way up. This would cause the press to have some "cam over." But the sized bras fit my Wildey chambers on my match AR's.
I use RCBS case lube 2 on a lube pad. RCBS 2 wipes off with a damp rag.
I agree the problem is more than likly a dirty die. Might even be out of adjustment some how.
I don't generaly pick up range brass because I don't know the history of the brass. If GI brass still has a crimp, it tells you it's once fired. The other problem is ya don't know what kind of chamber/headspacing the range pick up was fired in.
I've found for my 233 sizing I need to turn the size die down 1.4 to 1/2 a turn futher down after adjusting the die so the bottom touched the shell holder with the ram all the way up. This would cause the press to have some "cam over." But the sized bras fit my Wildey chambers on my match AR's.
OK Frog thanksfor the tip . I will take a look at the shellplate later when I get to my friends house. . Is it possible to bend one slot on a shellplate? Now I'm wondering if it was every fifth round that gave trouble. I was thinking maybe some of the case heads got a little bent in relation to the case but I'm not sure if thats possible. I use a Dillon 550 myself which I love and have owned for over 20 years. My buddy bought the Hornady LnL progressive which is a good press I think after using it to help him load a bunch of 45acp. Just not used to thinking in terms of auto index yet.
Recently, I have had some WCC cases that you not fit in my shell holder or shell plate. I do not remember the year stamp. It was a small quantity so I scrapped the cases instead of fighting them.
If the case is difficult to place in the shell plate, you may not seat it completely. Could be from a bent rim or the manufacture is a little off.
Use a magic marker and number the locations on the shell plate. Then you can identify if one location on the shell plate is the problem.
18 months to two years ago Hornady made some small design changes to the 223 Rem shell plate. I am afraid I forget the details but I got a replacement one and I have had fewer issues with the new one. There was some discussion on it in this forum back then.
If the case is difficult to place in the shell plate, you may not seat it completely. Could be from a bent rim or the manufacture is a little off.
Use a magic marker and number the locations on the shell plate. Then you can identify if one location on the shell plate is the problem.
18 months to two years ago Hornady made some small design changes to the 223 Rem shell plate. I am afraid I forget the details but I got a replacement one and I have had fewer issues with the new one. There was some discussion on it in this forum back then.
OK thanks to all for suggestions. I Will check the shellplate and have scrapped all the brass that didn't size right. I for one have long ago stopped picking up range brass and use only the ones that I buy and shoot. This way I know the history and origin of my brass. I have had too much doubt about range brass and quickly learned to pass it by. The only exception is if I see you next to me opening a fresh box of ammo and leaving your brass behind. I might pick that up, but if its already on the floor when I get there I leave it. Does anyone remember what problem Hornady had with their 223 shellplate?
Hondo 60
Member
I had a problem with PPU brass when I had a Pro 1000.
Some of it would stick tighter than ...
I've had zero problems since I bought another brand of press.
Some of it would stick tighter than ...
I've had zero problems since I bought another brand of press.
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