Help with a stuck case

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Alright so I need some advice on removing this case. Before anyone comments, the case was lubed inside and out. I really have no idea how to remove this.:banghead: This is the one day out of the week I can reload.:banghead:

Below are a few reference pics. Any and all advice is appreciated.



Sorry about the blur on this one, my camera refused to focus.

 

[788Ham]

My first question is: Why did you lube the inside of the case? IF you get it out, you'll have to run something inside the case to clean the oil out of it, you'll get the powder all funked out and won't go off when the primer goes off !

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

My first question is: Why did you lube the inside of the case? IF you get it out, you'll have to run something inside the case to clean the oil out of it, you'll get the powder all funked out and won't go off when the primer goes off !

I didn't lube the complete inside of the case. Just the first bit of the neck.

 

[savanahsdad]

what brand of die is that , if it is a lee your in luck , just tap the case out with the deprime rod

 

[jmorris]

Who made the die?

If it is a Dillon, remove the clip and turn the hex down until it ejects.

If it is a Lee, back off the collet and drive the pin down with a brass drift or hammer.

There are other methods where you can drill and tap the case to remove.

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

The die is made by Lee. I saw the method of drilling and tapping to remove the case, but the depriming pin is literally in the flash hole of the case. I will give the hammer a go. Do i remove the collet completely or just loosen it up?

 

[savanahsdad]

just back it off a bit , put the die in your press and tap it out

 

[wgaynor]

Just remove it completely. It'll come out. Then drive out the pin.

 

[savanahsdad]

I see you have some small rust spots on the base of that die , if there are any in the die buff them out , that may be why the case stuck in the first place , and it looks like you broke your decap pin ,

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

Awesome everyone! thanks again for the help. What are the chances that Im going to need a new pin? Cant wake up the family to hit this thing yet, so it will have to wait until the morning.

 

[savanahsdad]

Just remove it completely. It'll come out. Then drive out the pin.

why would he drive out the pin ? that is what he will use to drive out the case , , it is a lee die , back off, tap out brass , reset pin , done ,

 

[savanahsdad]

Awesome everyone! thanks again for the help. What are the chances that Im going to need a new pin? Cant wake up the family to hit this thing yet, so it will have to wait until the morning.

chances of needed new pin ,.. great !

 

[tly999]

Generic instructions with good photos:

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=463


There is no reason to buy the stuck cast removal tools from RCBS, etc. All you really need is a 2 inch long bolt and matching nut with 1/4 inch threads, a tap with matching threads, a few washers and a socket from your toolbox.

After removing the decaping pin you drill out the primer pocket and then tap it to match the bolt threads. You then put the nut on the bolt, put on the washer and then the socket. The socket fits over the shellcase but is smaller than the die diameter. Thread the bolt into the shellcase and then screw down the nut, which pulls the shellcase out.

Good luck.

Terry

 

[savanahsdad]

Generic instructions with good photos:

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=463


There is no reason to buy the stuck cast removal tools from RCBS, etc. All you really need is a 2 inch long bolt and matching nut with 1/4 inch threads, a tap with matching threads, a few washers and a socket from your toolbox.

After removing the decaping pin you drill out the primer pocket and then tap it to match the bolt threads. You then put the nut on the bolt, put on the washer and then the socket. The socket fits over the shellcase but is smaller than the die diameter. Thread the bolt into the shellcase and then screw down the nut, which pulls the shellcase out.

Good luck.

Terry

yep, thats what you do for a RCBS , Redding, Lymam or horandy, but with a LEE you just drive the case out with the de-caping pin , lee's de-caping pins are not threded , so they will work like a punch to drive the case out , no need to even remove the die from the press,

 

[Fire_Moose]

Just a note. I tried removing a stuck 308 case from a FL sizer Lee die. The top of the decap appung pin became terribly mushroomed and it still didn't work. Someone recommended putting a spent 22 case over the top first. Haven't tried that yet

Sent from my CZ85 Combat

 

[savanahsdad]

Just a note. I tried removing a stuck 308 case from a FL sizer Lee die. The top of the decap appung pin became terribly mushroomed and it still didn't work. Someone recommended putting a spent 22 case over the top first. Haven't tried that yet

Sent from my CZ85 Combat

WOW,,, never got one that stuck !, I guess at the poit you get out the drill and tap

 

[jmorris]

As you have a Lee .223 die you will have to remove the case before you will be able to remove the decaping pin/expander unless you have already swapped it for another, as there is little chance that you could pull it back through the case with it in the die.

The "fat" expander won't come back out with the case inside the die. It is this reason that you will most likely ruin the decapping pin if you try the drill/tap method with these dies. You would be better off spending your money shipping it back to Lee at that point, as they will remove it for free, before buying a drill and tap.

.223 pin/expander is on the left in this photo. Non expanding pin in the center.



If you don't use a brass hammer or drift, aluminum or other soft metal will work too, you will damage the top of the pin. That said from your first pic the pin itself already looks broken.

Lee will send you a new one for free if you email them a photo of the one that is broken. If the "small" part of the pin can only go down enough to be flush with the flash hole, you won't be able to push a spent primer out.

If you have already hammered on it with a steel tool, you can sand or grind the head back down to clear the collet.

 

[myFRAGisFUBAR]

I don't think the pin is brokent...yet. it stickes about a quarter inch from the case. I was just holding it upside down in the pic so it went back in the case a little way. I will post a picture of the pin when I get it out tomorrow.

 

[FROGO207]

If there is any rust or brass galling on the inside of the die that is the cause of your problems in the first place as noted in a post above. IIRC RC and BDS have good instructions of how to remove galling or rust from your dies in past posts. I use a split wood dowel with a strip of 400/600 grit paper to clean it out then take the die completely apart, drop it in the tumbler with some Nu Finish and tumble for a few hours. Lots of times I will just let it run over night. Make sure you keep the dies separate when cleaning so they go back together correctly or you will end up with mixed up parts. How do I know this?:banghead: As a bonus the seem to work better after they are cleaned.

 

[gamestalker]

I've never stuck a case in more than 30 yrs., so I can't help. As for how I lube, I use Dillon Spray on, but I apply it with a Q tip to the inside and outside of the neck, and the body. I've used numerous other lubes over the years too, but all worked as good as the last one.

I also tumble my brass prior to resizing, as it is possible that dirt, grit, or debris could cause a stuck case.

GS

 

[ranger335v]

I have stuck a lot of cases while experimenting with substitute things I wanted to try for lube. One thing I learned is if the lube is good - and all commercial lubes and quite a few substitutes are - the ONLY reason cases stick is failure to properly apply the lube, usually not nearly enough coverage on the lower part of the case. That's where they get stuck!

No case ever got "stuck" from failing to lube inside.

 

[jerkface11]

the ONLY reason cases stick is failure to properly apply the lube

A wet case will stick no matter how much lube you use.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm not sure what that means??

A 'wet' case wet with spray lube solvent will probably stick, because the solvent hasn't evaporated and left the lube film there to do it's job.

A 'wet' case covered with RCBS case lube in a tube will just get a whole lot of very deep lube dents in the shoulder.

But it most certainly for sure will not stick in the die.


PS: Another leading reason for stuck cases is shell holders that don't fit nearly as well as they should.

IMO: Some of Lee's shell-holders are bad about that in certain calibers.



rc

 

[oldreloader]

I've only stuck one case since the "60's. Totally my fault. I was using Imperial and thought I didn't need any more lube.. I did!. A contributing factor was like RC said, A shell holder that didn't fit quite right. Replaced it with a Hornady and it fits a bit better. I use a lot of Lee equipment so I'm not bashing them.. Just one shell holder (223) that wasn't quite right. Could happen in any brand.

 

[jerkface11]

Wet as in with water.