Hornady LnL PTX 9MM sticking

[sbwaters]

Have an issue with 9MM cases sticking in Hornady LnL PTX Expander.

Someone suggested:
1: Lubricate with Hornady One Shot -- I wet tumble in ArmorALL Wash and Wax and it had been fine for sizing.
2: Back off on the belling -- I do bell enough to make it easy for the Hornady Bullet feeder to feed.

Advice?

 

[captain awesome]

I have had the same problem. shooting a bit of oneshot in the case mouths does help. It would be terrific if one could get carbide powder through expanders for all the major progressive presses.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I gave up and went with a Lyman M-die.

The method that seems most successful is to polish the PTX

 

[RealGun]

Check the sizer, because the cases may be undersized before expansion. Think twice about sizing any new brass, because it can then gall pretty badly.

 

[Blue68f100]

Is the PTX polished or dull (new). Also some of the newer PTX is like a M-die, 2 step. About the only time I run into this is with squeaky clean brass.

 

[Walkalong]

Have an issue with 9MM cases sticking in Hornady LnL PTX Expander.

Have never used it, I use all my normal expanders in my die sets. Most of them the Lyman M-die or copies by Redding and RCBS.

 

[SC_Dave]

I use my PTX expander and honestly have never had it stick in over 10K rounds. I will say that before I installed it I polished it to a high polish using wet/dry sandpaper down to 2000 grit and then with a felt tip in a Dremel and Mothers mag polish. Overkill? Maybe. I also set the bell so it was obvious, then backed off to the point the projectile would just stay in place on the case until it reached the seating die. Once in a while I will have to straighten a bullet before seating but not often. If I were to lubricate it with anything it would be dry, like graphite.

This is what works for me.
David

PS, I do use a bullet feeder.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Check the sizer, because the cases may be undersized before expansion.

Isn't that the point of resizing...to size to minimum spec?

Think twice about sizing any new brass, because it can then gall pretty badly.

Are you saying that you don't resize new brass before the initial loading?

I was taught and have heard repeatedly that new brass should always be resized before reloading. I've never experienced galling, but then I lube my handgun cases before sizing. I guess you could throw them in a tumbler for a quick vib to coat them in dust

 

[RealGun]

Isn't that the point of resizing...to size to minimum spec?


Are you saying that you don't resize new brass before the initial loading?

I was taught and have heard repeatedly that new brass should always be resized before reloading. I've never experienced galling, but then I lube my handgun cases before sizing. I guess you could throw them in a tumbler for a quick vib to coat them in dust

I had hoped you would infer that the sizer was defective or that use of a special extra tight sizer was counterproductive.

If a sampling of new brass, especially revolver, drops easily into a case gauge, I load it without sizing. I wouldn't apply rifle ammo practices, but in hand gun I find new Starline brass ready to load, although I do trim it to my standard. I will say that if I sensed a lack of resistance during expanding, I would conclude that the brass needs to be sized. Hasn't happened so far. Most of the time expansion is marginal on needing interior lubrication of the cases. Why would I conclude that sizing was needed, if I can barely get the cases off the expander?

 

[9mmepiphany]

Why would I conclude that sizing was needed, if I can barely get the cases off the expander?

Standardized Best Practice

 

[Tilos]

If polishing the PTX does not resolve the sticking or the sticking becomes random, check the offending case for a stepped interior.

 

[RealGun]

Standardized Best Practice

That best practice might be to ignore common sense.