Reloading .308. Stuck case in Lee. Bought Lyman Deluxe Carbide.

Install your lee die and tightened down the lock nut and then put a wrench on the decapping rod collet of your Lee once you get it Loose you should be able to use the decapping stem on the die to remove the stuck case

Flip your locking ring over so the oring is up. You will get a much better mechanical lock.

Not sure what the question is here? The Lyman carbide die set is a fine die set. Lube is as easy as a pad and a little RCBS lube. Take the case out of the Lee and sell the die since you will be using the new Lyman set. Or just toss the Lee die if you want. You should probably take a new sizing die apart and clean the inside good before using. Yes, maybe washing the Dillon case lube off with WD40 caused a problem. Don't do that again.

JussRight said:

Thanks AJC1, I will try that tomorrow. And thanks for the O-ring tip. I never thought of that.

I tried real hard to loosen the lock nut, but to no avail. It might come off if I insert the die in my Lee press, then use a wrench?

Click to expand...

Try the impact function on an electric drill or driver if you have one. The threads like to gal so maybe some grease or antisieze would be a good idea when you reassemble

If memory serves, with a Lee die, the decapping pin is used to remove stuck cases. Loosen the top nut that holds the pin tight, then use a drift punch to gently tap on the top end. It drives the case out the bottom. That process is included in the die instructions.

For this reason I set up a separate station for decapping. I like to use the Lee universal decapping die. I use the cheapest press Lee makes and use it on range brass as well. I do not resize my brass until it has been thoroughly cleaned and lubed, it alleviates what you just experienced.

Lee video https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase/article/stuck-case

No spray. Use pad and RCBS 2 lube

Lot's of great tips here for all of us Lee Precision fans. Looks like a pretty easy process to remove that stuck case.

JussRight said:

I will follow the steps that you have all provided me. When I get back.

Click to expand...

If you have a bench vise it is easier to put the die in the vise(on the flats) and than unscrew the top collet nut. Do not remove it as it is PITA to restart, then use your punch to push the decapping pin out with the stuck brass,

If you use case lube there is no need for extra shot of silicone spray.

Jussright, lol I bet the spray was an issue but myself never had issues with lee nor Lyman dies. For < 100 at a time get you a little tin of imperial case lube. Never used dillon but I bet a few sprits, let dry first and you will be fine.

I think OneShot Case Lube gets a bad rap a lot of time when it was actually the end users fault for not following the directions. OS takes a good bit of shaking to get all the wax in suspension. Then you have the wait time for it to dry after spraying, before use. Provided you sprayed enough to start with. I've used it on 308W with no issues, but my preferred lube is Imperial Sizing Wax.

Spraying WD40 on any thing is bad. It probably removed all the OS you applied.

Blue68f100 said:

I think OneShot Case Lube gets a bad rap a lot of time when it was actually the end users fault for not following the directions. OS takes a good bit of shaking to get all the wax in suspension. Then you have the wait time for it to dry after spraying, before use. Provided you sprayed enough to start with. I've used it on 308W with no issues, but my preferred lube is Imperial Sizing Wax.

Spraying WD40 on any thing is bad. It probably removed all the OS you applied.

Click to expand...

WD40 is a solvent not a lubricant. I am not a fan of the lanonin spray lubes. They work, but nowhere near as well as the old lube pad machine oils which have been in use for reloading for decades. Subjectively I would say my experience has been OneShot takes at least twice as much force to resize 30-06 cases versus Lyman and Lee pad lubes.

With the Lee dies you need TWO wrenches to remove and reinstall the collet tight enough. An open end on the die and a box end on the collet. If you want to, send it back to Lee and they will remove it for you.

Most likely this is a lubrication issue, so the lyman carbide will have the same problem as the Lee unless we address the root cause. 7.62 military brass I find a bit harder than plain 308, semi autos tend to have more case swell then other guns, esp. if the chamber is on the plus tolerance side, plus generally the cases have been shucked into the dirt. All of this increases the sizing effort. Small base dies add even more effort. So this places a lot of demand on the lube. Spray lubes are real time savers but its a little tricky getting enough lube on EVERY case. I use a gallon freezer bag, put cases in, squish them around, repeat until every case has a wet sheen, then dump them out and wait 5 min for the cases to dry. I have the dry batch I’m working on and a batch drying so I don’t sit waiting. Smaller cases you can miss a case every now and then but larger cases need uniform lube to avoid trouble

If you are using Hornady One Shot and get a stuck case, in any brand of die, It is because you didn't get any on that case.
Lots of us use One Shot and never get stuck cases.

243winxb said:

Lee video https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase/article/stuck-case

Click to expand...

You just taught this old dog a new trick, I never new this about lee dies and 90% of them are Lee. Thank you for educating me.

It uses friction to hold the spindle in the center of the nut. Slide the pin into the nut and slowly screw the nut into the die. It is tapered and will squeeze on the rod. It takes a surprisingly large amount of pressure to stop the pin from sliding up. You need to try depriming a piece of brass. If it slides up tap it back down 1/4 inch tighten more always using an open ended one on the die and a box end on the nut and try again. I have ruined one nut assy by tightening too much but Lee replaced what I broke when I sent it to them.