223 sizing die denting cases

Status
Not open for further replies.
CMV

CMV

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
Messages
781
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Stumped. Small base .223 RCBS sizing die.

Squeaky clean and dry inside. Looked for the "vent hole" to clear but this die does not have one. Reinstalled die per directions - touching shell holder, another 1/8 turn, locked in place, expander down to about 1/4" past the bottom of the die.

Lubing with Hornady Unique case lube. Being very careful to apply a very small amount and not get it on the neck/shoulder.

Besides cleaning the die I tried raising & lowering it and raising & lowering the decapping pin/expander.

P8100734.jpg

If I raise the die body the dent is much smaller but still there. Raising it up sort of defeats the purpose of using a SB die I think
 
You may also have some excess lube already up in the die. I know you said you checked but you maybe didn't get it all cleaned out.
 
+1

Too much case lube.

Clean the die.

Then cut back considerably on the amount of case lube you are using.
Or how you are applying it.

The proper amount is 'all that is left on the case after you wipe off all you can with your fingers'

Then wipe your greasy fingers on your pants and wipe off all you can on the next case.
And continue doing it with each case you pick up to size.

rc
 
The regulars already caught the "too much lube" thing, but you should look at the decapping rod, make sure that it can't touch the bottom of the inside of your case. With your ram all the way up, loosen it up and see how much farther you can screw it in. Back it off to get clearance from there. Leave it loose, then lower ram until the case neck is into the expander ball. Now, tighten the decapper rod. This will center the decapper/expander in the die. Bingo, good to go. Now get some good lube, cause when you start using less of that Hornady spray, you will stick a case in your sizer die.
 
You do not need any lube on the shoulder. And just a light covering on 95% of the rest of it.

Classic lube dent. :)
 
1. Die is clean and free of any lube. I disassembled and blasted with a generous amount of aerosol carb cleaner then used compressed air to dry it out. A Qtip verified there was nothing left in the die.

2. I'm not using Hornady One-shot spray lube. I'm using the Unique lube that's in a little tub. Kind of like Crisco but a little harder.

3. Applying with my fingers. I dab my fingertips every so often so they're slightly 'greasy' and just roll the case body as I pick it up.

I went to the bare minimum amount of lube to not stick a case. I was fighting the press handle & a few I thought were on the verge of getting stuck. That did make the dent go away. But using a little more - enough to make the press operate smoothly, the dents would return.

Last time I loaded .223 it was about 1300 rds or so & I thought I used the RCBS SB die & didn't have this problem. I must have used the Lee die for that run.



I recently switched to this die and this lube. I like both, but maybe together they don't work well. I was using RCBS 2 and a Lee die. I could use a very generous amount of that stuff with the Lee die & not have this problem. Will try the RCBS 2 next time & see if that solves it or at least lets the press operate smoothly with a sparse amount.
 
CMV said:
I went to the bare minimum amount of lube to not stick a case. I was fighting the press handle & a few I thought were on the verge of getting stuck. That did make the dent go away. But using a little more - enough to make the press operate smoothly, the dents would return.
Click to expand...

Over a few cases, lubricant will migrate up the die and into the shoulder area if the lubricant is still too much and applied only to the body.

Also, if you are not careful when lubricating the insides of the case neck, lubricant will migrate to the outside of the neck and ultimately to the shoulder area.

If your cases are not clean before resizing, it is easy to get a piece of debris caught in the shoulder area as re result of the lubricant.

When cleaning your dies, use a Q-tip to wipe down the shoulder area to make sure all traces of lubricant is gone. Just spraying the insides of the die can have mixed results.

While the die is in the press, wiping the shoulder area with a Q-tip once in a while to remove traces of lubricant may also help.

I usually will run a lubricated case or two and then a dry cases or two. This seems to keep lubricant amounts to a manageable level. It takes a little feel to make sure you don't get a case stuck before resizing another lubricated case.

When I size 17 Remington, some days it seems I just cannot prevent shoulder dents no matter what I do.:(
 
I keep a small flannel rag tied to a piece of copper wire on my loading bench. When I start getting lube dents I remove the decap assembly and pull the rag through the die while still in the press. Copper wire insures no scratches inside die. Works best on RCBS type dies but would be more trouble on Lee dies with collet decap retention system.
 
I use Hornady Unique as well. For those who have never used it, I suspect it is just mink oil. I use it in moderation and it works great for me. I have never had the issue you are having, but I'm not using an RCBS small base die with no vent hole.
 
I just barely touch the lube with one finger tip, then holding the case at the shoulder I slowly spin it and push it into my fingers till I cover from just below the shoulder to the rim. I only have to dab my finger every so often.
 
grubbylabs said:
I just barely touch the lube with one finger tip, then holding the case at the shoulder I slowly spin it and push it into my fingers till I cover from just below the shoulder to the rim. I only have to dab my finger every so often.
Click to expand...
This is what I do too with Unique ^
 
Lube dent.

Either too much lube, lube got on the shoulder, or possibly some lube build up in the die.

I remove the decapping assembly, then I rinse my resizing dies with either denatured alcohol, or acetone.

The other thing, is there is no carved in stone amount of adjustment, 1/8 turn, 1/4 turn, ect. to achieve proper brass to chamber fit. Adjusting the resizing die is accomplished by knowing how much downward adjustment is necessary to size the brass to properly fit the chamber it's to be used in, and the amount of adjustment will be different for different firearms, which contradicts how much adjustment, as published in the instructions. +/- .005" or .010" can have a huge impact on the head space of the brass, but it will have little to no effect on the base of the brass.

So if you are over doing it with the downward adjustment, thus pushing the shoulders back excessively more than is necessary, this can amplify or contribute to the lube dent issue. Also, since SB dies bring the base in more than a conventional FL die, it should also be noted that there will be an increase in brass flow, it has to go some place, right? What this means is that even a minute amount of lube residue can create dents.

GS
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

ericuda
Rcbs 308 sizing die with forster decapping/expander rod
Replies
3
Views
159
ericuda
ericuda
B
  • Locked
help sizing rifle case
Replies
4
Views
377
243winxb
243winxb
D.B. Cooper
Dented Cases
2 3 4
Replies
88
Views
3K
jmorris
jmorris
A
  • Locked
Denting shoulders in the sizing die?
Replies
13
Views
827
Berek
B
CMV
  • Locked
Dillon/FA/alcohol & lanolin case lube
Replies
22
Views
935
Skipmeok
S
Back
Top