Stuck Rifle case

So the complete head of the case is gone?
A picture would be nice so we can give the right advice.
It sounds like you tried to remove the cas with vise grips or Chanel locks and ripped the end of the case off.
Ask me how I know.

If it is a RCBS die you can mail it back to them and they will remove it. I think they charge $5.

If you have enough case left to drill the primer pocket out to tap it with a 1/4"x20 tap we can go on and tell you how to go about it.

A picture would be very helpfull.

I dont use a decaping rod so if the case head is still present no problem. Otherwise tap and use a gear puller or punch from the top if you dont use a decaping rod.

I use one of these.
https://www.rcbs.com/case-processing/accessories/stuck-case-remover/16-9340.html

Go on & pull the decapping rod & gently tap the bottom of what is left of the case with a 1/8" pipe tap just enough to get a solid grip on the case. Then with the tap still in the case use a flat end long pin punch trough the decapping rod hole push out the case by tapping on the punch against the tap with a small hammer.

deadeye dick said:

So you're saying tap the neck and pull from the bottom?

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I would tap the bottom and use a screw from the top and just push it out. Or you could do the same thing from the bottom installed in your press with a crossplate

deadeye dick said:

So you're saying tap the neck and pull from the bottom?

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No, the head of the case must be present. You drill a hole through the primer and used the screw and spacer to pull the case out. As others said screw a appropriate size tap into the case body and use a punch from above to knock it out. A broken shell extractor might also work. https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...emovers/broken-shell-extractor-prod23311.aspx

deadeye dick said:

I don't think i'm being understood. Head is completly gone as in seperated with just the case body in the die.

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That is exactly what I had the case had tore off at the case rim so I got it out just like I described in post #7.

deadeye dick said:

I don't think i'm being understood. Head is completly gone as in seperated with just the case body in the die.

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Yes your completely understood ak hunter described one of the two process I gave. I would not pound on the tap though as they are hardened and may brake. Tap the case install a bolt and screw or pound it out.

With Lee customer service sending it back to them to remove what's left of the case you might as well throw just toss it in the garbage and go buy another.

I am not impressed at all by Lee's customer service.

Scratch the inside of the case. JB Weld a bolt in the case. Let JB Weld cure. Let the die/case sleep in the freezer for 12 hours.

Hold die in vice, pull on the bolt (or drive out with punch).

deadeye dick said:

Hasn't happened yet

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deadeye dick said:

As said above, this hasn't happened yet but i want to be ready if it ever does

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I bought an RCBS Stuck Case Remover probably 30 years ago. I haven't had to use it yet either. As long as I don't forget lube, I probably won't have to use it - ever.

I have an RCBS stuck case remover in the drawer that has been there 30 year. Never used it on my dies but have pulled numerous cases for friends. Works great if the case head is present. If not, like the OP’s situation, a tap that will bite into the brass without touching the die is the answer.
I have used Cerrosafe to remove broken brass from rifle chambers but don’t know if it would help with dies.

Take a brass punch and cave the separated rear rim of the shell in, pour in cerrosafe , tap out case to the rear. Done this many times with no damage to die
Good luck

AK Hunter said:

Go on & pull the decapping rod & gently tap the bottom of what is left of the case with a 1/8" pipe tap just enough to get a solid grip on the case. Then with the tap still in the case use a flat end long pin punch trough the decapping rod hole push out the case by tapping on the punch against the tap with a small hammer.

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^THIS^
I just had this actually happen to me two nights ago. Bumping shoulders back on some .308WIN and had a complete case head separation inside a FL sizing die on the downstroke of the press.
Head came out, brass body solidly stuck in a fairly new Redding die that I, sure enough, didn’t want to damage.
Took me awhile to figure out how I was gonna get that stuck case remnant out of that die without damaging it. I pulled the decapping rod out, and then took a Hornady die ring and put it about half-way up the die’s thread length and tightened down on the ring’s lock-down screw. I used the Hornady ring because it has wrench flats on it that my vice could grip on instead of being just a round ring. I then tightened the ring/die setup in my vice. I used a 1/8X27 tapered pipe tap to tap into the case remnant only just enough to get a good bite. I then flipped the ring/die over in the vice, took a long punch and small ball-peen hammer, placing the punch clean thru the die's opening to the top center of the pipe tap, I gave it a few gentle taps with the ball-peen. Bingo! Out she came, and I was one happy camper that my new Redding die remained undamaged.

deadeye dick said:

Thanks but i know how to remove the intact case from a Lee die using the hammer and pin method. My question is if the head is gone and the case only is stuck. As said above, this hasn't happened yet but i want to be ready if it ever does

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You could make sure your not trying to reload cases that have impending separation. Generally separated cases happen when firing, not reloading. Sure, some that do not lube correctly rip the rim off but the base is still there.

The one time I had this happen was with a 7.62X51 brass. I took a 4 inch length of aluminum tig rod and ground a wedge point in one end. Then with the die inverted (screwed up into the press from the bottom) used the softer metal as a wedge between the remaining brass and die. Drove it in between them all the way past the neck. This collapsed the brass enough it was able to be picked out with needle nosed pliers after removing the homade punch. Probably would have fallen out if I had inverted the die though.

For my .270, I used a 7/16 tap to create some threads. I carefully placed the tap in the open bolt and screwed it into the broken case. I was lucky enough to get it loose and pull it out with no damage to the chamber. That happened after several reloads and when I skimped on inspecting the brass.

WillyG : For my .270, I used a 7/16 tap to create some threads. I carefully placed the tap in the open bolt and screwed it into the broken case. I was lucky enough to get it loose and pull it out with no damage to the chamber. That happened after several reloads and when I skimped on inspecting the brass.

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A better safe way, is to use a bore brush. Push it in from the breach side just till it grabs the body or neck, but not into the rifling. Then just pull back. The bristles on the brush do not like to be bend backwards and will grab the brass removing it.