Dented case shoulders. How much (if any) is acceptable?

[CptnAwesome]

Okay THR, I'm working on my first ever reloads. Resized 40 pieces of 270 win brass in full length sizer. Out of 40 I've got 3 dented shoulders. Just wondering what size (if any) dent is still serviceable. First pic is obvious, second pic shows a very slight dent just left of center. No plans on using two with large dents but I don't think the small one is too bad, but then again I'm new at this.

Also, does this look like a case of too much lube?

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I would load them and shoot. It's kinda like fire forming brass. The dents are caused by to much lube. Just watch the amount of lube on the brass when you resize the next batch.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Reloadron]

Load them and shoot them. Looks like too much lube as was mentioned. Clean your sizing die and make sure the sizing die vent hole is clean.

Ron

 

[SwaneeSR]

Yes they should be shoot able. You really need to back off on the case lube. The middle ground between getting dents and the stuck case.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[hdwhit]

Old Joe is correct, shoulder dents like that are a symptom of too much resizing lubricant. The cases in both pictures should function just fine.

What kind of lubricant are you using?

I've gotten dents like that when using the liquid lubricants like the one from RCBS. I've since switched to using waxy lubricants like the the one from Lee or Hornaday Unique which, if used sparingly, are less likely to cause such dents.

 

[ants]

Typical dents for too much lube, but they shoot out. No problem.

If you are loading a full case of powder, those dents might take up a little space.
But if your powder charge doesn't fill 100% case capacity you will have no problem.

If you are loading perfect match-grade target ammo to win the National Championship
save the dented cases for practice. Slightly lower case capacity won't harm practice ammo.
But it just might cost you the championship.

 

[molonlabe]

I found a piece of cob media stuck in the sizing die. It was consist and even after reducing the lube.

 

[Walkalong]

Definitely way too much lube, and especially the shoulder. You need very little lube on the shoulder.

They'll blow out when fired. The first one is pretty bad, and the case may eventually crack there. Maybe not though. Just load them and shoot them, and use the lube more sparingly next time.

 

[CptnAwesome]

What kind of lubricant are you using?

I'm using Lee resizing lubricant. Applying it by hand, lube fingers and apply sparingly. I thought I kept the shoulders pretty free of any lube. I'm thinking I may dilute it in a spray bottle next time

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If you think you didn't apply too much lube you should check your resizing die for excessive lube inside the die. Most dies are shipped with some sort of oil to prevent rusting, if you didn't clean it off that might be causing the dents. Those dents are quite large so the excessive lube is there.

 

[lightman]

I would shoot them without any concern, but that first on is pretty deep. You can use an old rag to wipe the lube off of the shoulder and neck and prevent those dents. There will still be plenty of lube on the neck. You may need to wipe some of the lube out of your die also.

 

[fguffey]

Captain Awesome, I clean my dies with a towel on a dowel. Some dies have vent holes in the die, some reloaders claim the vent hole allows air to escape, and others claim the vent hole allows lube to escape. Most of my dies have vents, I clean the vent hole with a small wire, and after pushing the debris inside the die I remove the debris with a towel on a dowel.

I have sizing old sizing die instructions, the old instructions suggest lubing the neck and shoulder of the case before sizing is a bad habit.

F. Guffey

 

[CptnAwesome]

Alright thanx for all the info guys! I'll look at cleaning my dies asap!

 

[joem1945]

I get dent once in a while on .223 brass. Doesn't really hurt anything. Shoot them or as the swamp guy says " get da gun schute".

 

[WestKentucky]

For resizing to the same caliber, yes that is too much lube. It works the case a little more in that area. Since brass work-hardens it takes a little bit of life out of the case. No big deal on something as popular as .270 win, just a little wasted lube.

A little more info, should you ever need it...
If you were to ever get into a situation when you are reforming brass from one chambering to another then what you did is not far from being right. In those situations you have to use more lube as the forming portion does a lot more work, usually with more force. It gets especially tough when you are moving (or adding) shoulders a noticeable distance. In those situations you expect lube dents, and you fireform the case.

 

[Kp321]

Even of you are careful about the amount of lube used, eventually it will build up in the die and cause dents. I keep a patch tied onto a piece of copper wire on the bench and periodically remove the decap assembly and pull it through the die. The copper wire won't damage the die.

 

[fguffey]

It gets especially tough when you are moving (or adding) shoulders a noticeable distance.

I have 16 forming dies; there are times I am required to use two forming dies to form a case. If when forming a case the going gets tough I am doing something wrong. Then there is that part about moving the shoulder, if the shoulder on the case I am forming moves I am messing up in a big way.

And then there is firing the case; when I fire a case and the shoulder moves I have ripped the case between the case head and case body.

F. Guffey

 

[mdi]

As mentioned several times above; shoot 'em! Smooth dents can be "shot out" with no damage to the cases, but dents with sharp corners or creases have weakened the brass in that area. Cases with creases and sharp corners are best discarded...

 

[Ifishsum]

I don't get lube high enough on the case to get on the shoulders...I was taught to lube only the bottom 2/3 of the case and wipe a touch on the neck (Imperial sizing die wax). Only stuck one case ever and that was due to lack of lube altogether.

 

[CptnAwesome]

Oh, so you only really have to lube the neck and bottom 2/3 of the case? I'm using Lee full length sizer

 

[Maryland_Shooter]

Shoot 'em.

Cheap lube = spray bottle with liquid lanolin + 99% alcohol, works like a dream.

Amazon for alcohol, Piping Rock for the liquid lanolin. It's all I usually use. Imperial sizing wax for 458 SOCOM is the exception.

 

[W.E.G.]

I watched a buddy win a 3x600 match (597 and a ton of X's) while fire-forming brass for a 6mm-something-or-other.

If it cycles in the gun, the gun does not care about the cosmetic condition of the brass gaskets.

 

[fguffey]

Oh, so you only really have to lube the neck and bottom 2/3 of the case? I'm using Lee full length sizer

I do not spend time lubing the shoulder and or neck of the case. If I lube the neck I lube the inside of the neck, I do not like that squeaking sound when the sizing plug is pulled through the neck.

F. Guffey

 

[Walkalong]

When you use a lube pad you don't get any lube on the neck and shoulder unless you do it by hand in a second step. Works just fine.

I started off with a lube pad, but have lubed with my fingers for many years. I concentrate on the bottom part of the case using pressure to apply lube there. As my fingers go higher on the case I ease up on the pressure, and I just let them lightly slip over the shoulder/neck as I am putting it into the shell plate. The shoulder and neck will get a bit of lube, but not much, and certainly not enough to cause problems or buildup. I can lube and feed cases into the press without it slowing me up. I have to handle them to get them there anyway. Just a little dab on three finger tips every few cases.

 

[rcmodel]

I have been using RCBS spray lube for probably 20 years now.

I dump a bunch of cases in a mixing bowl, spritz them with lube, then stir them around in the bowl to get a little lube on each one.

When resizing them, I pick one up, and wipe all the lube off I can get off with my gressy fingers.

(Wipe your greasy fingers off on your clean pants occasionally.)

What you have left on the case is a thin film, that just happens to be the perfect amount to size easy, and not build up in the die and shoulder dent cases.

Works perfectly for me.

I haven't stuck a case, or dented a shoulder in recent memory.

rc