Dented Cases

[ballman6711]

Make sure you are lubing the inside of the of a case every once in a while to insure that the resizing plug is also lubed.

This is something that gets overlooked. I will lube the inside of the first few bottleneck cases when I start a session, and then every fifth~tenth case after that. The press will tell me when I need to lube the inside of another case.

chris

 

[eschafer]

I think the lube dents are just a function of his difficulty sizing the brass and needing so much lube... find out why they're so hard to size, and then you'll know why you need to slop on so much lube.... We use Imperial Sizing Wax and never have had a stuck case... Nor have we ever had a case so tight that it started jamming on early/initial insert of the sizing die... something else is wrong.....

 

[NMexJim]

243 Winchester.



It wasn't rare, it was almost every single one. It was a mixed lot of Barnes, Winchester, and Herter's brass (mostly Barnes, only a Few Herters.) Almost all of the ones that were sticking part way in were Barnes. The others were easier, but it didn't seem to matter what the cases were regarding the dents; they all got it.

I load quite a bit of .243. I use either Lapua or Hornady cases only. I use Redding dies although I've had equally good results from a set of Hornady Custom dies as far as runout and neck tension. Back when I was using an expander ball, having too little lube was asking for trouble hence the reason I own a stuck case remover. PITA to send in a die for case removal.

I use One Shot. I make sure my necks are clean inside and out. That my brass is clean. I know people that smear lube on with their fingertips, but I don't. I have used graphite powder in the past but haven't in a while. I basically spray small batches of cases in gallon plastic bags and roll them until coated. If sizing gets harder, then back into the bag for more spray. To avoid chamber problems, I re-tumble or wipe clean the finished case.

Probably about what you do, DB

 

[kmw1954]

243 Winchester.
It wasn't rare, it was almost every single one. It was a mixed lot of .

I understood that this is nearly all for you, the rare was just my own personal experience.

I loaded 243 for a time and it was no different then the 223 that I load now. It should still go almost half-way in before any resistance. so something is amiss. I have never used any spray type lube so I have no experience with it good or bad. It could be the lube

Another solution would be to go out and buy a box of new ammo and shoot it in your rifle and then see if you experience the same issue. Also as a thought, are you wet tumbling this brass with SS Pins?

 

[Skeptic13]

So for cases that I don't want to risk having dented cases I will use a solid rub on lube like Lee Resizing Lube and only apply it to the case body and the inside of the neck. That takes longer but I have never gotten cases stuck or had dents using that method. I do use the spray on lube, homemade with lanolin and alcohol, and then just shoot out the dents if I get them. I use this method mostly for plinking rounds.

 

[.308 Norma]

It's ridiculous. Darned if you do, darned if you don't. Case stuck in die or case ruined by too much lube. Pick your poison.

I don't know what it is, but there's something else going on here. I've been handloading (including the .243 Winchester) since the late '70s, and while I've seen a few dented shoulders on bottlenecked cases, I've never (knock on wood) had one stuck in a die. I used to joke that the reason I've never stuck a case is because I have a stuck case remover. Now I'm not so sure.
BTW, what few little lube dents I've seen on case shoulders never bothered me much. I just went ahead and loaded and shot them - the dents "ironed" themselves out.

 

[unwashed]

A lot of great advice here, I would suggest if all else fails try polishing inside the die with 600/800 grit sand paper. I did this with my .38 steel die since it was scratching all the cases, came out like new. Something definitely is off.

 

[PWC]

I have RCBS dies from the 80s. There is a small hole on the die near where the shoulder would be. The purpose is to let trapped air/oil escape. If it becomes blocked you can get dents. Don't just clean the inside; clean the hole too if you have RCBS dies.

 

[EricBu]

So, I just ruined about 60 cases. It appears I used too much lubrication (Lyman spray-on case lube and Hornady One-Shot) while trying to FL size in a brand new RCBS FL sizing die. I was so focused on not sticking a case, I didn't notice the denting until it was too late. Tossed them all in the trash. Fortunately, I have plenty of cases.

But what is frustrating me is there seems to be no correct answer to this problem. I got a case stuck in the die to the point that I just returned it to Cabela's for a new die set. That was obviously not enough lubrication. But the cases are passing in and out of the die so hard I had to do something. I could only get the case in a small fraction of an inch before it would stick and I'd have to remove it, add some more lube, raise it another fraction of an inch, stick, withdraw it, repeat. It makes a hell of a noise you can hear throughout the house, andI reload in the garage.

It's ridiculous. Darned if you do, darned if you don't. Case stuck in die or case ruined by too much lube. Pick your poison.

You aren't letting it dry completely. Any of those spray on lubes need to sit for a while, shouldn't be wet to the touch. That's why the vent is plugging and denting your shoulders. And any dented shoulders...they'll blow out just fine. If it's easy to come by cheap brass...........toss 'em if you must, but they'll run fine and the dent will be gone the next time they cycle through.

 

[Laphroaig]

If you know what they are specifically labeled as (Hornady has lots of “one shot” products) you can Google the MSDS and see all of the contends as well as amounts.

Not really germane to the OP's issues, but:

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pc...r---Dry-Lube--One-Shot---TAP---HD-Extreme.pdf

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pc...MSDS-One-Shot-Case-Lube-Aerosol1641327593.pdf

They look the same to me.

I've used the Lyman spray lube in the past, and like you have dented some shoulders. It's crazy stuff, quite the opposite of Hornady One shot. With One Shot you have to take care to get enough coverage, with Lyman I almost always got too much and resorted to wiping the shoulder with a paper towel before sizing when I started to see dents.

Put the same amount of Lyman as Hornady you get dents. Put the same amount of Hornady as Lyman, you get stuck cases. I can see how mixed use of those 2 products could cause confusion. Use either properly and life will be good.

 

[mdi]

If the "dents" have rounded, fairly smooth edges, shoot 'em, they will safely "pop out". If there are sharp corners/creases the metal has been weakened and should not be reloaded...

I have no input on your sizing problems but I have used Mink Oil Boot Dressing Cream, finger applied as a case lube for quite a while (30 years?). Lanolin based, works very well under sizing pressures and is easy to use. I found my can in the shoe polish section of the local Walgreens drug store, cheap. I FL size all my 30-06 brass, many once fired HXP for use in my Garand and have never stuck any in my Lee or RCBS dies...

 

[Blue68f100]

Not really germane to the OP's issues, but:

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pc...r---Dry-Lube--One-Shot---TAP---HD-Extreme.pdf

https://press.hornady.com/assets/pc...MSDS-One-Shot-Case-Lube-Aerosol1641327593.pdf

They look the same to me.



Put the same amount of Lyman as Hornady you get dents. Put the same amount of Hornady as Lyman, you get stuck cases. I can see how mixed use of those 2 products could cause confusion. Use either properly and life will be good.

The may be similar but they are not the same unless they changed it in the last 10 yrs. There are a lot more solids in the case lube vs the cleaner. The case lube requires you to shake the fool out of it for a good minute to get the solid in suspension. The cleaner does not require much agitation at all.

 

[AJC1]

If your getting dents, no big deal. Start by wiping the neck of every third case with a rag... if it goes away keep doing it. If not wipe every other... cleaning the die will take you back to stuck cases, you just need to manage the lube...

 

[FLIGHT762]

Delete. My mistake.

 

[PWC]

Ck post #33

 

[.38 Special]

Just another post adding to the data set: lube dents are caused by too much lube, they almost certainly will shoot right out, Imperial wax is a great solution.

 

[oncewaslost]

I started making my own case lube. One part lanoline to ten parts 99% alcohol. I spray this mixture on a blue shop towel and roll the cases so as to not get lube on the case necks or shoulders.
No more dented cases.

I do the same thing, except I use lee sizing lube instead of lanolin with alcohol. You can use water but it leaves water spots and takes longer to dry.
I put the brass with the mixed lube in a recycled plastic container (that had nuts or something in it) and shake shake shake for a minute. Pour them out on some cardboard and let them dry. I have never had a stuck case since.

 

[JerkyFreak]

Over the years I have used quite a few non-standard lubes. Bath soap, olive oil,10w40, balistol. In all this time I have not had one stuck case; neither did I have any dented cases. I now have a 1kg tub of lanolin. It cost the same as one small container of Imperial Sizing Wax and works just as well.

One thing that has become clear over the years is that those that use spray lube have a higher incidence of stuck cases than those who use lube pads or their fingers to apply case lube. How much time do you save using spray lube anyway?

 

[.308 Norma]

How much time do you save using spray lube anyway?

None - I don't use it.
I take that back; I used spray lube for lubing cases once. I got as much of it on my loading block as I did on the cases that were in it. Ever since then, I've been using that same can of spray lube to lubricate the rams on my presses once in a while. And I repeat - in somewhere around 45 years of handloading ammo, I've never had a stuck case in a die, and I've had very, very few lube dents.

 

[Varminterror]

I never can understand how folks struggle sizing with One Shot. I FORM cases, not just resize, but FORM cases with One Shot.

All has been said, except ONE thing: clean your vent hole, and blow out your shoulder dents. Don’t make a mountain out of a mole-hill.

BUT… one of the most common reasons for sticking cases during die set up or when changing brass is the expander ball position. If the top of the caseneck isn’t sufficiently clear of the die neck when the ball pulls up into the bottom of the neck, then the case wedges hard and tight between the ball and the die neck. Naturally, the easy test there is removing the decapping clamp, and tapping the punch out of the wedge, but a lot of guys just get stuck there.

There’s a WIDE highway between denting cases from too much lube and sticking cases from too little. Pretty easy to stay on the road.

 

[ballman6711]

I'm going to go back again to something the OP said in his original post.

I could only get the case in a small fraction of an inch before it would stick and I'd have to remove it, add some more lube, raise it another fraction of an inch, stick, withdraw it, repeat

This is not a case of not enough lube, this is a problem with a mismarked die, incorrect brass, etc.... I don't have the answer, but I do believe that once this issue is fixed, the amount of lube needed will be reduced to the point of not having any more dents.

I got as much of it on my loading block as I did on the cases that were in it.

When I use Hornady One Shot, I put my brass in a box (about the size of a shoe box) lined with paper towels, spray generously, shake it up, another light spray, and then walk away while the carrier flashes off (five or ten minutes). Then it's ready to load.

chris

 

[AK Hunter]

Most dents in brass will fire form out as long as it's not making a deep crease in the brass. Dents from too much lube can be loaded & fired out. I remove excess lube with gun scrubber, just blast it out & let it dry.

 

[Blue68f100]

One time I was getting lube dents and could not find why till I removed the locking ring. The lead shot used on the old RCBS lock rings ended up sealing the vent hole. What a pain it was. Once I reset the die so the set screw did not seal off the vent all was good. Just something to check. I've been loading for almost 5 decades and this has only happened once.

 

[Kaldor]

So, I just ruined about 60 cases. It appears I used too much lubrication (Lyman spray-on case lube and Hornady One-Shot) while trying to FL size in a brand new RCBS FL sizing die. I was so focused on not sticking a case, I didn't notice the denting until it was too late. Tossed them all in the trash. Fortunately, I have plenty of cases.

But what is frustrating me is there seems to be no correct answer to this problem. I got a case stuck in the die to the point that I just returned it to Cabela's for a new die set. That was obviously not enough lubrication. But the cases are passing in and out of the die so hard I had to do something. I could only get the case in a small fraction of an inch before it would stick and I'd have to remove it, add some more lube, raise it another fraction of an inch, stick, withdraw it, repeat. It makes a hell of a noise you can hear throughout the house, andI reload in the garage.

It's ridiculous. Darned if you do, darned if you don't. Case stuck in die or case ruined by too much lube. Pick your poison.

Ive personally ever had great luck with One Shot on rifle cases, but others have, so your mileage may vary. For me its been 12-1 lanolin/iso alcohol for years now.

Depending on how bad the dents are? I would have just loaded them unless youre running really hot, and blown the dents out in the rifle.

I swore I didnt need a stuck case remover until last time I stuck one and had to drill and tap the stuck case for a 1/4-20 bolt and used a deep well socket to get it out. I stopped screwing around and bought a Lyman stuck case remover for $25 on Amazon. Ill probably never stick a case again now that I have the proper tool.

 

[Highland Lofts]

If you use spray lube you need to give is so.e time for the achohol to disipitate otherwise you will get a stuck case.
The dents you have will fire form Bach to its original shape. I have loaded some really dented cases and they were just like nothing ever happened after being fired and I continued using them until they failed.
I'd tear the die apart and clean it really good before using it.
Go to your local hardware store and buy the stuff to make your own stuck case remover.

A 13/64 drill bit
A 14/20 tap and tap handle
A couple 1/4" washers
A 1/4" bolt the right length
I use a 9/16 socket
Put the die in a vise
Then assemble it and tighten the 1/4 Bolt and the case comes out.
The next stuck case I get I need to make a little video on how I do it.