full length sizing question

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Herk30

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Yesterday I was sizing some 22-250 brass and while the down stroke didn't seem very hard, bringing the press arm back up was probably twice as hard. It seemed like I could lower the brass about half way and it would get stuck or hangup, then I'd have to pull extra hard or even slam the press arm to break it loose. The brass was well lubed, and I used an old set of RCBS dies as well as a brand new set of Hornady dies. They both acted the same way. Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
 
What lube? One Shot, maybe?
Did you lube the inside of the neck?
Did you try sizing without the expander button to see if that was the problem?
 
It is the expander. Like ok lube, oversizing, expander in the wrong place, & grit in the case can all cause this problem.
 
The expander ball is dragging on the inside of the neck. Lube inside the neck with mica or another suitable lube.
 
It didn't seem to be oversizing, atleast I don't think so. I didn't realize there was an actual adjustment for the expander. How do I know if it's in the right spot or not. I didn't lube the inside of the neck, only because I never have and haven't run into this problem before. I do agree that the expander is what must be hanging up because by the time it hangs up the die is pretty much free of the case.
 
Normally if you have the decapping pin sticking down 1/4" the expander is in the right place. On those long cases I dought that it's in the wrong place, but lube the inside of the necks with a graphite powder every 5th time or so will take care of it. I use the Imperial Neck Sizing lube. All it is is graphite mixed in shot. When you stick the neck in it lightly coats the inside and out of the neck. You can use a Qtip to apply some graphite powder on the inside of the necks and see if it helps.

If these are new dies you may want to take it apart and see if the expander is rough. If so do some polishing on it. But remember this is what controls the neck tension.
 
I don't know your die to know if it can be adjusted. Mine can. Oversizing will be on the up stroke & expanded back out on the down stroke. As much as I love my Lee dies I thought about polishing the neck sizing part of the die to keep it from working the brass so much.
 
If the cases have been loaded and fired several times, you could have issues with the brass migrating to the neck and thickening it up. This would result in an effective "oversize" which the expander then has to push back out more than you're used to.
 
Should have mentioned these are once fired remington cases. I'll try some lube inside the neck and go from there. Thanks for the help guys.
 
I use a nylon bore brush rolled on a lube pad to lube case necks.

Just a little dab will do ya!

rc
 
I've taken to using a lubed patch in a slotted cleaning jag. I keep a pistol cleaning rod on my reloading bench for just this purpose. I add a dab of lube to the patch every 20 rounds or so as needed.
 
How are you cleaning your brass? I bought some SS wet tumbled cases from a member, here, one time. And last time. Even pistol cases required inside neck lube, or they stuck and galled the expander, badly. Worst of all, the cases were pink. My brass looks better.

I have done thousands of both dry tumbled and soap & water-cleaned 223 cases and a couple boxes of 22-250 without neck lube, and I've never felt any significant pressure on the downstroke. I'm using Lee dies, if that matters.

If your cases stuck that badly, you really ought to examine your case necks closely for any vertical scratches. Only takes one sticky case to get some brass galled onto the expander. And even if you don't find anything, a bit of polishing on any new die set expander can't hurt.
 
Last edited:
steve4102 said:
What lube? One Shot, maybe?
Did you lube the inside of the neck?
Did you try sizing without the expander button to see if that was the problem?
Click to expand...
Herk30,
You never did answer the question of which lube you're using? Is it One Shot or another spray on lube? I'm asking because you said you had a problem with 2 different sets of dies including a new set of Hornady dies.

If you are using a spray on lube I would highly suggest giving Imperial Sizing Wax a try. A 2oz tin will last you a VERY long time because a little goes a long way! It's an extremely good lube...
 
Herk30, remove the primer punch/neck expander assemble from the die, then start sizing a few cases, if removing the assemble eliminates the problem you have eliminated the die as a problem.

A bench rest builder/reloader was having problems with the neck expansion when cases were fired, there is little that can be done to reduce the diameter of the chamber neck so we went about working out the problem from the other direction, he has an A2 RCBS press, nothing suspect about the strength of the press, but with Dillon’s lube in the spray can or bottle his A2 was in a strain, then he went to the sizing wax, same thing, the cases had more resistance to being formed than his press had ability to form, I offered to leave and return with with a lube that is not on the list of approved lubes, instead he opted to use new, unfired cases when forming cases for his new creation.

In the perfect world of sizing, cases are new, once fired or annealed, as the case is worked by firing and sizing the ability of the case to resist sizing increases.

I could have measured the amount of the case that did not get formed before it was removed from the press, after forming the cases required full length sizing or sizing to the chamber, again, new or once fired cases are recommended. I furnished the dies and left them with him, the rifles shoot one hole groups, it is not for me to wonder how much better a tight neck will shoot, the .009 thousands neck expansion bothered him.

F. Guffey
 
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