newbie resizing woes

[Slamfire]

If you are reloading for a semi automatic rifle, I recommend using small base resizing dies. Now this is controversial, and some will criticize me for this opinion. Many people do very well with standard resizing dies and semi automatic rifles. That said just remember the admonition that there are no guarantees that rifle chambers and resizing dies share compatible dimensions. Had a friend that poo-pooed this point and used standard resizing dies to reload .223 ammo for his AR15 with excellent results. All was well until he upgraded the AR15 with a match grade Lilja barrel. Had the chamber cut with a match grade reamer. First round he tried to chamber would not go into battery! Couldn’t get the round out of the chamber with a brass rod and hammer from the muzzle end either! He ended up having to pull the barrel. Chuck it up in a lathe and cut the back out of the case. Then had to use a reamer to get what was left of the case out of his match chamber! Today he’s the proud owner of a very nice Redding Small Base resizing die.

Good post and I absolutely agree with small base dies. There is so much ignorance about small base dies, I read things such as "it will over size your brass.". A small base die will oversize your brass if you don't use a cartridge case headspace gauge to set the die up!

Like one of these



or one of those:



Tools, such as the Hornady Comparator only work with rounds fired out of bolt guns.



Rounds fired out of gas guns, such as these rounds fired in a M1a



will stretch on extraction and not be chamber length. Which is why I prefer using cartridge headspace gauges to set up my sizing dies. The comparator works for bolt guns, and there are cartridges you cannot buy cartridge headspace gauges, such as the 7.5 Swiss, and all you have to establish the base to shoulder distance is your comparator.

But once I set up my small base dies with my cartridge headspace gauges, never had a problem with "over working" the brass.

Sometimes a case is so swollen that a small base die will not restore it at all. That is when you buy a roll sizer. Such as the Case-Pro 100



All yours for $893.00.

 

[JFrank]

Read plenty about that. But being new, nothing wrong with asking experienced reloaders for verification. That's what we're here for

That’s exactly right, I’m no expert but I’ll help anyone I can or ask a question

 

[Texas10mm]

Read plenty about that. But being new, nothing wrong with asking experienced reloaders for verification. That's what we're here for

I wonder how us old farts survived without the internet, and instant gratification?

 

[rdnktrkr]

I had that same problem when I started, some worse than yours, I shot them and no problems. Since I started using alcohol and lanolin i haven't done it again, I use Lee dies. I polished me expander using a drill, cotton towel and polishing compounds.

 

[Hondo 60]

That looks like a dent from too much lube.

Another vote for too much lube.

 

[Demi-human]

I wonder how us old farts survived without the internet, and instant gratification?

Friends? Colleagues? Others with the same interest?

And to be certain, Instant Gratification was not invented with the internet.
(which is also nothing new.)

Yeah, the front of the book has procedure instructions.

If we only needed books, we wouldn't need pastors...

Oops. Zombie thread revival by use of zombie tablet. I must not have read the date of the last post.

 

[desmobob]

the dents are getting smaller as I run some cases through that I didn't lube.

Yikes... clean your die and make sure are all your cases are lightly lubed. A stuck case will be a whole different problem.

 

[JFrank]

What kind of lube are you using.
A lot of shoulder dents can come from too much lube on the case. It could be some of it is up in your die now and the die will need cleaned out.
To much lube will dent the cases and also trap air and that can dent cases also.

As far as pulling them back out, if the case starts to move and then stops, it could be the neck resizing button on the stem is causing it. If that is the case you may need a carbide button for on there or use mica dry lube inside the case before you resize it.
If it doesn't want to move at all you may want to change lubes, if your getting neck dents and stuck at the same time you lube isn't up to job at hand or it is miss applied.

While a Reloader is investigating and in addition to the fine post above I’m tagging.
One might find that the die is grossly undersizing the cartridge, (been there done that) anytime one uses an expander ball system neck brushing is also a must do. IME
measuring the datums before and after sizing is up the list of importance, because in reality a die only needs to move brass a couple thousand for best results. I’ve thrown a few die’s in the drawer that just are not a good match for my chamber.
A lot of this stuff is trial and error, learning where & when to measure and asking a question. Heck I ask questions every day.
J

 

[CptnAwesome]

Friends? Colleagues? Others with the same interest?

And to be certain, Instant Gratification was not invented with the internet.
(which is also nothing new.)

Yeah, the front of the book has procedure instructions.

If we only needed books, we wouldn't need pastors...

Oops. Zombie thread revival by use of zombie tablet. I must not have read the date of the last post.

Haha.. Zombie thread but well put!!!

 

[JFrank]

A couple months?
I consider it more of an on going conversation with much to offer rather then a dead thread.
Just me of course
J

 

[Demi-human]

A couple months?
J

Kinda like the Pony Express.
So much for “Instant”.

I’m just glad there is a place to ask questions.