mousegun380
Member
Hello, and thanks for taking the time to read my questions.
The following is the process I have arrived at after many trials and tribulations loading 223 cartridges. I'll tell you the steps I use and explain why I do them. Maybe you have a better process, after all, that is what I am seeking.
1. Tumble (To remove dirt so that I do not scratch the sizing die.)
2. Decap Only (This is done on a single stage press. I do this seperately because I sometimes break decap pins when I hit a crimped primer. I have slightly bent the decapping rod before, and I would rather have this happen to a decap die instead of my more expensive full ength sizing die. I haven't had this happen in a while though because I have learned to use a lighter hand.)
3. Swage (Dillon Super Swage 600)
4. Lubricate (Dillon Case Lube)
5. Full-Length Resize (RCBS X-Die 223 Small Base. I used to use a Hornady standard 223 full length sizing die, but I had problems chambering the rounds in my AR. The "small base" die completely solved this problem. I have not gotten to use the "x-die never trim again function" of the new die because I am still using it to process range brass. No cases have come through twice as of yet. This is done on a single stage press.)
6. Trim, Chamfer, Deburr (Hornady Case Prep Station)
7. Tumble again to remove lube.
8. Seat primer, powder charge, seat bullet (no crimp). This is done on a Hornady LNL AP.
So this long and drawn out process is what I have ended up with because it works. The problem is that it completely sucks and takes forever. You end up passing the cases through the single stage twice, and the progressive once, not to mention the swager and case prep station.
Recently, I tried to quicken one part of this process by using the progressive to resize the cases instead of the single stage. I loaded the sizing die only into the Hornady LNL AP and began to load lubricated cases through it. Had it worked, it would have sped this part of the process up because I only need to add the cases, they are ejected automatically. Unfortunately, the base ripped off of one of these cases after about only 6, sticking the case deep in the sizing die. I was unable to get it out through normal workshop means, so I bought a stuck-case removal tool from Hornady and it got the case out immediately. I tried again, thinking that maybe the case was faulty. I broke the very first case in the same manner. The stuck case remover again saw some action.
Question 1) Why would my progressive rip the base off of cases and my single stage does not when using the same lubed cases and same sizing die? The only difference I can think of is the shellplate vs shell holder. Maybe it is the added friction from the small base die in combination with the way the shellplate holds the case? There has to be someone out there progressively loading 223 with a small base die without incident.
Question 2) I know people progressively load 223, but how are they doing it without missing steps? The only way I can think of doing it would be to use a Dillon 1050 with their motorized trimmer attached. That's the only way I could think of swaging, sizing, trimming, etc all at once - at quite an investment I might add. Keep in mind I am processing once fired range brass.
Thanks again, and any process improvement suggestions would be much appreciated.
The following is the process I have arrived at after many trials and tribulations loading 223 cartridges. I'll tell you the steps I use and explain why I do them. Maybe you have a better process, after all, that is what I am seeking.
1. Tumble (To remove dirt so that I do not scratch the sizing die.)
2. Decap Only (This is done on a single stage press. I do this seperately because I sometimes break decap pins when I hit a crimped primer. I have slightly bent the decapping rod before, and I would rather have this happen to a decap die instead of my more expensive full ength sizing die. I haven't had this happen in a while though because I have learned to use a lighter hand.)
3. Swage (Dillon Super Swage 600)
4. Lubricate (Dillon Case Lube)
5. Full-Length Resize (RCBS X-Die 223 Small Base. I used to use a Hornady standard 223 full length sizing die, but I had problems chambering the rounds in my AR. The "small base" die completely solved this problem. I have not gotten to use the "x-die never trim again function" of the new die because I am still using it to process range brass. No cases have come through twice as of yet. This is done on a single stage press.)
6. Trim, Chamfer, Deburr (Hornady Case Prep Station)
7. Tumble again to remove lube.
8. Seat primer, powder charge, seat bullet (no crimp). This is done on a Hornady LNL AP.
So this long and drawn out process is what I have ended up with because it works. The problem is that it completely sucks and takes forever. You end up passing the cases through the single stage twice, and the progressive once, not to mention the swager and case prep station.
Recently, I tried to quicken one part of this process by using the progressive to resize the cases instead of the single stage. I loaded the sizing die only into the Hornady LNL AP and began to load lubricated cases through it. Had it worked, it would have sped this part of the process up because I only need to add the cases, they are ejected automatically. Unfortunately, the base ripped off of one of these cases after about only 6, sticking the case deep in the sizing die. I was unable to get it out through normal workshop means, so I bought a stuck-case removal tool from Hornady and it got the case out immediately. I tried again, thinking that maybe the case was faulty. I broke the very first case in the same manner. The stuck case remover again saw some action.
Question 1) Why would my progressive rip the base off of cases and my single stage does not when using the same lubed cases and same sizing die? The only difference I can think of is the shellplate vs shell holder. Maybe it is the added friction from the small base die in combination with the way the shellplate holds the case? There has to be someone out there progressively loading 223 with a small base die without incident.
Question 2) I know people progressively load 223, but how are they doing it without missing steps? The only way I can think of doing it would be to use a Dillon 1050 with their motorized trimmer attached. That's the only way I could think of swaging, sizing, trimming, etc all at once - at quite an investment I might add. Keep in mind I am processing once fired range brass.
Thanks again, and any process improvement suggestions would be much appreciated.