My family has a problem, and after doing some research I realize that it is not unique. For Father's day, my brothers and I bought our dad a new gun chambered in 30-06 Spfld. Since we reload for all of our other guns (.223, .260, .270, 7mm, etc.), we bought the dies for the '06 as well. The problem occurs with the sizing/decapping die.
New unfired shells do not get stuck in the die and cycle through effortlessly. However, after the shell has been fired, it gets stuck. We tumble/clean and lube the brass before sizing. My dad broke 3 sizing dies-the sizing ball shears off or the shaft bends inside the case when trying to extract the shell from the case. It seems to get stuck on the inside at the shoulder of the case, not around the outside circumference of the shell. Two dies were LEE dies and one was RCBS. Two broke with a LEE wax lube, the last one with One Shot. It does not take unusual or unreasonable force to insert the shell into the die (compared to all other loads we have made for our other various calibers), but the shell refuses to extract. How do we fix this problem?
We will soon buy a new die (LEE) to try a fourth time. We are going to try cleaning out the inside of the shell with a brush and solvent and using a new lube (perhaps a toilet bowl ring-I have heard that works great!) If it gets stuck again, we will be shipping it off to LEE to ask them what the problem is.
I would definitely appreciate any help/advice from the members here at THR!
Thanks!
New unfired shells do not get stuck in the die and cycle through effortlessly. However, after the shell has been fired, it gets stuck. We tumble/clean and lube the brass before sizing. My dad broke 3 sizing dies-the sizing ball shears off or the shaft bends inside the case when trying to extract the shell from the case. It seems to get stuck on the inside at the shoulder of the case, not around the outside circumference of the shell. Two dies were LEE dies and one was RCBS. Two broke with a LEE wax lube, the last one with One Shot. It does not take unusual or unreasonable force to insert the shell into the die (compared to all other loads we have made for our other various calibers), but the shell refuses to extract. How do we fix this problem?
We will soon buy a new die (LEE) to try a fourth time. We are going to try cleaning out the inside of the shell with a brush and solvent and using a new lube (perhaps a toilet bowl ring-I have heard that works great!) If it gets stuck again, we will be shipping it off to LEE to ask them what the problem is.
I would definitely appreciate any help/advice from the members here at THR!
Thanks!