trouble resizing

[bob4]

Today I was full resizing once fired .270 cases. (About 100 120) ( I shot them new) Some of them went smooth as silk. Some of them really required a strong arm to get out of the dye. They seem to go in easy enough but the last portion of the stroke up to remove them they get stuck. Each of them were lubed properly. About every tenth or so I scrape on the case on the pad to get just a dab of lube inside the neck. This seemed to help a bit, there were still a few that took muscle to remove. Or even a good slap on the handle. And when I say muscle they were really in there. This has also happened with the Lyman neck sizer. I can't help but think there's something wrong or I'm doing something wrong. Any thoughts would sure be appreciated.

• Lyman full resizing dye. The dye is fairly new.
• Lyman case lube on a lube pad, then 6 or so rolled in it.
• Win 270 cases
• RCBS single stage press

 

[243winxb]

This has also happened with the Lyman neck sizer.

Press problem.

 

[Coltdriver]

I have had the same experience with cases of different calibers.

Usually I can clear it by pulling the expander from the die, cleaning it up, then starting over. I usually put some lube on the expander ball too while I am at it.

I do the same thing you do and that is run the neck across the case lube pad to get some lube in the neck of about every 4th or 5th case.

Sometimes I wonder if I am not over lubing the case body and causing a temporary vacuum. It is a strange problem.

 

[cfullgraf]

About every tenth or so I scrape on the case on the pad to get just a dab of lube inside the neck. This seemed to help a bit, there were still a few that took muscle to remove.

Probably not lubricating the inside of the neck frequently enough. I lubricate the neck of every third or fourth case.

I prefer to use a brush to lubricate the inside of necks, but what ever works for you.

 

[kingmt]

It might help to polish it.

 

[bob4]

Thanks all. I'll take the dye apart and have a look at the expander ball. Not that I've seen one before and sure what I'm looking for.

It might help to polish it.

It being the die ?

 

[bob4]

Press problem.

... What might be wrong with the press ?

 

[rcmodel]

Get a .30 nylon or bronze bore brush.
Roll it on the lube pad.
Run it in & out of every case neck before sizing.
Roll it on the lube pad again every so often.

You don't want a lot of lube, you just want it in every case neck, all the way down it.

Dabbing the mouth on a pad really doesn't help a whole lot.
On the way in, the neck hasn't been sized yet.
So the expander doesn't pick up the lube.

Then on the way back out, there is no lube till the expander gets almost clear out of the case again.

rc

 

[gamestalker]

Your really lucky to not have stuck a case. It not your die or press causing this problem. As RC indicated, you need to properly lube every case, the body and the neck, inside and out. Much of the resistence encountered when resizing occures on the inside of the neck. The method RC has suggested will solve your problem.

GS

 

[243winxb]

What might be wrong with the press ?

The linkage may not be as smooth as it should be. Had one that would make a clicking sound when coming back from cam over, like it was catching on something. Took extra effort. Lubed linkage with Break Free CLP till it got broke in. Didnt send it back, because it was already a replacement for one that was worn out. Not a common problem with RCBS.

 

[GLOOB]

Does it happen with all your brass?

Size a few cases each of all your headstamps.

Then take out your expanding rod, and size a few more cases from each of your headstamps.

Compare the OD of the case necks.

For low drag, there should only be a mic or so difference between the unexpanded and expanded cases with your thinnest necked brass. If there's like 2-3+ mics, your sizing dies are overworking your cases. (Now to be sure, you may run into thin necked brass one day where your dies are dialed in perfect.)

I had this problem with my Hornady 7mm08 sizing die.* It was sizing even my thinnest cases ~2.5 mics undersize, compared to the expanded diameter. I honed the inside of the neck portion of the die with sandpaper over a dowel, until I got this difference down to about 1 mic. Still, because I use a hodgepodge of cases with greatly varying neck thickness, I never did get this to work satisfactorily, even using inside neck lube on every case; and I hate using inside neck lube.

So I got a Lyman M die, and I have everafter been in reloading heaven. I put a 270 expander rod/decapping pin in the sizing die so that it doesn't expand my cases. All the expanding/flaring is done by the M die. My thick necked brass is still getting overworked, but sizing and expanding/flaring are both effortless with no neck lube, and the little flare makes seating flat base bullets easy as pie. I prime on the press, anyways, so expanding and priming at the same time isn't a big deal for me.

*In contrast, my Lee 223 die is effortless with no neck lube. The expander barely drags on the way out. The sizer actually doesn't size the neck quite enough on one offbrand headstamp I picked up. The expander doesn't even do anything on the way out. Neck tension is still fine, so I guess it's acting like a Lee collet necksizer, sort of, by sizing just exactly to the right diameter. But I scrapped those cases to be safe.

Other things to consider: make sure your expander rod isn't too high up. If the expander ball gets too close to the neck sizing part of the die, it can pinch the brass. And you might also consider reaming your necks for consistent thickness. One last thing. Perhaps your ammo had some bullet sealant that wasn't completely burned off? Maybe the problem will go away by itself on your next loading.

 

[kingmt]

Gloob answered most of that question. I'll add the expander may be rough also.

 

[bob4]

Thanks Gloob, and everyone else that has helped.
That's gonna take a while to digest all of that. Once I get to taking the die apart I'm sure I'll understand a bit more. Until this thread I didn't realize what the expander did. But now I know it does its thing on the way out.
My number of posts certainly gives away my lack of experience.
With hunting done ( that didn't go so well) and X-mas right here it will be the weekend before I get to play with this a bit.
Two questions if I may though..
About the thick necked brass. I assume your talking about the wall thickness. And that being the case the manufacturer concentrates on the outside diameter? Therefore if the wall thickness being just a spec off on the wall thickness may be an issue I'm seeing with my expander?
The M die.. Know what, I'll Google that and see what I can learn.
Thanks again.
Bob

 

[GLOOB]

About the thick necked brass. I assume your talking about the wall thickness. And that being the case the manufacturer concentrates on the outside diameter?

It's easier to accurately measure the OD than the ID and/or the actual brass thickness, IMO. That's why I measure and compare OD. You can infer the relative brass thickness and amount of sizing/expanding going on by comparing the OD's.

 

[murf]

bob4,

these are winchester cases. the neck thickness can vary a lot on each case (around the circumfrence of the neck). when it does, the case will be difficult to pull back through the sizing die (the neck inside circumfrence is off-center from the expander plug).

just keep the inside of the neck lubed real good and have at it!

murf