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What is the brand of the brass? The dies used? The rifle? Have any measurements of the brass pre and post sizing? -
Hi DE....Without delving into a large realm of possibilities, take your sizing die apart and give it a good cleaning and do a few more and see if that helps. You may have some excess lube from your previous reloadings gumming up the works. Especially if you are using paraffin based lube that comes with a lot of reloading kits.Comment
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DE,
What brand of die is it?
If you have used the same brass in the same gun and die previously, 4-5 times, then there's something now wrong with the die. Is it the right die for that calibre - with respect, have you screwed in the wrong die? Has the stem been bent and is now on an angle. Is the die gummed up with something like lube or debris? Have you screwed the stem in so the expander mandrel is now level with the inside neck of the die, instead of being offset?
It is impossible for your chamber dimensions to change and the only thing that wears in that area is the throat of the barrel, and this does not interfere with the brass. This is why it wont be the gun or brass.Comment
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Just a thought. Have you trimmed your cases to proper length?Comment
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Could be work hardened.Comment
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I'm afraid your going to need to give us much more info before we can give any advice.
Who's brass?
Who's die's?
What case lub?
Who's barrel?
What chamber?
Gas length?
Bcg style- full weight are lowmass?
Buffer and spring?
These things we need too know so we can help you.Comment
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ok.
couple of things.
1. Did you lube that case before trying to re-size it (don't ask me how I know!!!!)
2. I'd bet the internal of the resizer is now whacked or marred somehow.
Time for a new press, like rcbs rock chucker or other (more) decent one than Lee...
Also you need a methodology for removing a stuck case. I went thru this. With a tap/die set and a 1/4-20 or something bolt... removing the whole die out of the press and working it... sorry my memory's a bit fuzzy and that stuff is all packed away but there is a way to back it out with a drill/tap/die/bolt thingy. Murphy never strikes only once LOL!"Down the floor, out the door, Go Brandon Go!!!!!"Comment
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It's more than likely a stuck case from lack of lube. Nothing more exotic than that I am afraid.
Lee Pacesetter is a full-length die. Full-length is where you have to be careful of lube; too little and you get stuck, too much and you deform the case. Especially if you clean the brass with some sort of liquid which strips everything off the brass, or worse, leaves a coating.
You may have scratched that die trying to get the case out but what caused it in the first place is a common-enough problem, more common if you are new to reloading. You can find stuck-case remover kits like the RCBS kit. If you force the case up against unusual resistance then you compound the problem getting it out again. That is likely the resistance you felt going in...no lube. In future, as soon as you feel this - stop.
On a side note, we've established on other threads that Lee dies are notorious for squeezing and stretching the hell out of brass. No doubt that didn't help the friction. Their press is also at the bottom of leverage and quality; so it doesn't surprise me it broke. Time to shell out for a better kit (Forster, Redding, RCBS, Hornady).Last edited by Klem; 05-13-2020, 11:36 PM.Comment
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I saw where you mentioned trying One Shot and Imperial lube. Did you clean the die good between brands? I have used One Shot for years but one thing I learned is it does not play well with others. By that I mean that you MUST clean the die really well of any other lube residue and then spray a shot of One Shot into the die and LET IT DRY. Spray down you cases and LET THEM DRY as the instructions state. I have never had a single problem with lubing with One Shot when doing this. If you don't clean the other lube out of the die and use One Shot it feels like you have not lubed the case and you can and probably will stick a case.Comment
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I'm thinking like Happy above and think annealing could help solve the problem.Comment
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DE,
Regardless of your implied resistance I am sticking to the lack of lube theory. I have been doing this for decades and don't mind admitting I have an RCBS stuck case remover kit. It's like riding a bike - there are two types of riders: those that have fallen off, and those that will fall off.
If you want to stick with Lee because it saved a few dollars then knock your self out. Your case necks are getting worked more than any other brand of die however so those cases will end up being discarded sooner rather than later and this is going to cost you money. Only last week we determined that a member using Lee was getting their necks stretched and shrunk .021" every time the case is fired and goes into the die. At some stage, because case life is a variable cost and dies are a fixed cost, your choice is going to cost you more than you initially saved - just saying. Feel free to use the Search function for other member's experiences with Lee.
You mention the word 'wet' when you clean your cases. This is a big give-a-way to the idea that one of your cases was bone dry going into the die and you forced it up there with the strength of a thousand guinea pigs. To be fair this would have happened with any brand of die if you didn't back off the moment you felt resistance.
Annealing wouldn't have helped the lack of lube.
Welcome to the club.Comment
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