Redding FL Type S Die/ISSUES!!!!!

[Rosecrans1]

Gentlemen, Horde Members and "The Others":

I'm looking for any feedback on something I have never seen before and certainly not on a Redding die. I have an FL Type S bushing die that is literally coming apart. Was sizing some 4th shot Hornady cases using my .287" bushing on my Rock Chucker and #32 RCBS shell holder and RCBS wax-based case lube. (All used many times before).
I had a case that was tight but sized and the next did the same. Then I saw a silver sliver of metal and pulled the die. The die's chamber metal is coming off at the bottom!!! It's coming off in sliver-like threads. I cleaned it up and SLOWLY sized a few more which were sized correctly and chambered properly but after awhile, it starts shedding slivers of metal again. Eventually, the die will shed enough as to NOT size properly let alone if one of the peices gets forced into the die body, I'll have scored cases.

Has anyone seen this before???????

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[Happy2Shoot]

Need bigger pictures, higher resolution, can't tell what I am seeing.

[Mad Charlie]

Never seen that before, on any brand of die!
Looks like a hardening issue to me. Send those pictures to Redding.

[Happy2Shoot]

Just to be 100% sure.

Does a magnet stick to the die? Does a magnet stick to the silver slivers? Does a magnet stick to the bushing?

[Rosecrans1]

[Rosecrans1]

Sent the die into their customer service this afternoon.

Need bigger pictures, higher resolution, can't tell what I am seeing.

Here is a zoom of the first picture. I have these on hi-res on the phone but this should enlarge it without much distortion to show the base of the die. Click on the photo to enlarge.

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[DCC83501]

Can't imagine that! Interested to see how they deal with it. Should be on it right away I'd think.

[41bear]

Great thing about Redding they stand behind their product no matter what. I, too, have had parts problems and they corrected it ASAP

[Rosecrans1]

I sent it back Priority USPS the other day, received by Redding and their Customer Service responded that early Grendel dies did not have a smooth opening but rather a squarish edge just inside the die opening and that is where the shavings were coming from. They corrected the issue by smoothing the radius at the opening and with the un-sized brass I included with the die return, it resized brass to the specs of my good re-sized brass I also included in the return. It's on it's way back to me just like that! Redding's CS is great and that die was one of the first Type S bushing dies they made. It's quite old and has sized a lot of fun over the years. Looks like it will continue to do so!

I should have it back today but most likely tomorrow. (NY to PA). Even the USPS handles packages decent if they share a border!
Kudos to Mike and to Redding Reloading Equipment! In this day and age, I hold my breath when things break.

[DCC83501]

Great news!

[Wheelhorse]

[Klem]

Horse,

So, do you think it is some sort of chrome liner like the original Vietnam era barrels?

Seems to me that rubbing alone, would not result in slivers if it was all one piece of the same steel. Brass is of course a lot less hard than die steel and there's room to compress anyway. It's all designed to do that. Plus if it's slivering the die it wouldn't matter how much lube you had on the case it would be stuck rigid in there. It has to be a type of liner coming off, surely.

[Wheelhorse]

Horse,

So, do you think it is some sort of chrome liner like the original Vietnam era barrels?

Seems to me that rubbing alone, would not result in slivers if it was all one piece of the same steel. Brass is of course a lot less hard than die steel and there's room to compress anyway. It's all designed to do that. Plus if it's slivering the die it wouldn't matter how much lube you had on the case it would be stuck rigid in there. It has to be a type of liner coming off, surely.

A liner inside the die? Never heard that one before. If there is a liner inside the die it certainly is very soft.

Make no sense to me, brass will not cut any of the steel I've ever worked with. I've always considered Redding to be a top notch company but can't help but wonder if there's some bullshit*ing going on. Wonder if Redding is picking up any of the shipping charges for this problem?

[Rosecrans1]

It's the only die I have ever had any trouble with from Redding and this die has to be 8 years old or older with a lot of brass through it's guts. I paid minimal to get it to Cortland, NY and they are sending it back pre-paid and fixed no questions asked within a week's time period. I'll keep buying Redding dies based on their customer service and the fact it's the first time I ever had to call their CS since I started reloading in the early 1980's. Well over half of the dies I have are Reddings.

To WheelHorse: Your screen name. I still own three. Down from the 10+ Wheelhorse Tractors I owned for years and two of them, in decades. They are quality but they too break sometimes. It happens.

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[Wheelhorse]

Practically all the dies I use are Redding except for the Wilsons I use with my 6BR. They're high quality dies for sure and are my favorite.

As for my screen name, I couldn't think of anything the day I joined here and had just left my nephew's shop where he was working on a Wheelhorse mower so that popped in my mind. Wish I could change it to something else but haven't thought of another name yet.

Still don't understand how brass can shave slivers of metal off of steel and believe someone at Redding would have to explain that to my satisfaction. If you ever figure it out please enlighten me.