After wet tumbling, soak the cases in a solution of 3 oz/gallon of Armor All car cleaner/wax. Drain but do not rinse. Lay out on a towel to dry. This will leave a wax film on the cases which will eliminate the galling problem.
I have been reloading .38 special wadcutter loads in nickel plated (mostly Winchester) cases. I got them about 1964 and they have been reloaded so often that the brass is showing through where the nickel has been worn away. Yes, the case mouths do split but they have been expanded each time and...
Best tumbling solution
ArmorAll was a big improvement over Dawn since it eliminated most of the galling between the dies and brass. There was still some sticking since rinsing the dirty solution also removed some of the Armorall film. I added a final soak in a solution of 2 ounces of Armorall...
Powder Valley just listed Alliant powders
Today Powder Valley shows many Alliant powders for the first time in years:BE 86; Bullseye; Clay Dot; Unique; Extra Lite, Green Dot, Herco, Power Pistol, Pro Reach; Red Dot and many of the Reloder series.
Another possible cause of cracking
The OP stated that the brass was loaded 4 years ago. If it was stored in conditions where even a small trace of ammonia is present, it could cause stress corrosion cracking (SCC). SCC attacks the boundaries around the individual grains and weakens the brass...
The ultimate in protection for your guns
Sometimes heavy steel construction is just not enough to deter burglars. I have my pistols in a TL-15 safe. Access to the contents is poor, but there is a lot more protection than the residential security containers. I have added an additional layer of...
700-X in .38 spl
I use 2.8 gr. 700-X in .38 special with a 148 gr. wadcutter, H&G #50. This is a mild target load that I use in bullseye shooting to 50 yards. I prefer it to Bullseye since 700-X fills about 20% more by volume which is better in a case with so much empty space. I used up a 12...
Eliminating the galling problem
I found that my expanding die galled against the inside of the cases after using Dawn. Brass was torn from the case inside surface and stuck to the expander.
Switching to Armor-All helped, but some problem still remained. I guess this is probably to washing...
Brass cleaned by the wet stainless steel pin method often has problems with galling both on the outside where it contacts the carbide resizing die, and the inside surface when it is forced into the steel belling/powder charge die in my Dillon 550. Brass is torn from the case surface and adheres...
The ultimate in protection for your guns
Sometimes heavy steel construction is just not enough to deter burglars. I have my pistols in a TL-15 safe. Access to the contents is poor, but there is a lot more protection than the residential security containers. I have added an additional layer of...
I also live in Las Vegas, having retired after 70 years living in Chicago. Wish I could have fled earlier. It's great having numerous ranges, and I really enjoy the outdoor range in nearby Boulder City. There were no outdoor ranges in the Chicago area--the only two I remember are long gone...
Bought first foreign primers in 50 years
I started reloading in the 60's and have always used CCI, Remington, or Winchester primers. I just bought Tula primers (Russian). Not because they were cheaper, which is incidental, but because they were AVAILABLE.
Powder Valley has HS-6 powder...
Gimme my brass!
A new range just opened a few miles away, and they had a coupon for an introductory free range visit. Sadly, the guys on the local forum said the range owners (for safety) won't allow picking up of brass. If it hits the floor, you lose it. Needless to say, I declined the offer...
Great belt quality
I agree with JTQ that AG Custom Gun Leather is a fine first choice.
Al Childress is very cordial, and really knows his business. I bought two belts (brown and black) made of horsehide. I'm wearing one of them now and use them exclusively for CC. I bought 1-1/2" wide; a...
As a (retired) metallurgist, I can tell you that your friend would not have been able to polish or otherwise alter the defective die unless he used diamond abrasive. Tungsten carbide is harder than silicon carbide or aluminum oxide grinding abrasives, and would just remove the grit from abrasive...
Loading old pre-primed cases
I was given a box of 50 Remington primed nickel plated .45acp cases in 1966. Price on the box is $3.50.
These have been sitting in my cabinet until last week when I loaded them. Every one shot just like new. Storage has been in normal indoor climate. After 47...
I have a Dillon 550. I use an extra toolhead with only a universal decapping die installed. I just put in the shell plate and run the cases through, collecting the deprimed cases from the bin.
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