brass stuck in x die

[1moa@500]

i recently purchased an x die from rcbs to reload for my garand. I adjusted the die to touch the shellholder and lubed a case and ran it into the die all was going fine until i started the down stroke. It was taking a bit more effort to move the ram down when I ripped the rim off of half the case. i t appears that after many foul words that the cause was not changing the shellholder when I changed dies. How do I remove the case without snapping the shaft of the deccapping pin. I would normally drill out the case head and use a stuck case remover but with the mandrell still inside I cant think of a way to do this without busting the shaft. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[Hunter0924]

RCBS makes an excellent stuck case removal tool.
I have one and have used it once on Winchester .308 brass, it worked perfect.

 

[Sunray]

Relax. You'd really have to work at busting the decapping rod. It'd be hard to bend it too. Undo the locking ring and unscrew it. It should come out of the top of the die without too much fuss. Use pliers if you have to. Then use a 6" 1/8" brass rod and a plastic mallet to whack the case out. This'll work even if you've got just the rod in the case.
And remember that RCBS will fix any problems you have, even if you caused it, with a phone call. The only question they'll ask is your mailing address to send you any replacement parts.
You really didn't need X dies for an M1 either. A regular FL sizer will work just fine. Either way, the dies should just kiss the shell holder with the ram all the way up.

 

[jjohnson]

+1 on Stuck Case Removal Tool

Oh, by all means, buy one of these! They're well designed and made, and make an easy job of getting the case out - and it may likely happen to you again, so it's worth the little bit of cash to buy the tool. You can remove the case the hard way with drill, rod, hammer, and penetrating oil and a lot of cursing, or just poney up a couple bucks for the tool. I was amazed at how fast and easy it works. You won't be disappointed.

 

[stubbicatt]

Probably you won't be readily able to extract the decapping rod from the case due to the tight "neck" portion of the case. What I do is to unscrew it from the top of the die, so it sort of flops around. Get the stuck case removal kit (you may need it again one day) and remove the stuck case. Once you get to the point where you have to remove the case from over the expander ball on the decapping rod, it will take some determination and a pair of locking pliars, but put the pliars on the ruined case rather than on the decapping rod assembly, and tug it on out of there.

Then find you a better case lube. I prefer the Lee case lube diluted in isopropyl alcohol and sprayed from one of those really small pump style atomizers into a gallon sized Ziploc brand freezer bag, and a couple handsful of cases tossed in. Roll 'em around so that they are well coated, pour them out onto a towel to allow the Iso to evaporate, and voila! Perfectly lubed cases, and the insides of the necks are lubed too.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Forster makes a stuck case removal tool that works a little differently than most. It is used to assist pulling the mandre/expander out the top, then has a rod with which you can pound the brass out the bottom of the die (or put the die upside down in the press and use the ram and rod to press the brass out). It also works with standard RCBS dies, and if they have the same top thread, the X dies too.

Andy

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

The shell holder isn't what caused the stuck case, unless it was extremely loose. Sounds like you needed a bit more case lube, especially in the neck. The stuck case remover the other fellas suggested are a good idea to own.

Regards,

Dave

 

[snuffy]

Since I don't have a x die, I don't know if they're built different than a standard FL die.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=246515

It looks like the mandrel/decapper assembly can be loosened, backed out, just like any other FL die. That should give you room to drill/tap the base to use your stuck shell remover. You WON'T be able to completely remove the mandrel, it can't come through the neck while the neck is in the neck sizing portion of the die.

 

[catbite45]

Get the stuck case tool.

 

[Der Verge]

First of all, it was mentioned above that you need more lube, especially on the neck... I thought we were not supposed to get lube on the neck or shoulder. In the neck, but not on......

When it comes to getting a case out of your X die, treat it like a regular die. There difference between the two makes no difference when removing a stuck case.....

Also, I do not know of other's experiences with decapping pins, but I have broken one or two. They are tough, but not that tough.

Lastly, if the case is stuck because the shell holder skipped over the rim because of improper sizing, the case is most likely not in there very tight.
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! I have done this before, and it will work with out problem for lightly stuck cases like this one is likely to be. Unscrew the decapping pin and all other parts out of the die. Find a good quality scratch owl or similar tool that will fit in to the die, with out contacting the sides where the threads for the decapping pin are. Insert the awl in to the flash hole through the die, and tap LIGHTLY. One or two raps should remove the case. If it does not, or you do not feel comfortable hitting any harder, give up and go get the case removal tool. It is worth a shot, but not worth ruining your die, or your press over.