Expander hard to pull thru lubed necks? 223/5.56 when FL sizing.

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243winxb

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Now i know why?

If you look at the photos, the brass makes its own donut using standard FL dies. The case neck wall thickness gets thicker closer to the shoulder.

To get rid of the problem of over working the brass & making it work hardened, i now outside neck turn brass for the standard die.

A bushing die would not have this problem, when pulling the expander thru the necks. The bushing does not need to size all of the neck.

Or hone out the neck of a standard die. Have done this also.

Or anneal the brass every loading?

Photos from https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/42/annealing-under-the-microscope/
Has this been a problem for you? I use RCBS dies.
Normalapua.jpg LakecityRemington.jpg
 
I had the issue with my .270 brass once.

It was operator error. Had my expander button set too high in the die. Deprime in a separate step and had removed the decapping pin from the die and did not notice how far up in the die I had left the expander.

Not saying it this is the same problem, but made marks just like what is showing on the lake city neck.
 
Start tumbling your brass in stainless steel pins, cleaning the
case's inside and outside.
The expander ball is hanging up in carbon inside the neck.
 
I only turn brass for my rifles that cannot chamber “regular” ammunition and have sizing dies specifically machined to that chamber (no expander involved).

.223/5.56 I use a carbide button most often.
 
If I've ever had that problem I've never noticed it. I lube the case neck when I lube the case and that seems to work well. I do have carbide expander balls for the calibers that I load the most. And yeah, its hard to pay more for an expander ball that what the die set cost!
 
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