First time for everything

[gamestalker]

30+ years of reloading, and I finally stuck a case.

Last night I was setting up the resizing die for a .243, and during the process of adjusting for the desired shoulder bump, I managed to run that piece of brass dry. I felt it chatter once, then it just stopped dead. It stuck pretty good, but probably not as bad as it could have been if it had been a piece of unsized brass. Took me a good 15 minutes to get it free. I just took the expander out, then unthreaded the die, worked well. I had to polish the die afterward though, it was pretty badly galled with brass.

All in all, I guess I got lucky, cause I didn't have to resort to extreme measures, like buying a stuck case removal tool.

GS

 

[cfullgraf]

It is good that you could get the case out after a fashion.

Stuck cases really mess up a good day.

My first and only stuck case, so far, was in a custom die for an old, obsolete cartridge. I spent the rest of the day machining a stuck case remover.

 

[fguffey]

All in all, I guess I got lucky, cause I didn't have to resort to extreme measures, like buying a stuck case removal tool.

Extreme measures? Try making one, my opinion the home made ones can be made to work better. A reloader/shooter/collector sent me a die that had been in the family for years with a case stuck in it. I pulled the stuck case with a home made puller, then I stuck the next 5 cases I tried to size. By the time I sized 40+ cases the die worked. I returned the die with the puller. He said he would keep it for a back up but would never trust the die again.

I do not clean dies with the latest chemicals added to the list of chemicals added by reloader under the heading of 'got to have'. Then there were the few dies RCBS made that want to keep every case someone sticks in them.

F. Guffey

 

[joem1945]

I've been reloading for over 20 yrs. I usually stick a few every year. It's a agravation and slows down the reloading.

 

[lightman]

Most of us have done that at one time or another. I've stuck more surplus 223's than anything else. Maybe a few surplus 30-06's fired in machine guns.

 

[PJSprog]

Every time I see a post like this, I always wonder at the idea that I've never yet done that in my 25 years. Glad to see you made it to 30, GS!

 

[gamestalker]

Ya, no kidding PJSprog, I can now say I've done it.

I've had more than just a few that came close, chattering as they entered the die. But I didn't stop in mid stroke, but instead I force the brass in, then wait for things to cool down for a minute or two, and they've always extracted from the die, didn't work this time. It just locked up tight about 3/4 of the way in, and I knew that was all she wrote.

GS

 

[Rule3]

Another advantage to the LEE resizing die. If you stick one, it is very easy to remove the case. (hey got plug LEE at any chance possible) The Blue Kool Aid get old!

 

[Schwing]

Rule3 beat me to it.

I have only ever had 9mm cases stick in my lee die and they come right out with some gentle encouragement from some needle nose pliers and don't take too much force.

 

[gamestalker]

Are you serious Schwing, you stuck a pistol case?

Unless you are using steel dies, I can't imagine how anyone could stick a case in a carbide pistol die. I didn't even think it was possible.

GS

 

[Rule3]

Are you serious Schwing, you stuck a pistol case?

Unless you are using steel dies, I can't imagine how anyone could stick a case in a carbide pistol die. I didn't even think it was possible.

GS

That is a bit unusual??

I was referring to rifle dies but the pin is the same.

 

[amflyer]

Schwing, if you are removing the cases with a needlenose pliers, then it's not really a stuck case. I would suspect it's more of a shellholder issue.

My stuck cases problems always involve ripping the rim off the case.

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

I've stuck a 223 case in Lee sizing die, but the way they are designed, its easy to free it. Unscrew the nut on the decapper, then just pound the case out.

 

[gamestalker]

Well, I guess I'm fortunate, in that, I have no previous experience with sticking a case, this was indeed my first. The most work involved, was having to polish the die after I got the case out, it was pretty badly galled. So much so, it felt like I almost stuck the next couple cases, which was when I decided to give it a polishing, smooth as silk now.

GS