Ouch! Stuck 223 case in die…How to remove?

[HKGuns]

The hammer method may work for partially stuck cases, but I wouldn't count on it and advise to get the extraction kit pictured above. Even that can fail and you may have to trash your die. I've had to trash one in my reloading lifetime.

 

[jmorris]

Almost every stuck case I’ve seen has been complicated or caused by the expansion ball on the decapping pins. I ended up taking it a step further than Lee and removed the decapping/expanding rods from my sizing dies. I use a universal decapper and let the bullet expand the case necks on seating.

On bottle neck cases the expander (blue arrow) MUST be inside the body of the case, if it is raised so it’s in the neck portion (red lines) at the same time as the neck is being compressed around it. That would almost guarantee a stuck case, other than that, it’s in air space, not contacting anything except on its way out, after the neck is no longer in contact with the die.



If you don’t use an expander and just size the OD, the ID and neck tension, will vary as much as the neck wall thickness does. Why I always use an expander, so the ID is consistant, not the OD. I might not always use one that pulls back through the case though. Sinclar makes some nice ones, that expand on the way in, makes it easy for me to turn a custom one if I want too.



Not all Lee expanders are the same shape, even ones that have the same diameter, like the two .30 caliber ones on the right before the universal decapping rod.



If you accidentally put the longer one for 308 into the 300 blk die that uses the shorter one and you would be knee deep in stuck cases.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I use the longer decapping rods when they are available for my Lee dies, I think they are called "EZ X expander-decapping rod", I use some valve lapping compound and polish up the expander and inside the sizing die and haven't had a stuck die in years.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

On bottle neck cases the expander (blue arrow) MUST be inside the body of the case, if it is raised so it’s in the neck portion (red lines) at the same time as the neck is being compressed around it. That would almost guarantee a stuck case, other than that, it’s in air space, not contacting anything except on its way out, after the neck is no longer in contact with the die.

View attachment 1179693

If you don’t use an expander and just size the OD, the ID and neck tension, will vary as much as the neck wall thickness does. Why I always use an expander, so the ID is consistant, not the OD. I might not always use one that pulls back through the case though. Sinclar makes some nice ones, that expand on the way in, makes it easy for me to turn a custom one if I want too.

View attachment 1179694

Not all Lee expanders are the same shape, even ones that have the same diameter, like the two .30 caliber ones on the right before the universal decapping rod.

View attachment 1179695

If you accidentally put the longer one for 308 into the 300 blk die that uses the shorter one and you would be knee deep in stuck cases.

Okie-dokie. As always, do what works for you but, the ID is always going to be as consistent as the bullet diameter if you don’t expand the neck and just use a flare die (M-die or conical) to start the bullet, then let the bullet and seater do the expanding. Neck tension problems vanish. Other folks can try it or not. Works for me. That’s all that matters.

 

[ms6852]

I use a block of 4X4 drilled with a hole all the way through. Large enough to let the case cartridge through. I use a hammer and a punch and tap the cartridge case out. Haven't had many stuck cases since I began to use more lube.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

I use a block of 4X4 drilled with a hole all the way through. Large enough to let the case cartridge through. I use a hammer and a punch and tap the cartridge case out. Haven't had many stuck cases since I began to use more lube.

No expander on the decapping rod? Or you have some other method of getting those out of the case and die?

 

[jmorris]

the ID is always going to be as consistent as the bullet diameter

Yes but the tension the case has on it, won’t be. I suppose if you turned all of your necks the same, you be closer though.

Without expanding, a .002” difference in wall thickness will be .004” difference in neck tension.

 

[ms6852]

No expander on the decapping rod? Or you have some other method of getting those out of the case and die?

I unscrew the decapping rod and leave the expander in the cartridge case. Then I would drill a hole large enough for the expander parts to fall through the hole. Afterward I put the die in the vise and tap the cartridge case out. There is an easier method to do it than my way. I just have to buy an extractor set and get another case stuck. Been years since one has gotten stuck. The first 3 times it happened I was using the wrong size jaws on my Forster Press what was causing my cases to get stuck. Here is the link to the simpler method, much better than mine.

Extracting a stuck case in a sizing die

What to do when you get a case stuck in a sizing die.

www.youtube.com

 

[Larry in wyoming]

I unscrew the decapping rod and leave the expander in the cartridge case. Then I would drill a hole large enough for the expander parts to fall through the hole. Afterward I put the die in the vise and tap the cartridge case out. There is an easier method to do it than my way. I just have to buy an extractor set and get another case stuck. Been years since one has gotten stuck. The first 3 times it happened I was using the wrong size jaws on my Forster Press what was causing my cases to get stuck. Here is the link to the simpler method, much better than mine.

Extracting a stuck case in a sizing die

What to do when you get a case stuck in a sizing die.

www.youtube.com

I will keep that in mind and hope I never need to try it!

 

[kmw1954]

33 posts and I still am shaking my head and asking why. Once again I resize brass on a simple leverage single stage press. Matter of fact it is a lowly RCBS JR3. So this is not a compound leverage linkage press. No great mechanical advantage to it. So if I have to apply more than moderate pressure to the handle the brass gets tossed. It just is not worth the time and aggravation trying to salvage range scrap. Now if this was again some obscure rare cartridge I could understand but to stick a piece of junk 223, 243, 6.5CM or 308, come on!

 

[Ru4real]

33 posts and I still am shaking my head and asking why.

Stuff happens. I started the thread to show an alternate when stuff happens. Some of the posts, like yours, are posted to make the poster feel good and give no additional value or knowledge to the community.

Like this one…

That's one way of doing it.

Best not to get them stuck to start off with.

Well, duh. Or this one, admitting to sticking a case after saying don’t stick a case in the first place. Stuff happens.

Already been said, don’t stick a brass in the first place. In 60+ years of reloading I have stuck one case because I didn’t use OneShot properly. Over the years, I have tried all types of lubes but now have settled on Imperial or Hornady wax. The effort required on the press handle is less than any other lube.

The hammer method may work for partially stuck cases

This was a fully stuck case.

 

[Caplock]

That’s funny I did too and by the time I needed it the second time I forgot how to use it. So, I wrote down instructions and haven’t needed it since—must be like a vaccine.View attachment 1179679

This is what I have. Hope to not need it again. It's been years.

 

[kmw1954]

Stuff happens. I started the thread to show an alternate when stuff happens. Some of the posts, like yours, are posted to make the poster feel good and give no additional value or knowledge to the community.

Stuff happens, Great! It sure does and many or most times that stuff can be avoided and is brought about by our own doing. Know of people that have lost finger, toes, arms, legs and lives because Stuff Happens. So you found zero value in a suggestion on how to avoid it in the first place. OK I guess I can live with that!

 

[Yankee1986]

33 posts and I still am shaking my head and asking why. Once again I resize brass on a simple leverage single stage press. Matter of fact it is a lowly RCBS JR3. So this is not a compound leverage linkage press. No great mechanical advantage to it. So if I have to apply more than moderate pressure to the handle the brass gets tossed. It just is not worth the time and aggravation trying to salvage range scrap. Now if this was again some obscure rare cartridge I could understand but to stick a piece of junk 223, 243, 6.5CM or 308, come on!

Not trying to pick a fight but....
You are working on the theory that everyone has loaded hundreds/thousands of rounds.
I am new to this hobby. How am I supposed to know what "moderate pressure" feels like?

 

[kmw1954]

Not trying to pick a fight but....
You are working on the theory that everyone has loaded hundreds/thousands of rounds.
I am new to this hobby. How am I supposed to know what "moderate pressure" feels like?

Valid question. If I have to lean on or hang on a handle that is more than medium pressure. If you have to flex the bench you are asking for trouble. Same with using a wrench on a bolt. You should be able to "feel" when you are to the point you are going to break something.

Now ask yourself, what is that piece of brass worth? How much effort are you ready to expend to reuse it? How much aggravation are you prepared to deal with on a stuck case? My die is worth way more than any piece of brass so I take extra care to not damage that die it in the first place.