Some re-loading issues

[erik_26]

Alright Calguns, I could use some guidance.

I will pre-face my problems with stating I have been reloading for 5-years. I have reloaded 10's thousands of rounds.

I use a Dillon 550B and reload pistol and rifle rounds. I use carbide dies, don't reload nickel or steel cases.


Problem 1: Scratches on my PISTOL brass casing after going through the re-sizing/de-priming die. (I lube rifle cases)

• I used to just use corn media, polish and a vibrator tumbler = never any problems
• I briefly tried crushed walnut, polish and a vibrator tumbler = don't recall any issues but didn't use this method more than a couple times.
• I started wet tumbling and air drying = didn't notice a problem
• Wet tumble, then low heat oven dry = didn't notice a problem
• Wet tumble high oven heat = brass became dull colored, noticed scratches on cases after re-sizing/de-priming
• Removed the brass burs in the die and polished, continued wet tumble high heat oven dry = scratches on the brass..... UGH!
• Fixed the die again, wet tumble, low heat dry = scratches on the brass.... UGH!
• Cleaned up the die again, wet tumble, air dry then 3-hours in the corn media with polish = ~900 flawless reloads then scratches started appearing again, UGH!
• I switch back to just the corn media and polish method, you know back to my roots = ~900 flawless reloads then scratches.

What the heck am I missing or doing wrong? I read that it is possible to get brass too clean, don't know if true or not, so that is why I went back to just using the corn media and the polish. But after about 900 rounds the cases started developing scratches again.

Problem 2: I am noticing a lot of brass flakes, almost powder-ish, accumulating on my shell plate, indexing buttons and pretty much all over. I can't figure out why this is happening. I will clean everything up ever 200-300 rounds. My brass is clean, my press is clean, I could understand some build up after a thousand rounds or more, but it seems to happen rapidly now.

Any thoughts and help is appreciated.

[hambam105]

Probably started with a piece of dirty brass...a piece of crud(s) inside resizing die.
Inside resizing die wall is not smooth for some reason.

Flakes coming from brass being scraped from the imperfection inside resizer wall.

Solution:
Use clean brass and buy a new resizing die. A 40 pound bag of crushed walnut shell is available at farm animal food store and costs ~15 dollars.

[opos]

I don't know for sure but years ago I used the old 'Vinegar/salt/soap/water" soup to make the brass clean but not shiny...used it a lot...would let it dry and never a problem if properly rinsed..loaded thousands of them and no issues..then heard about "oven drying" the brass...the brass sort of turned pink color, was blotchy and didn't seem to resize properly....I've been told that even at the low settings on the oven when it cycles on the keep the temp even it get's hotter for a while...cools..then get's hotter...and the hot part of the cycle is often just too hot (in some cases might even anneal) and causes the zinc in the brass (pink color) to alter it's presence....

I did notice that using the "soup" to clean brass that it really removed all the oils and oily feeling from the brass and it resized pretty hard...Now that I tumble dry with walnut shells and a a capfull of new finish car polish the brass has just the tiniest bit of a slippery feel and runs beautifully in my carbide dies with no lube (pistol dies)...maybe your brass is "squeeky clean" and dragging on the dies.

Again I don't know...I don't use wet tumbling...but there might be an issue there..maybe the thing that is causing you to notice the scratches now is because the brass is softer after the heating to dry it off...Good luck

[bazineta]

For optimal drying of wet tumbled brass, hit a garage sale or two until you find one of the circular food dehydrators, i.e., 5 or 6 round trays, vented on the bottom, typically a heater/fan unit on the top. Often you'll find these being practically given away. They produce a heat level that's perfect for drying brass; a couple thousand cases of 45 ACP is easily done in an hour.

Frankford Arsenal sells a dryer that's pretty much the same thing. Either way, spousal conflict about use of the oven is avoided, which is always a Good Thing.

[jericho89]

If you are getting scratching that is what is causing the brass powder. To help eliminate the scratching you need to clean your dies. I would take the die out and hit it with some stainless steel to clean out any built up debris.

[pacrat]

I'm of the opinion that you created your problem right here. Like "opos" suggested.

Here is a <snip> from the middle of your narrative.

Wet tumble, then low heat oven dry = didn't notice a problem

Wet tumble high oven heat = brass became dull colored, noticed scratches on cases after re-sizing/de-priming

Removed the brass burs in the die and polished, continued wet tumble high heat oven dry = scratches on the brass..... UGH!

Fixed the die again, wet tumble, low heat dry = scratches on the brass.... UGH!

The step from last "no problem" to "problem" occured in your high heat oven. Likely you softened your cases a bit. Making them more susceptible to "burnishing" in your die.

Are you lubing your cases? At least intermittantly? Don't ever believe those that say no lube is required with "carbide" dies. I use single stage presses only and I still super lightly lube by thumb/forefinger method every tenth case.

What happens is that the brass from a really clean unlubed case is "burnished" onto the carbide ring of the die. The extreme frictional pressure of sizing, causes a very slight transfer of the softer brass onto the harder carbide. Until it builds up and starts scratching cases.

Same has happened to me in the past. When I switched to the "no lube" advertised carbide dies. Even without the oven heat issue.

JM2c

[erik_26]

Thanks guys.

[Fishslayer]

Problem 2: This happens to me when I overflare and/or try to take out too much flare with the LFCD. I solve it by:

1: Adjust powder die to flare just enough to set a bullet on top and have it stay.
2. Adjust seating die to take out most of the flare
3. Adjust LFCD to complete deflaring & crimp as necessary.

A bit of dust here & there is OK... slivers is not.

Yes.. you need to adjust your dies when changing bullet type And/or headstamp.

[stilly]

Problem 2: This happens to me when I overflare and/or try to take out too much flare with the LFCD. I solve it by:

1: Adjust powder die to flare just enough to set a bullet on top and have it stay.
2. Adjust seating die to take out most of the flare
3. Adjust LFCD to complete deflaring & crimp as necessary.

A bit of dust here & there is OK... slivers is not.

Yes.. you need to adjust your dies when changing bullet type And/or headstamp.

OP: I find that I will adjust my dies just as FishSlayer says and I can spot it easily by putting a pill on top and if it is NOT flared enough, the pill will usually tip over and point to the side like Steven Hawking in his chair. But once it is flared enough, it gets cupped and does not tilt over...

[tonyjr]

From what I read , you deprime on press .
If done right - as far as presses are concerned the is never any carbon build up in flash hole and seating a new primer never scrapes loose carbon . But that carbon can / does get in the medium .
I don't use anything in my medium that can catch that carbon except dryer sheets .
What ever is scratching your cases is leaving brass to be left in your dies - brass powder / flakes .
I am different from 90% of people here and seldom do more than 100 loads of any caliber before the dies go into sonic . [ Either WD 40 or CRC 232 ] You can strain with coffee filters .
I want my cases clean and while shinny is nice - no one has ever said " his brass is prettier than yours " . While I might buy shinier brass at a gun show , I am generally looking for the right caliber , not the prettiest .
I do polish the inside of my dies - a cotter key in a drill with crocus cloth in the slit of cotter key . After polishing you need to clean die [ s ]

[wbunning]

The brass shavings are obviously from one of the dies. I like Lee dies, and use them, but their expander/flare dies are notorious for shaving brass from the case mouth as you pull the case from the die. There is a shoulder in those dies that keeps their flaring insert from falling out, and it catches the lip of the expanded case. I haven't figured out how to polish it down. So.. try to figure out which die is the culprit, and work from there. Maybe try another manufacturer's die in that station.

[mjmagee67]

Use Hornady One-Shot. Yea I know it's pistol but it make things sooooooo much smoother.

The nice thing about One-Shot is you don't need to clean it off after loading.

[al123]

Also used Hornady One shot. Periodically clean expander and resizing dies.

[Capybara]

For optimal drying of wet tumbled brass, hit a garage sale or two until you find one of the circular food dehydrators, i.e., 5 or 6 round trays, vented on the bottom, typically a heater/fan unit on the top. Often you'll find these being practically given away. They produce a heat level that's perfect for drying brass; a couple thousand cases of 45 ACP is easily done in an hour.

Frankford Arsenal sells a dryer that's pretty much the same thing. Either way, spousal conflict about use of the oven is avoided, which is always a Good Thing.

Why do people use oven and food dehydrators and electricity to dry brass when we have free sunshine? I have not been able to figure this out. I spread mine out on a towel in the back yard, pick it up after half a day and it's bone dry. Why go through the hassle of putting in into the dehydrator trays, turning it on, unloading the dehydrator, I don't understand unless you live in an area where you never see the sun?

[bazineta]

Because at this time of year, we have this thing here called 'dark'.