Issues resizing 223

[maxmonster]

Hello all, currently going thru and resizing all my brass and it seems like I've come across an issue with brass being too soft or am I not lubing enough... Yesterday I did some test cases and noticed all my LC once fired brass all didn't pass the case gauge. Then I realized I set up the die wrong. And I resized about 500 and trimmed chamfered about 250. Only issue now is it seems alot harder to resize once I set the die correctly. Noticed especially with CBC cases their cases are super soft and 50% of those cases get stuck even though I am lubing them. Should I up my lube...?

[baih777]

Lube the inside of the neck .

[maxmonster]

Lube the inside of the neck .

Doesn't get stuck until the bottom of the case enters the die by that time its already past the neck part inside no? I noticed that if I lube the bottom portion of the case it works ok but when I pull out the bottom of the case deforms a bit and causes it to not pass the gauge.

[Ruger15151]

[baih777]

Is this your once fired brass or store bought ?

[M1NM]

Lube the inside of the neck .

That's not going to cause one to get stuck in the die.
What are you using for lube? I use the lanolin based (Hornady one shot) spray stuff. Toss the brass in a plastic bag spray a bunch of lube in and shake around.
Dies are made to size correctly when they are bottomed out against the shell holder. I always set mine so I feel a little cam over at the end of the stroke so I know they a done.

[Ruger15151]

[maxmonster]

Don't think I need that small base. Initially I thought I might have needed it but I noticed that when I feel a bit more resistance than normal pulling it doesn't pass the gauge because the shell holder warps the rim where it pulls.

I'd say 90% is once fired cuz I've had to take the crimp out of em.
Lube I'm using is lanolin/alcohol.

I'm not too worries about the cases actually passing I'm moreso tired of brass being too soft... At this point I've noticed CBC pretty much gets stuck or if it doesn't get stuck the rim gets warped pretty bad anyways may have to go through and toss all of the CBC brass

[bhilliker@comcast.net]

this came up a few months ago regarding what lube to use. I was new to the riffle loading and had some problems. I was using Hornaday one shot and got a lot of comments regarding that product for riffle. I took the experts advice and went to lanolin and now use it on all my necked brass and all my problems went away! Stuff works great!

[baih777]

Try overcamminng as mentioned above .
Adjust the die down 1/16 of a turn each time.
If overcamming too much. Stop. Toss the brass if it's only a few.

[mofo1111]

I have had stuck cases in sizing die with Hornady One Shot. I needed a special tool to remove the case from the die. I only use Dillon (lanolin based) lube with no issues(super smooth). Clean your case gauge and brass before checking if sized correctly. Lube might accumulate in the case gauge and give a false reading. Try buying an ammo checker and not a case gauge to verify if sized correctly. I just use the car gauge to set up my sizing die. I remember reading to use an ammo checker to make sure that it will chamber correctly in your rifle. What does are you using.

[buffybuster]

What case lube are you using? From your description sounds like One-Shot.

Low Volume: Imperial Sizing Die Wax
High Volume: Dillon Pump Spray Lube (lanolin and alcohol - spray and let DRY)

[divingin]

When the case is fired in a chamber, there's a few things that happen: Case expands to fill the chamber, both in the body and the neck. The case expands to fill the chamber, so any slop between the bolt face and the chamber shoulder is filled up (in other words, the case will tend to grow in the base to shoulder measurement.) Finally, on auto's, the case is yanked from the chamber while there is still some pressure in the case, so you *may* get some additional expansion in the unsupported part of the case until the pressure releases.


There's three primary things a sizing die does:

1: Squeezes the body of the case in to offset the expansion that happens when the case is fired.

2: Squeezes the neck inwards so the case will hold the bullet securely.

3: Sets the shoulder slightly back towards the base to offset the case reformation that occurs when firing.

Setting up your die when sizing is a matter of balancing the three processes so a case fits your chamber without over- or under-doing any of the three.

As to your problem: First off, if your cases are sticking to the point of deforming the case on removal, you've got a lube problem. Case deformation can cause problems chambering, so solving that may (operative word is "may") solve all your problems. Clean the die as a first step (I use carb cleaner and a bunch of q-tips, but use whatever you have.)

If you're using a spray lube, lay the cases out and spray them, roll them half a turn, and spray again. If you arrange the cases so the mouth is towards the spray nozzle, you'll lube the inside of the case neck at the same time (which will aid the expander in slipping through.) If you're using Hornady One-Shot, allow the cases to dry for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Alternatively, you can put your cases in a plastic bag, spray them down, and shake to distribute lube. You may need to lube the inside of the case neck with a Q-Tip or something afterward; sizing a couple will tell you if that's necessary. Again, with One-Shot, let them dry.

If you're not using a spray lube, make sure you're getting decent coverage over the body and neck of the case, without gooping the lube on. Too much lube will cause dents in the shoulder (not terrible, but avoidable - the dents will blow out when fired.) Again, you may need to lube the neck interior separately - depends on your setup.

In general wax or grease lubes don't require drying. Some spray lubes do. Follow the directions of the brand of lube you're running.

When lubed correctly, the brass should slide into the die easily and fully, and slide out with not much more force than was required when going in. It shouldn't grab and jerk and bind in either direction.

Set your die up to get the correct amount of shoulder setback (measure case base to datum [shoulder] both before and after sizing - bolt gun should run 2 thousandths or so, auto should be 3-5 thou.) If, at that setting, the body of the case isn't sized enough, you'll need to go to a small base die (or at least a differently cut die) to get the body sized correctly.

On a standard die, the final neck diameter is set by the expander being pulled out through the neck as the brass is lowered - not really much you can do about it other than changing expander plugs.

Lastly, if I were you, I'd lose the case gauge until you figure out your process problems. Use the rifle's chamber to see if the brass fits without needing force - brass should pretty much fall into the chamber completely. That is where it's going to be used, so that;s where it needs to work. Once you get the brass running correctly in your rifle, you can bounce it against the case gauge and see if it matches; you can use the gauge once you figure out any differences that may exist between chamber and gauge.

Hope this helps.

[maxmonster]

I'm using frankford arsenal lube which is lanolin/alcohol.
Seems like I may have to up the lube... I've been spraying it a bag and tossing it around but seems like I may need to spray more in there...

[ar15barrels]

I'm using frankford arsenal lube which is lanolin/alcohol.
Seems like I may have to up the lube... I've been spraying it a bag and tossing it around but seems like I may need to spray more in there...

Rather than a bag, get two shoebox lids.
Dump two handfuls of brass in the first one.
Give 3-4 pumps of spray and then shake the lid to roll all the cases around.
The cardboard willl suck up some of the line initially so give an extra pump for the first dozen batches or so.
Now do the same in the 2nd lid.
By the time you finish the 2nd batch, the first batch should be dry enough to start sizing.
As you Finnish the first batch, the 2nd batch will be good and dry.
Make up a new batch in the first lid and proceed with the 2nd batch.
Rolling the cases around inside the lid does a better job of lubing cases than a plastic bag.
Running two of the lids assures the lube is good and dry before you size the cases.