Straight decapping rod (no ball expander)

[tabascoz28]

On another post I bought a small base die for 223 and got a case stuck. Also bent the rod on the way out because I didn't know what I was doing. Some suggested that I lube the inside of the case too because the expander also causes friction.

Since I have a few redding S dies and they come with a pin retainer and an expanding ball, I thought why not run the die without it. I dremeled the one I have down to feel no friction since the new one came with an expander also. The expander is also really low so it's not helping with the shoulder or anything.

I made a hundred and going to try it out in my tight chambers next week. I don't think there should be any issues right?

[Dirtlaw]

Expanders help with projectile insertion (for ease as well as to prevent shaving) and proper neck to projectile tension.

[baih777]

Read post #21

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1679100

[tabascoz28]

Ha ha, I'm trying to get one process down for these plinking rounds for 3 different barrels. Fast, cheap and easy, which is all we want for reloading blasting rounds. Because the base of the 55g are boat tail they insert nicely and since I'm crimping at the end anyway... I'm just hitting 12x12 steel at 100-300 yards anyway. Most of the time just 100 yards in different positions.

[baih777]

bolt action dont crimp.

[BigBronco]

Unless you are neck turning the expander is what sizes the neck. The typical die over shrinks the neck then the expander ball makes it the correct size. If you do not neck turn then using a bushing type die and have varying thickness of brass, the result will be inconsistent neck tension as the I.D. of the case will be different from case to case of varying brands. I say this knowing F Guffey may chime in about neck tensions.

P.S. Using a Dremel on your expander ball most likely destroyed it's concentricity.

[tabascoz28]

ARs, I have 3 barrels and 3 makers, one is the trusty M&P 16 inch in Nato, that gun doesn't stop for any brass. The 10.5 inch PSA barrel in Nato is new and may be a bit tight also, doesn't completely chamber 1 in 10-20 rounds and I have to mortar out. The 7.5 inch is some unknown frankenstein in Wylde, same won't chamber once in a while. I have noticed this new batch goes in very easily, no powder of course.

The White Oak gets it's own match grade ammo.

[FLIGHT762]

I reload for about 6 AR's in 223 / 5.56. I have my F/L dies set to bump the shoulders back to SAAMI min. I use a home made alcohol / lanolin lube. Cases resized will chamber in all of my rifles, no need to mortar any of them.

How are you measuring your shoulder bump?

[tabascoz28]

No, I'm hoping this small base takes care of all that.

[jtv3062]

On another post I bought a small base die for 223 and got a case stuck. Also bent the rod on the way out because I didn't know what I was doing. Some suggested that I lube the inside of the case too because the expander also causes friction.

Since I have a few redding S dies and they come with a pin retainer and an expanding ball, I thought why not run the die without it. I dremeled the one I have down to feel no friction since the new one came with an expander also. The expander is also really low so it's not helping with the shoulder or anything.

I made a hundred and going to try it out in my tight chambers next week. I don't think there should be any issues right?

I have a email to Redding to buy the pin retainers for the neck sizing dies and they never responded.
I'm using a Sinclair expander die with a mandrel.

[FLIGHT762]

No, I'm hoping this small base takes care of all that.

Anytime I've had to mortar an AR, it was due to not bumping the shoulder back enough. It had nothing to do about having a small base die to size more of the case web.

I've been reloading for AR-15's since the mid 1970's.

Even with a small base die, if you don't bump the case shoulders back enough, you will get stuck cases.

You might be chasing your tail about a small base die solving your issue. There are two things that can cause a case to get stuck, one is not enough shoulder bump and the other is the case web not being sized enough.

In nearly all of my reloading of about 14 different rifle caliber / cartridges chambering issues were caused by not enough shoulder bumping, not because of the case web not being sized down enough.

The only time I've "Needed" a small base die was with a Steyr SSG 69. It had such a tight chamber, a regular RCBS small base die couldn't get the case web down to .468". A Redding small base body die was able to do it. It had nothing to do with shoulder bump.

How have you been measuring your shoulder bump? Are you measuring it?

[LynnJr]

My brass gets deprimed by hand. I place the brass in a shell holder and drive the spent primer out with a ground down decapping pin struck by a small hammer.
You won't have any issues with your type "S" die and seating bullets. You will likely see an increase in accuracy.

[tabascoz28]

I have not been measuring the shoulder, just dropping them in a finished case gauge. At one point I had a crimp problem, it would crush the shoulder, so I used the gauge and checked all 500 of my last batch and cleaned and readjusted the crimp die. This was never an issue until the new barrels. I even have that White Oak that didn't have this issue either.

Thank you for giving me something else to think about. What method do you recommend for adjusting shoulder on a 223 in a progressive. I've done it with a redding die, Rock Chucker and special shell holders for my 308.

[FLIGHT762]

I set my dies by using a comparator (Hornady & Sinclair) or a RCBS Precision Mic gauge. My comparators have been checked with a "Go" gauge to get the minimum numbers. I use the minimum number to set the shoulder bump if it's for multiple rifles.

If it's for a single rifle, I measure the shoulder of the fired case and then set the F/L die to bump .002" from the fired cases.

Every once in a while, I will catch a case that somehow didn't get bumped properly.

I reload for a lot of rifles, a few are the same cartridge. I like to have good F/L sizing measurements.

A drop in case gauge can work, but there are issues with them you need to understand.

I like a gauge / comparator that can show me numbers so I can see exactly where I'm at rather than guessing.

Even after setting you die up correctly, improper case lube can cause irregular case sizing. I've caught it a number of times.

[tabascoz28]

I'd rather sell those barrels than add steps to my 1 pass progressive reloading process. I spend time on my accurate bullets, but not my semi-auto rounds (pistol/556/x51).

But you have given me a lot to think about. I'll make sure the die is crewed touching the shell holder when I load again next time, maybe this let everything get a little loose/large. I hate bad weather and not living close to a gun range and having these thought going through my head...