Stuck cases

[Greg Curci]

I'm looking for some advice, I'm trying to resize .223 with a lee FL die and my case is now stuck in the die. I lubed all the brass before resizing, got about 50 resided and got one stuck. How do I get it out without ruining the expander/decapper? Thank you in advance

[baih777]

Buy a stuck case remover kit. .
Buy a.kit of the.same brand as your die.

Make sure you lube the inside of the necks when you resize.

[tabascoz28]

rcbs stuck case remover is probably the cheapest. I looked at the parts and built my own cause I already had a tap. It's salvageable, just take your time and follow the instructions.

[mtenenhaus]

i concur with the aforementioned posts.....don't get frustrated...don't use a screwdriver and pliers or other such tools....the stuck case removers work well and don't bugger up your expensive dies

i only have experience with the Forster tool as i use their dies... and it works very nicely and there's no drilling required: https://www.forsterproducts.com/prod...-case-remover/

This tool works with any sizing die with threaded spindles except Lee Collet Dies

The RCBS tool looks pretty darn similar to the Forster tool and a lot cheaper....unfortunately i've no experience with it

[divingin]

You can get down to real cheap by piecing together your own kit. A drill bit, a tap, a bolt to match the tap (I think 1/4"-20 is the normal size in the kits), a fender washer or two (that match the bolt) and a large hex nut (one that the case base will fit through, but the die base won't) are about all you need.

Back the decap rod out as far as you can. Drill through the flash hole. Tap the flash hole (carefully; don't go so far you hit the decap pin if you can avoid it.) Place the nut over the case base (nut should sit on the die base), then the washer(s), and screw the bolt into the case. Keep turning to pull the case from the die. Depending on what hardware you get, you may need to stack two nuts if you can't get enough reach.

[JackEllis]

You can get down to real cheap by piecing together your own kit. A drill bit, a tap, a bolt to match the tap (I think 1/4"-20 is the normal size in the kits), a fender washer or two (that match the bolt) and a large hex nut (one that the case base will fit through, but the die base won't) are about all you need.

Back the decap rod out as far as you can. Drill through the flash hole. Tap the flash hole (carefully; don't go so far you hit the decap pin if you can avoid it.) Place the nut over the case base (nut should sit on the die base), then the washer(s), and screw the bolt into the case. Keep turning to pull the case from the die. Depending on what hardware you get, you may need to stack two nuts if you can't get enough reach.

I did this a couple of years ago with taps I'd bought at a garage sale.

Worked like a charm.

[hambam105]

Remember when passing Driver's Education required knowing how to change a flat tire? Removing a stuck case for reloaders same same.

All reloaders need to have the skills and the tools at hand to remove a stuck case. That is unless you a like me, perfect. Ha Ha.

[rsrocket1]

Remember when passing Driver's Education required knowing how to change a flat tire? Removing a stuck case for reloaders same same.

All reloaders need to have the skills and the tools at hand to remove a stuck case. That is unless you a like me, perfect. Ha Ha.

Yup, as well as knowing how to drive out a stuck bullet at the range, slug a barrel and learn how to put tire chains on while in your driveway rather than learning on the side of a wet slushy freezing road at night.

[Waldog]

If you used spray lube you WILL get stuck cases. Use “sizing wax” and you won’t have stuck case issues. I have not had a single stick case since I started using Imperial Sizing Wax.

[bohoki]

i got a stuck one in my lee rgb die once i unscrewed the decap collet removed it and then hammered the decapping pin lightly after spraying in some wd40
i will never use one shot lube again

ive since just used a vaseline greasy hand lube method havent had a stuck case since and somehow vaseline has an affinity for a cotton tee shirt so its easy to clean the batch

[tabascoz28]

I've tried 3 disparate types, if that's how many there are: Roll on wax, self made lanolin spray and One shot in a can. I have never had a stuck case with wax because honestly you're using a lot of wax and it's slow by hand. I had one stuck case with the lanolin because I either didn't spray on enough or didn't wait the necessary amount of time to dry and cover the cases. I've had 2 stuck cases with One Shot because I didn't want to use as much and didn't wait for it to cover and dry. For bulk I like the One Shot in a bag, but it takes a few handfuls at a time, spray and some tumbling around. I wax the big caliber small volume precision stuff just cause there's not that many. I don't like the lanolin because it leaves a residue that is stickier than all others.

[cz74]

Imperial die wax is the magic. That is why Midway is out of them currently.

[bigbossman]

There are a ton of videos on YT that show you how to make a DIY case remover. Here's one of many:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daSamc3XUic

[MarikinaMan]

I pull the decapper, and use a metal rod of the right diameter to drive the case out.

[divingin]

I pull the decapper, and use a metal rod of the right diameter to drive the case out.

Which is fine if you can do so. Some dies have the decap assembly screw in from the mouth of the die (I think RCBS dies are built this way), which makes removing it with a stuck case problematic.