Anyone ran into this problem? Press is completely bound up.

[luckystrike]

So I have a hornady single stage, the only thing I have been able to do is size/decap thanks to the panic buying hoarder sissies. In total I've decaped/sized is around 800 cases, around 700 mark it was starting to shake an squeak so bad that the case would wiggle out of the caseholder and now it is completely bound up. If I try to actuate te press lever I would have to press so hard it would flip my bench over.

for whatever reason an multimillion dollar AMMO company is closed until Jan 2nd during these ridiculously profitable times leaves me in the dark with $900 dollars invested literally ground to a halt.

Has anyone ran into this problem?
Thanks

[TomMcC]

Try a little 3 in 1 on the pivot points and on the ram itself.

[Bill Steele]

So I have a hornady single stage, the only thing I have been able to do is size/decap thanks to the panic buying hoarder sissies. In total I've decaped/sized is around 800 cases, around 700 mark it was starting to shake an squeak so bad that the case would wiggle out of the caseholder and now it is completely bound up. If I try to actuate te press lever I would have to press so hard it would flip my bench over.

for whatever reason an multimillion dollar AMMO company is closed until Jan 2nd during these ridiculously profitable times leaves me in the dark with $900 dollars invested literally ground to a halt.

Has anyone ran into this problem?
Thanks

Did you keep the ram lubed? (usually a little 30wt motor oil will suffice).

Did you grease the fittings with a grease gun?

Off the top of my head, that is all I can think of.

[luckystrike]

I did, after 500 or so I wd'ed the pivot points and but a dab of grease on the shaft/ram

[TomMcC]

WD's pretty weak, try something with some staying power.

[Sheldon]

Sounds like a pivot point galled and froze on you. Happens on the Dillonpresses too......did on mine years ago. I took the linkage apart to isolate what was causing the problem. I then drowned that spot in oil and worked it till it freed up. No problem since then as I keep it lubed now.

[Fjold]

Some of my reloading presses are over 30 years old, I lubed them once or twice.

[EL_NinO619]

Look for a primer lodged somewhere. If you don't find one, post some close up pictures of press, and don't be shy with the pics. Give us all angles.

[morrow]

That's interesting. Usually presses are so overbuilt even if they are under-lubed, or not lubed at all, it wouldn't cause that much of a problem, if anything [noticable] at all.

That being said it's a very good idea to oil/grease your press. Use 30wt or similar oil on the ram. You can use oil on the pivot pins/arms too, unless they have grease fittings, then use those.

With your press I would guess there's some sort of flaw with it and i'd return it if possible or send it in for repair. Or if you can find something stuck/bent that'll fix it.

[California-Quigley]

you gotta free up the binding.. try some KROIL oil in the parts that are sticking.. run a hair dryer over it to thin it out, and help in penetrate.... Kroil is a penetrating lube.. not a displacing lube...

once you get it free'd up, wipe it down and lube the wear points and maybe a touch of grease at a heavy wear joint.... only oil on the ram cylinder

[gunboat]

I am with el nino-- Look for a jammed primer -

[luckystrike]

Thanks a ton everyone that replied, I soaked the ram and housing in breakfree and it broke free almost instantaneously. it wasnt a spent primer, just a bunch of black gunk causing it to bind. I then wiped clean and added a dab of motoroil to the ram. Thanks again

[EL_NinO619]

Oh it was a jammed primer, just not the cup. All the residue. About once a month I use alcohol to clean all the grime and old lube off, then I put a fresh coat of kroil oil in links and synthetic motor oil on ram, never use grease in Zerk fittings, you will just have more problems.

[luckystrike]

Right it works great with the oil, very smooth. Just finished off several hundred rounds and it's slick now.