[Chris Conley]

OK, let's say you have a case stuck in your sizing die. If you have experienced this it is holy hell trying to get it back out. After about an hour of cussing I called a friend and he gave me a solution. I was told to take the sizing die and stick it in the freezer. I did just that and came back about an hour later. Then put the brass that was stuck in a vise and turned the die with a wrench. Done! Came right out.

Wanted to post this just to save all of you a headache. And yes I lube the hell out of my cases.

Chris C.

[John Dunn]

Good tip!

Are you using One Shot?

[adiksaputok]

wow nice timing Chris i started processing my .223 brass last night, thanks for the tip

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[Singlestack]

You can get a stuck case out in about 2 minutes with a stuck case removal tool.

[Chris Conley]

Singlestack, on Mar 30 2009, 06:49 AM, said:

You can get a stuck case out in about 2 minutes with a stuck case removal tool.

Didn't have one at the time. Called a local gun store and they were out also.

Chris C.

[Chris Conley]

John Dunn, on Mar 29 2009, 09:09 PM, said:

Good tip!

Are you using One Shot?

Yes, I was using one shot. That stuff works very good and this was the first shell out of maybe 6000 or so that I have loaded. Hopefully the average will hold up.

Chris C.

[wide45]

You need to read the other threads on stuck cases. Most occur when using One Shot on rifle brass. One Shot works great for pistol brass, use something else for rifle.


Lee dies are easy to unstick. Just loosen the nut on top. Tap the decapping pin with a hammer until the stuck case pops out. Retighten the nut. No need to remove the die from the press.

[RePete]

Chris Conley, on Mar 30 2009, 08:45 AM, said:

Singlestack, on Mar 30 2009, 06:49 AM, said:

You can get a stuck case out in about 2 minutes with a stuck case removal tool.

Didn't have one at the time. Called a local gun store and they were out also.

Chris C.

You don't need to purchase one, just get the parts yourself.

# 7 drill bit

1/4"-20 Tap

1/4"-20 bolt 1" long

Assorted washers and bushing to act as spacers.

[Chris Conley]

wide45, on Apr 1 2009, 09:52 PM, said:

You need to read the other threads on stuck cases. Most occur when using One Shot on rifle brass. One Shot works great for pistol brass, use something else for rifle.


Lee dies are easy to unstick. Just loosen the nut on top. Tap the decapping pin with a hammer until the stuck case pops out. Retighten the nut. No need to remove the die from the press.

Tried that and it wouldn't move. Even used a long punch and still wouldn't budge.

Chris C.

[Trini]

I use a Lee deprimer punch and works every time. Remove the depriming pin from the resize die and use the punch as if you were removing a primer.

[Franksremote]

Singlestack, on Mar 30 2009, 04:49 AM, said:

You can get a stuck case out in about 2 minutes with a stuck case removal tool.

I opted for a solid extended steel punch I had laying around, I put it in the die while it was still in the press and a couple of good whacks to pop it right out.

[rstandley]

lyman's resizing lube works better on rifle brass for me.

[Skjold]

I wrote a step-by-step tutorial (with a lot of pictures) to this topic some days ago in another forum.
Is anybody of you interested?
If yes, I will post it here...

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 09:12 PM

[jaredr]

Skjold, on Sep 18 2009, 06:20 PM, said:

I wrote a step-by-step tutorial (with a lot of pictures) to this topic some day ago in another forum.
Is anybody of you interested?
If yes, I will post it here...

absolutely, would love to take a look, thanks.

-jared

This post has been edited by jaredr: 18 September 2009 - 04:23 PM

[Skjold]

jaredr, on Sep 19 2009, 01:22 AM, said:

absolutely, would love to take a look, thanks.

-jared

Ok, stay tuned...

Edit: this will take some time, my internet connection is a bit slowly...

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 05:36 PM

[Skjold]

Problem formulation: A bottle neck shell is stuck in the die, e.g. because the case lube pad is dirtied with metal filings or the lubing of the case has simply been forgotten.
Iy you try to get the shell out of the die, it may look like this, the rim is ripped off:



The die unscrewed from the press for a better view:

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 09:13 PM

[Skjold]

The die is unscrewed, remove the nuts


Expander and decapping pin are still in the case and not removable at this time


pull back mandrel and expander as far as possible

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 05:35 PM

[Skjold]

Tools we are going to need:
-wind iron
-thread cutter and to this fitting drill and srew (inner or outer hexagonal head) with high firmness (measure approximatly 1/5" ) -I'm not that firm with US threads-
-a socket, the bottom of the case has to fit into the hexagonal of the socket
-grease
-some washers (?)



And -if available- a column drill with vice. (a commen driling machine will do as well, but with this one, it's easier)

[Skjold]

Clamp the die in the vice and aim it as vertically as you can.


Drill the hole trough the whole bottom of the case
(for brass, we need a low rate of turns per minute)



Now: a little trick to cut a thread (nearly) perfectly lining up to the hole:
The die is left in the vice, don't move it.
Put the thread cutter into the drill holder, fix it, and "screw in" the tread cutter manually some turns.


If you can lift up the vice with the thread cutter, it's screwed in deep enough.

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 09:15 PM

[Skjold]

Unfix the drill holder, unclamp the die from the vice


for cutting the thread ready, I used a bigger vice.
To avoid damage to the die, wrap some leather around it or place it between two pieces of wood.


Important: to break the chip, turn the thread cutter a full turn back and foward again every new half turn you make, and put some drops of cutting oil in the hole bevore proceeding. (in this case you too can use regular motor oil )

If it crunches: Stop immediately. Then the thread cutter does not line up enough with the hole, further proceeding will make him brake.
And if this happens, you have a REAL problem. Drill the cutter out of the hole and repeat whole procedure with the next bigger size of thread.

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 08:53 PM

[Skjold]

Put the socket with the hexagonal on the case, the opening of the hexagonal has to support itself at the bottom of the die.
Between the bottom of the case and the bottom of the hexagonal has to be a free space of 1/8" or more.
If not: It won't work, put a short piece of tube between the die and the socket.



Srews with outer hexagonal head:
Put a first washer on the socket, grease (lubricate) it, add a second washer on top, put the screw trough the holes and screw it in the thread of the case.
(When I had made the photos, I did'nt had a suitable srew with outer hexagonal head, otherwise I had ducumented this better)


Srews with inner hexagonal head which fits into the square of the socket:
place the grease in the square.



Why those greasing at all?
In this case, the srew is loaded in two kinds, on pull and on torsion.
What is also the reason, why we should use a screw with high firmness.
By the lubrication we reduce the load of torsion of the screw, so it's less likelyhood that it breaks off.




by the way, whats the right word I should use here?
"greasing" or "lubrication"?

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 08:49 PM

[Skjold]

Turn the screw in and keep on.


If you get a higer resistance, the head of the screw lies on the socket, and pulls at the shell.

If you suddenly get less resistance, there are two possibilitys:
1.) the case ist removed from the die.
2.) bevore you get less resistance, you hear a *knack*. Than you choosed the wrong screw, and it breaked.

If you get only higer restistance:
There's not enough free space between the bottom of the case and the bottom of the hexagonal.

At the time of photographic documentation, I've not been in mood to "produce" (?) all possible endings of this part.
Therefor, I will proceed with the "happy end": the case is removed.

This post has been edited by Skjold: 18 September 2009 - 08:56 PM

[Skjold]

The expander still remained in the case


Once again: pull it back as far as possible


fix the shell in a vice, and cut it off


Operation successful, patient dead.

[Skjold]

At a few places I am not sure that I have used the right technical terms. (vice, mandrel, nut, socket, lubrication, greasing and so on)
Would be nice if you write the right concepts here, as long as I can still edit my postings.

[twodownzero]

Skjold, on Sep 18 2009, 09:48 PM, said:

At a few places I am not sure that I have used the right technical terms. (vice, mandrel, nut, socket, lubrication, greasing and so on)
Would be nice if you write the right concepts here, as long as I can still edit my postings.

You're fine, actually, and great advice/pictures.

It's obvious that English isn't your first language, but I've seen native speakers write far worse! Good job.