Arghhhhh...Nightmare on reloading street

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zambezi

zambezi

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Image says it all. Big learning curve! If it feels too tight...IT IS TOO TIGHT. IMG_3973.webp The brass was jammed in the full-sizer die. Lowering the ram tore the shoulders off.

Today's case prep was going swimmingly until... I had a case that felt tighter than the rest as I lowered the press arm. Since visual inspection of all cases had been good, and this was #15 in a run of same brass with re-sizer settings unchanged, I thought a bit more oomph is all it needs. Nah. Not 100% sure how/why this happened, but I suspect I picked up a non-lubed case. Note to self going forward: place non-lubed cases furthest away from press.

The fix was time consuming but actually quite rewarding. It is good to know that I have the wherewithal to get out of a jam like this. A nod to various YT videos that showed me the way. The fix was to drill and tap the head of the cartridge and then use a bolt and a socket [in conjunction with the press] to remove the case. I will let the images explain. Due to image limit per post, I may need to post to the thread a few times to get whole sequence shown

IMG_3974.webp IMG_3976.webp IMG_3979.webp IMG_3980.webp
 
zambezi said:
Image says it all. Big learning curve! If it feels too tight...IT IS TOO TIGHT. View attachment 146791 The brass was jammed in the full-sizer die. Lowering the ram tore the shoulders off.

Today's case prep was going swimmingly until... I had a case that felt tighter than the rest as I lowered the press arm. Since visual inspection of all cases had been good, and this was #15 in a run of same brass with re-sizer settings unchanged, I thought a bit more oomph is all it needs. Nah. Not 100% sure how/why this happened, but I suspect I picked up a non-lubed case. Note to self going forward: place non-lubed cases furthest away from press.

The fix was time consuming but actually quite rewarding. It is good to know that I have the wherewithal to get out of a jam like this. A nod to various YT videos that showed me the way. The fix was to drill and tap the head of the cartridge and then use a bolt and a socket [in conjunction with the press] to remove the case. I will let the images explain. Due to image limit per post, I may need to post to the thread a few times to get whole sequence shown

View attachment 146792 View attachment 146793 View attachment 146796 View attachment 146797
Click to expand...


IMG_3987.JPG IMG_3992.webp
 
Nice work.

A massive improvement on severing the HEAD with a hacksaw and then splitting the case by hammering a flatHEAD screwdriver throughout its length with the die wall as an accommodating and uncomplaining steadying guide!

And if that sounds like I may have some experience of extracting a stuck case I can only apologise to all the splendid engineering types on this site.

K
Ps: This is not a HEADS-up to the aforementioned methodology so take careful note of the Op's masterclass.
 
I had this happen with just neck sizing 6.5 (RCBS die) and on checking all the components before doing anything else found that the shell holder ‘Lee’ had failed causing the stuck case. The rim of the correct sized ‘Lee’ shell holder had chipped in a couple of places ( monkey metal ) ripping part of the case rim (Lapua) away thus leaving the case firmly stuck in the die.
Contacted Lee with accompanying photos and they sent three replacements saying that 6.5 was a relatively “new cartridge”, none of the replacements fit the case correctly, changed to RCBS no problems.
 
Klenchblaize said:
Nice work.

A massive improvement on severing the HEAD with a hacksaw and then splitting the case by hammering a flatHEAD screwdriver throughout its length with the die wall as an accommodating and uncomplaining steadying guide!

And if that sounds like I may have some experience of extracting a stuck case I can only apologise to all the splendid engineering types on this site.

K
Ps: This is not a HEADS-up to the aforementioned methodology so take careful note of the Op's masterclass.
Click to expand...

+1 my engineering skills matched yours !
 
I did exactly the same thing with a PPU 375H&H case.

It’s easier with a Lee die however as you simply drift the depriming pin/neck expander out through the bottom of the die, which takes the case with it.

It did mean I had to cut the case open to get the depriming rod out, but as the case was already ruined that’s no additional tragedy.
 
LeftHandGuy said:
simply drift the depriming pin/neck expander out through the bottom of the die, which takes the case with it.
Click to expand...

I initially considered that as an option, but there were at least two reasons not to go that route in my case: (1) I had tried to move the case using mole grips and that informed me just how tight the shell was. I realised that if I were to pound on the decapping spindle it might bend out of true before dislodging the case and related to that (2) the top of the spindle is slotted for a srewdriver. Even if I ran the collet up above that to protect the slots, the impact of each hammer blow would be spread over approx just 8 turns of thread on a tiny shaft.

The drill and tap method took longer, but going forward I can use the dies with confidence that nothing has changed in their dimensions.
 
zambezi said:
I initially considered that as an option, but there were at least two reasons not to go that route in my case: (1) I had tried to move the case using mole grips and that informed me just how tight the shell was. I realised that if I were to pound on the decapping spindle it might bend out of true before dislodging the case and related to that (2) the top of the spindle is slotted for a srewdriver. Even if I ran the collet up above that to protect the slots, the impact of each hammer blow would be spread over approx just 8 turns of thread on a tiny shaft.

The drill and tap method took longer, but going forward I can use the dies with confidence that nothing has changed in their dimensions.
Click to expand...

I don’t think you really had the choice! It works with my cheap Lee dies because the rod is a smooth friction fit rather than threaded as I think most others are. It does have the flip side that failure to lube the inside of the case neck, or failure to adequately tighten the top nut on the die sometimes causes the case to pull the rod out of the die with it.

Nothing in the universe is free!
 
LeftHandGuy said:
I did exactly the same thing with a PPU 375H&H case.

It’s easier with a Lee die however as you simply drift the depriming pin/neck expander out through the bottom of the die, which takes the case with it.

It did mean I had to cut the case open to get the depriming rod out, but as the case was already ruined that’s no additional tragedy.
Click to expand...

The problem l can see with your method is it would probably bend the depriming rod, did it ??
 
Fosbery Holster said:
The problem l can see with your method is it would probably bend the depriming rod, did it ??
Click to expand...

But now that I think about it, that is probably the reason they specifically tell you not to loosen the “decapper clamp” before tapping the rod out of the die. I had pondered that part of the instruction....
 
I found sticking the die in the lathe chuck and tryeing it up before turning out the brass works magically.

Just keep on boring gently till the brass is tinfoil thin and folds in on itself.
No marks or stress on die capping rods or self
 
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