Killed my die

[3fingervic]

I was sizing my brass and I got a piece stuck in the die. I was using Gibbs lube. While trying to force it out, I destroyed the bottom of the brass ripping it through the shell holder. I took the die apart, but couldn't get the brass out, even using a hammer and pliers.

I lubed the body and the neck, but not the shoulder. Wrong lube? Lyman die bad? Bad brass?

HELP!

 

[dirtball]

"Killed my die"
Say a few choice words over it, take it out in the back yard, bury it and order a new one!

OH, and this time order some Imperial Sizing Wax along with the new die.

Been there done that.
Dave

 

[Camshaft]

try this: Put the die in a vise, use wood or something between the jaws and the die so you don't damage the threads. Drill out the primer pocket then thread it with the corresponding tap. Find a short pipe, cut like 1 1/2" off so that the short piece will sit over the die but not touch the case head. Take a bolt that fits the threads you just cut into the stuck case, put a washer on it so you can drop it in the short piece of pipe and thread in into the case, as you tighten the bolt it will snug up the washer to the short pipe and slowly pull the case from the die. Sorry if its kinda confusing, but this is the best way i could describe it.

 

[CRNA]

I agree with the above post. I did the same thing with my die back about six months ago or so. Instead of using a piece of pipe as mentioned above, you can easily use a proper sized socket as a spacer. It will pull the case out easier than you could ever imagine. Good luck. PM me if you need a more clear explanation. You are not in as much trouble as you think. It will just require taping the primer pocket and threading a stud in there.

 

[3fingervic]

I'll give the above instructions a try. What was the culprit? The brass was once fired, but didn't show signs of pressure, and it was cleaned using the stainless steel pin method. The die was bought used, but looked ok. I want to say it was the lube, but I didn't have any problems until it seized up.

 

[CRNA]

I'll give the above instructions a try. What was the culprit? The brass was once fired, but didn't show signs of pressure, and it was cleaned using the stainless steel pin method. The die was bought used, but looked ok. I want to say it was the lube, but I didn't have any problems until it seized up.

Well, in my case, it was the lube. I was using the Lyman sizing lube. I had put it on the lube pad and rolled the brass around on it. Since my little problem I have started using Imperial Sizing Wax. This stuff works great. I would also recommend this: if you have a case get a little stiff on the downstroke of the ram, then don't force it, instead work it up and down until you get the arm all the way.

 

[jimbires]

RCBS and I'm sure others sell a , " stuck case remover " for about $15 . it works as the guys above describe using the socket or pipe trick . usually a stuck case is a lube problem . Jim

 

[fj40mojo]

Here Stuck case removal is how to get it out with pics. You don't have to buy a "Stuck Case Remover" kit. Just about everything you need is available in any hardware store. The heavy duty washer I use in this tutorial I turned out on a lathe, but there is no reason you can't stack up several Fender Washers and accomplish what needs to be done. Your die is not dead it's just constipated.

 

[Camshaft]

I try to clean my dies every once and while with hot water and soap and a 12 gauge nylon bore brush. Lube can build up in layers and dry out causing cases to stick every once and a great.

 

[boomtube]

A stuck case doesn't 'kill' a die but improper efforts to remove it can easily do so.

Cases stick in a sizer for ONE reason; lube, insufficently applied down near the head, that's where they get stuck.

 

[MNbogboy]

Having used mostly RCBS dies of various calibers for over 40 years with a few Herter's and a Lee thrown in I have only had a stuck case or two that were my fault for not lubing....I gave a rifle and my old Herter's .243 FLR die to my youngest son...No sooner than I did I put together a Savage in .243 for my oldest Grandson....Now that I didn't have a .243 die on the shelf I hastily purchased my first "cheap" Lyman die to load for my Grandson's new rifle....Worst die I have ever used..Well lubed cases would stick almost every time....It took an extra effort on every case.....Bought an RCBS die and everything is back to normal......I believe (at least in my case) the quality of finish inside or the die reamer specs were not up to par....I have used Hornady unique case lube for years and never have had a problem with a host of calibers....When you get your case out try another with plenty of lube, if it takes a lot of force then maybe you might want to try another die...
just my .02,
randy

 

[rmorgan9718]

I use the stuck case remover about once or twice a year, and the culprit is either the lube or the die is dirty/scored/rough somewhere along the case length, usually around the transition from shoulder angle to body diameter. Clean your dies with any of the bore cleaners, but use Bronze Wool - I get mine from local Ace Hardware store, one pack will last years. Wrap wooden dowel of approriate size with soft cloth and several strings of the bronze wool. Soak well in bore cleaner, and insert into die. Use circular motion to really clean the die all the way thru, including the neck area.

I also agree with the use of the resizing wax, versus one of the case lubes. I doesn't cake up and gather grit/dirt as badly.

 

[B-RAD]

Hornady One Shot spray lube will save you life, but as for the stuck case, I had 2 so far and they were before One Shot - Anyways you can get them out with some "redneck engineering", you can send them to your dies manufacturere aswell, and they also make stuck case removal tools.

If there is a lip left over on the brass you can grab it with linesmans pliers and just twist it up and the brass should end up tearing into a spiral and come out, or you can soak in it Kroil for a day or two then go back at it with something.

I also just found a bolt that would forcefully screw into the brass making threads along the way (the head was torn off from the jaws of my CO-AX) and then put a socket over the die that would let the brass come out into the cavity of the socket and yet let me tighten the bolt, basically when I was done the brass was inside of the socket and came out with a few turns... very easy

Oh and I polished my dies since then with a drill and some JB Bore Brite.... never had an issue since... with one shot lube of course

 

[3fingervic]

First off, let me say thanks to everyone that replied. I used the issue as an excuse to get another set of dies. However, I refused to be beat by a small piece of brass. Here is what I did to remedy the situation. I went to Home Depot and bought two 1/4"x2" self tapping hex bolts and ten 1/4" fender washers ($3.50). I drilled a 3/16th pilot hole in the flash hole and screwed in the self tapping screw into the hole in the brass. I then rethreaded the screw into the flash hole using a socket and 5 washers as spacers. The brass popped out pretty easily.