Sizing die problem

[Wide Glide]

I am trying to neck size some new GWT 338lm brass Because shipping them to the case mouths But when the brass is 1/3 of the way into the die it catches on something and Dents the mouth worse. When the brass goes through the die and comes back out the mouth is fixed and I can't feel a change with my thumb nail but the color change in the brass makes it obvious. I have tried setting this diet multiple times to get this to stop but I'm starting to wonder if I just have a bum die. It is the neck die from Lyman and deluxe rifle three die said item number 7680250

Any idea whats going on?

 

[highdrum]

Does it have the expander ball in it? Maybe your decapping pin is bent and hits the mouth on the way in, then straightens the mouth back out as the expander ball opens the neck back up? This is a sample image of your die set. I'd pull the decapping pin assembly and check to make sure it's straight, misalignment will cause it to hit the neck on the way up, but straighten on the way out, however I'm sure your neck isn't the straightest after. Have have you inspected sized cases for runout?

 

[Wide Glide]

That's kind of what I figured was going on but it doesn't seem to be bent at all And this little test run tonight is the first I've ever used it. No I haven't checked for run out, that is one contraption I haven't bought yet

 

[L.Sherm]

Are you chamfering the outside of your necks?

 

[Eagel Builder]

Had the problem Winchester nickel cases. Bought Lyman 30 degree chamfer tool and had no problems since the purchase.

 

[ButterBean]

You may have to polish your expander, Pull your expander ball out and see if it still catches, if it doesn't she needs reshaping a bit

 

[MagnumManiac]

I would be checking the HEIGHT of the expander, if it is adjacent to the neck in the die, then this, or total crumpling of the neck can take place.
Forster dies have a similar high expander set up, and if not set correctly it will crumple necks into the shoulder.
Right or wrong, I run my expanders at custom sizes and have the shaft loose in the die, my runout with Forster FL dies is .001" or better.

Cheers.

 

[Wide Glide]

Are you chamfering the outside of your necks?

Not before sizing. I've always done that step right before powder and bullet.

I'm honestly thinking about just getting a whole different die set. When I started having trouble with the neck sizer die I switched to FL and it requires an extreme amount of lube inside the case neck Or my 200 pound plus reloading bench comes half an inch off the ground while I'm trying to pull the brass back out of the die. I really wish Lee made a call at next size or diI really wish Lee made a collet ns die for 338. So I could just use the combination of lee cns with redding body die like i do for everything else. I guess they kind of do but it is a custom order and is larger than a normal day I said so I would also need a whole new press so just the ability to use that one die would cost close to $300 between the cost of the press and the custom die

 

[Wv shooter]

To go along with L Sherm I would chamfer inside and out side Neck

 

[highdrum]

I've never had this issue, and my chamfer/debur is done by my trimmer after FL sizing. I really doubt that's the issue. If the expander button is positioned up in or close to the neck, the action of sizing neck down and binding against the expander could be causing this. I'd pull your expander assembly completely and run a few pieces through the die and see if there are any issues. Also be a good idea to measure neck ods prior to and after sizing w/o expander to see how far your die is sizing it down, then check the neck od of cases expanded by the expander ball. This will give you and idea of how much your die is working the brass. Are you annealing? If the necks being over annealed it could be softening the alloy so much that it's TOO soft. Idk man, just throwing ideas out there trying to help a brother out.

 

[L.Sherm]

It's not gonna hurt anything to chamfer the outside of your necks before you resize your brass, while your at it I'd do the inside to.

 

[sea2summit]

Have you checked for excess or caked case lube? Have you tried running a few without the expander? Might also let you look down inside the die and see what's going on.

 

[MallardAddict]

Chamfer the necks and run the expander ball way down away from the neck of the die and all should be well

 

[MagnumManiac]

First thing to check is the diameter of the expander.
Have seen a 7 mag die with a 30 cal expander in it from a well known brand...stuff gets messed up occasionally.
The other issue I have seen was a die marked 270 Win but had a 262" neck in it. Go figure.

Cheers.