Scratches on case after form die

[joelkdouglas]

Ladies and gents,

I have an RCBS Form/Trim die set used to make 7 Mashburn Super Mag brass from 300 Win Mag.

When I run a case through the Form/Trim dies the cases come out with scratches. Can I do anything to stop the scratches from happening? Should I call RCBS and ask them?

Bill and Scotty if you read this these are the scratches on the case you saw at elk camp last year. I got to wondering which die it was and took me a little while to figure it out.

v/r
Joel

 

[DrMike]

Your die has a flaw in it. If you send it back to RCBS, they will polish it for you. Had the same problem with a .308 die on one occasion, and they actually replaced it rather than polish it. If you are comfortable doing so, emery cloth and a dowel will allow you to accomplish the same thing somewhat quicker than sending it back.

 

[joelkdouglas]

Thanks Dr Mike! I’ll call RCBS. v/r Joel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SJB358]

I’ll check mine out Joel. I don’t remember any scratches from mine.

Stop being so fussy and shoot em! :mrgreen:

Elkspedition is just right around the corner. :lol:

 

[joelkdouglas]

I know! Hopefully the wind is moderate this weekend and I can get out again. I have some decent velocity indications from the other day, maybe time to try out a ladder.

 

[JD338]

I would call RCBS and send it back to them.

JD338

 

[joelkdouglas]

I would call RCBS and send it back to them.

JD338

Thanks!

To update I called RCBS today. They said they would be happy to polish the die if I send it to them, and turnaround should be 2-3 weeks.

Or if I wanted to try myself to get some emery paper or 600 grit sandpaper and get to polishing with a dowel or something.

I happened to have some 600 grit sandpaper on hand. First I cleaned the die with long cotton swabs and degreased it. I inspected the inside of the die and noted some marks running vertical inside the die. I put some sandpaper on my pinky and tried to polish the marks off, but the sandpaper made them even more pronounced. Not sure what the marks are, it almost looks like some other type of metal bleeding into the exterior of the die surface metal.

Long story short I’m going to send them back to RCBS and see what they think. I have enough formed brass to last a while so long as I take care not to waste it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ShadeTree]

Other than the wait, the easiest thing is to send it back and let RCBS take care of it like you're doing.

In the future if you spin out the threaded bushing that the decapping and expander ball stem threads down thru, it lets you take a wooden dowel rod and push a cleaning rag back and forth the length of the die from both ends. Can also do the same with emory cloth, or 0000 fine steel wool, or the scotch brite pads. The light gray scotch brite pads are 800 grit sandpaper equivalent, and the green pads are 600 grit according to 3M.

 

[ShadeTree]

P.S. I have a wooden dowel rod with the spikey part of those 2 part stick on Velcro strips that can be picked up at craft stores, stuck on it. That allows a piece of any of the above items to be wrapped around those spikes and it will hold it. That set up put in a cordless drill and ran back and forth at low speeds comes in real handy for polishing up any dies or chambers that need it. When I'm done I hit it briefly using the same set up with just a clean soft rag with some of that green fine polishing compound on it. Works pretty slick. That all of course needs cleaned or flushed out when done.

 

[joelkdouglas]

Thanks!