Sizing/decapping die question

[longwinters]

I have found that after a prolonged (1 year) period of non-use some of my dies are too tight when using them again. I loaded up some 270 cartridges about a year ago for a son in law and decided to load him up some more last week.

I took some once fired 270 brass to full length resize and sprayed them with One Shot, as always, and tried to resize them. No go I could feel to
much pressure and so backed off. Tried 5 different brass and the same thing. I then took new brass, lubed, and no problems at all.

We went shooting and when we returned I went to resize and reload these just shot brass. Same thing...except I kind of got aggrivated and just pushed the 1st brass up into the die and WALLA, stuck case. So now I have to order a RCBS "you screwed up and now you gotta spend money to get your case out tool".

Any idea why this happens. And by the way...do you clean your dies and how do you go about it.

Long

 

[Richracer1]

I haven't had your specific problem, but every so often, I'll use some brake cleaner and Q-tips and clean my sizing die the best I can.

Don't know if it's necessary, but I do it any way.

 

[DrMike]

Longwinters,

It sounds as if you have lube build-up in your sizing die. I clean my sizing die at the conclusion of each reloading session. I use a small amount of Hoppes on a cleaning patch wrapped around a dowel cut to fit the die. Then, I wipe it out with a dry patch. I've avoided trouble by doing this. When I receive dies from other people, I notice the problem you describe. Cleaning usually resolves the problem.

 

[Richracer1]

Longwinters,

It sounds as if you have lube build-up in your sizing die. I clean my sizing die at the conclusion of each reloading session. I use a small amount of Hoppes on a cleaning patch wrapped around a dowel cut to fit the die. Then, I wipe it out with a dry patch. I've avoided trouble by doing this. When I receive dies from other people, I notice the problem you describe. Cleaning usually resolves the problem.

Yep. +1 on the towel, but I still use brake clean. I just did this on my 243 Win sizer die.

 

[DrMike]

Richracer1,

Brake Cleaner will work just fine (and is probably a good deal cheaper); it will rid the die of excess lube. I just happen to keep a small bottle of Hoppes near my reloading bench.

 

[ArmyCW]

I have found that after a prolonged (1 year) period of non-use some of my dies are too tight when using them again. I loaded up some 270 cartridges about a year ago for a son in law and decided to load him up some more last week.

I took some once fired 270 brass to full length resize and sprayed them with One Shot, as always, and tried to resize them. No go I could feel to
much pressure and so backed off. Tried 5 different brass and the same thing. I then took new brass, lubed, and no problems at all.

We went shooting and when we returned I went to resize and reload these just shot brass. Same thing...except I kind of got aggrivated and just pushed the 1st brass up into the die and WALLA, stuck case. So now I have to order a RCBS "you screwed up and now you gotta spend money to get your case out tool".

Any idea why this happens. And by the way...do you clean your dies and how do you go about it.

Long

I have had case stick also, I really think the One Shot spray is the problem. I quit using the One Shot and just apply a lite coat of gun oil to each case and case neck. I clean inside the resize die about every 100 brass and clean the neck resizer too. My dies have about 500 cases resized to date so all are pretty new. I use gun oil on a paper towel to clean each brass case and a little oil goes a long way, main thing is keep dies and brass clean.

 

[Wally]

Do you happen to remember when you sprayed your cases, was your can of One Shot cold? I had this problem with One Shot, and it finally dawned on me after a couple of stuck cases, that when the can was cold, as in close to freezing, no lube was being applied to the cases. When I went to keeping my One Shot in the house, rather than in my unheated loading room, the problem went away. Just a thought. YMMV.

Steve

 

[YoteSmoker]

After trying a few different lubes, the most user friendly I found for me was Hornady Unique case lube. It comes in a small tub and you just rub on a very light coat then size. I found this much easier to control than the spray type and saved getting the crinkled shoulders.

 

[JD338]

Long,

I have never had the problem you describe, but I have never used One Shot lube. I have always used RCBS case lube until earlier this year, I started using Imperial lube wax.

Brake cleaner would be a good cleaner. It has many household uses such as cleaning up oil on the garage floor or killing hornets and wasp. Its a lot cheaper too!

JD338

 

[longwinters]

I am wondering, as I think about it, if the One Shot gets like a varnish over a long period of time inside the die. No doubt cleaning the inside of the dies is a good practice that I will start.

Long

 

[DrMike]

I have used RCBS Case Lube, Hornady One Shot, and Imperial Sizing Die Wax. All tend to leave behind minute amounts of lubricant that build up with time. I have examined dies from others that use other case lubricants. I'm not certain that the One Shot emulates a varnish, but I do believe that the lubricant itself builds with time forming micro layers that accumulate. As an aside, I avoid using either petroleum based or water based lubricant on the case neck, using either Imperial dry neck lube or motor mica that I buy in one pound lots. Provided I am not expanding a neck, this works just fine. I do think that if you use brake cleaner to clean the dies, you will find it beneficial to lightly oil the die from time-to-time, perhaps with G-96 which is then wiped out just as you would on your rifle.

 

[FOTIS]

Imperial sizing wax....for years! 8)