After having trouble sizing .375H&H cases, even just to the neck, I discovered I was using the wrong shellholder, which up until now had worked perfectly.

Just redently I began to have trouble. So I wnt out a purrchased the correct shell holder.

I polish the inside of the die, polish the expander ball, throughly clean, run some WD40 through it, wipe out with a clean rag and proceed.

Now full of confidence, I go to ramming a case up into the die only to have it get stuck.

As is happens I need to load up for a trip to Canada, leaving next week...

How can I get this case out, without buying a stuck case removing kit, which would mean spending a few hours on the phone to find one then and only IF I actually find one in the country I preceed to drive half a day to get there.

Been there done that.

1. Why the hell are the cases sticking?
They have never done this before.

2. is there another way to get the case out?

If I ould only remove the decapping rod and button it could be knocked out from the other end...

[ 10-24-2003, 15:37: Message edited by: EXPRESS ]

Express;
You could make a "home-made" stuck case puller very easy!

1. Take a small diameter bolt, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, that will just fit through the hole in your shell holder!

2. Grind it to the shape of the groove in the ram of your press! (It will be narrow, with part of the bolt head left only on one side of the bolt)

3. Insert the bolt through the hole in the shell holder and insert the shell holder in the ram!

4. Back the decapping rod out of the resizing die as far a possible and thread the primer pocket to match the bolt you just made!

5. Unscrew the resizing die, out of the press and bring the ram to the top of the stroke!

5. Screw the primer pocket threads onto the bolt that you made!

6. Screw the resizing die back into the top of the press!

7. Raise the press handle and lower the ram, and the shell should come out!

I've used this method many times and it worked fine! Then I finally bought a stuck case remover!
Good luck:

Since you did no say that you lubed the cases before running it itn, I am assuming you thought the WD-40 would do.

But is not nearly slick enough to use as a lube on cases.

Even plain old vaseline works wonders.

You really have no other way to get it out except a case puller. Anything else will ruin the die or destroy the case to the point even the puller won't get it out.

Express,

If you drill and tap the case head, you can also stack several 1/2" flat washers and then progessively smaller flat washers until you can use a bolt to back the case out of the die. I had to do this a couple of nights ago. You may have to get a harder grade bolt to pull the case out. I stripped a mild steel 1/4" bolt one time pulling out a case.

I have one (custom)die that seems to periodically stick a case. Nickel plated cases also seem to do this more often than brass.

I am a big fan of imperial die sizing wax for resizing, and think I may try to burnish some moly powder into my one bad die to see if that will help.

Good luck.

Steve

Good luck.

[ 10-24-2003, 17:43: Message edited by: Need Just 1 More Gun ]

Ok, I did lube the case using RCBS lube before starting.

I also tried screwing the the stem down, which worked for a few mm.

Then I unscrewed the stem of the button, and tried knocking the case out with a bit of wooden dowel. Only problem is that the expander ball is still floating around inside the case. I figure the wooden dowel won't be able to damage the expander button against the case.

This didn't work at all, the case wont budge.

Now I'll try this threading method.

Thanx for the hints gents, Appreciated.

Worlds fastest stuck case remover...

Buy yourself a small automotive dent puller, the slide hammer with the sharply pointed and threaded end. This end will screw into the primer pocket, and a wack or two will pull any stuck case free.

I have successfully stuck a number of cases in dies when testing different case lubes. Sometimes not on purpose.I'll give you some of my findings. The order goes from worst lube of the group to best lube of the group.There are some worse but I haven't found any better than Bardahl.
1. Worst-------Lyman qwik spray case lube.
2. WD-40
3. White Petrolium Jelley ( hot weather )
4. White Petrolium Jelley ( cold weather )
5. "Snap" Oil Treatment
6. Midway Spray 'N size
7. "Bardahl" no smoking additive for oil burning
cars.
When using an honestly good lube I never got a stuck case.Let me know if you are interested in how to apply some of the lubes and other perticulars .
roger

Well I got the case out, desparation drives you to desparate measures.

I had tried tapping it out with a wooden dowel, but that was no good.

So I went to look for a bolt to thread into the case. I saw a nice steel rod, that didn't fit, but as every DIY man knows a screwdriver often will suffice.

Well a screwdriver and some careful tapping got me nowhere. Then tapping harder. Nope not moving.
At this point I've decided that even if I thread a bolt onto this case I will not be able to pull it out with pliers or the press ram.

One last try.

Big heavy hammer, one big blow and the case comes out. (wish I had thought of this earlier)

Well the inside of the die is perfect, the the expander ball has suffered some from the beating.

I don't think it will work as an expander ball, as the screwdriver seems to have opened it up a little at the top end.

I'll measure it with some calipers before I try using it for sizing. I'll assume that a blown out expander ball would also be a great way to get a case stuck in the die again?

I'm going to try sizing some new brass. I can't come to any conclusions as to why this brass is so hard to size.

Could it be that after more than one firing it bloats enough to cause this type of trouble?

I am pretty sure this brass is once fired, no chance it has been through more than twice.

Hell, I even annealed it...

"Hell I even annealed it"...Perhaps therin lies the problem?
Peter.

Express:

I have never had a case getting stuck in the die, but I lubricate the outside walls of the case to just below the shoulder. Then I roll a Q-Tip on lubricant, and lubricate the inside area of the neck. I use Imperial wax most of the time, and sometimes RCBS lubricant.