I've just graduated to using a press from a very old hand held Lee loader. I've got Redding dies and have been full length resizing 240 and 300 Weatherby and 22-250 Rem cases (used in other guns - otherwise would neck size).
The process seems to be noisy and I want to know if that is normal. The cases are tumbled and very clean - been through corn cob tumbler and very bright, I wash and dry them before resizing and depriming.
I've experiemented with Lyman spray case lube and the RCBS case lube pad, but both methods don't seem to have an effect on reducing the squaking noise, but I haven't had any stuck cases either.
I don't have a problem with the noise - just wanting to know if what I'm experiencing is normal.
Originally posted by 95yukon: I've just graduated to using a press from a very old hand held Lee loader. I've got Redding dies and have been full length resizing 240 and 300 Weatherby and 22-250 Rem cases (used in other guns - otherwise would neck size).
The process seems to be noisy and I want to know if that is normal. The cases are tumbled and very clean - been through corn cob tumbler and very bright, I wash and dry them before resizing and depriming.
I've experiemented with Lyman spray case lube and the RCBS case lube pad, but both methods don't seem to have an effect on reducing the squaking noise, but I haven't had any stuck cases either.
I don't have a problem with the noise - just wanting to know if what I'm experiencing is normal.Thanks
Bizarre! My cases don't make a "squaking noise" when I resize them. This MAY be happening when you drag them back out, over the expander ball with a case neck that is dry inside. Try putting a little case sizing lube or powdered graphite or mica inside the case necks.
"Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
Posts: 4386 | Location: New Woodstock, Madison County, Central NY | Registered: 04 January 2005
Could be that some residue is sticking to the INSIDE of the case necks also.Try running a bore brush in them,then lubing inside of case necks as mentioned above
Posts: 2043 | Location: Grove,OK. | Registered: 20 July 2002
95Yukon, sounds like the expander ball! drag the case across the lube pad so that a little lube is deposited inside the case neck, when you come to resize, turn the case so that it lubes all the way round the expander button, you should only need to do this once after every 5 or 6 rounds
regards
griff
Posts: 1179 | Location: scotland | Registered: 28 February 2001
Take the die apart and clean it real well. And while you've got it apart, take a look at the expander ball to make sure it's not rough. I've seen some new ones that were pretty bad. Whether it looks good or not polish it before you put the die back together. I polish all of mine with 600 wet paper. I think you'll find that it does make a difference. Also make sure you're using enough lube on the inside of the case necks.
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002
I had the same problem with a 30/06 RCBS die and found out I wasn't lubing the inside of the neck enough. Clean the die and polish the expander ball and lube well and the swacking will cease!
Posts: 671 | Location: none | Registered: 14 February 2005
Craigster--Good advice. At this point I like to put some J-B bore cleaner or J-B borebrite on an oversized patch and spin it in an electric drill to polish the inside of the die. I then take the decapping rod / expander button and chuck this in the drill and polish it in the same manner with the J-B. Resizing wax on your brass and you are good to go.
Posts: 251 | Location: TX | Registered: 28 January 2005
Thanks for all the responses. I removed the expander to confirm where it was coming from and still had the noise so will try the suggestions of polishing the insides of the dies.
There will be a bunch of the spray oil boys telling you how good it is and it just might be for them. But I still use the old RCBS lube oil and the RCBS pad. It just works fine for me , for about 15 years. There are a bunch of different oils and waxes but I will stick to my old RCBS lube.
Posts: 671 | Location: none | Registered: 14 February 2005
I just remembered something that was caused me some problems with noise also. I had the die set so that there was a real hard cam over on the press to resize the case. This seemed to cause the expander to squak as it came back through the neck. Polished the expander and set the die right and it quit.
Posts: 671 | Location: none | Registered: 14 February 2005
95Yukon, Here is something for you to look at. After you trim your case to length measure the OAL. Now run your case through your die and check the OAL now---has it changed? When you were setting the decapping stem down you by chance didn't get it to far down did you? Pull your stem out and look at it--is it tweeked or bent? Are you aligning your die body properly before you tighten your nock nut? This is the reason I switched to body dies and neck sizing dies. Blob: There is nothing wrong with the greasy kid stuff I used it for years and it works like a champ. However, the Imperial and I just get along much better these days.
Posts: 251 | Location: TX | Registered: 28 January 2005
Ya know, I was just thinkin' and I know this might sound stupid, but, is it the case/die that's causing the squeak and not something in the press linkage or ram?
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002
Yukon: What are you using inside the neck for lube? You aren't by chance trying to run an expander ball over a dry I.D. neck are you? It's just like sex--a little lube makes things a whole lot easier---to much and you have a mess.
Posts: 251 | Location: TX | Registered: 28 January 2005
I had the same problem with a 30/06 RCBS die and found out I wasn't lubing the inside of the neck enough. Clean the die and polish the expander ball and lube well and the swacking will cease! 
