I found about 40 fired cases of FC .243 brass and tried to reload them. My Winchester, R-P and even NNY (Wolf) brass I can reload easily (nny a little difficult to chamber sometimes)but FC gave me my first stuck case. Can't get the case out of the FL die even though it was lubed. I probably made it unsalvageable by drilling out the head of the brass case to remove the decapping assembly and ruining the case head. Tried freezing it as seen on this forum with no luck.

Don't care too much about the die which I can replace - but anyone have problems reloading this brass. I do not know from whose rifle it was fired in but even with FL resizing I cannot get it to chamber at all. Lightly bringing the bolt forward without bringing the handle down created a situation where I could not bring the bolt back by hand and had to "tap" it open. I tried FL resizing and Neck only resizing, trimming to correct length etc. but same problem with this brass. Any ideas or should I just dump them. Thanks, Wayne

I cant say I have ever used this brass but I never use brass from the range in any of my rifles. When I get a rifle I buy 100 round of winchester brass (remington in the case of 17 rem and 221 fireball)and do all my reloading from that. I found early on If you want consistant resaults you cant mix head stamps.

As for the stuck case If the die was old or used it may of been rough in side Fitz can be used to polish it. you should be able to drive the case out with the decaper assembly removed.
also use a micrometer or calper to measure the outside diamerter of the case necks of loaded bullets they may be a tight fit in your chamber. BTW what kind of dies are you using? Jeremy

I have two rifles in 243, one a Winchester model 70 from 1972, the other is a no name commercial 98 Mauser. Any brass fired in the Winchester will not chamber in the Mauser even after full lenght resizing.. The brass I happened to have from the Winchester is FC. I also stuck a case/cases attempting to really size the brass. This happened with both Lee and Redding dies. Both rifles chamber and fire factory ammo no problems. When measuring the brass, the brass fired in the Winchester is swelled just beyond the extractor cut. A small base die would perhaps fix this. For now I just seperate the brass between the rifles. I would guess like my situation the brass you have was fired in a rifle with a max chamber and the rifle you have like my Mauser has a min chamber.

quote:

I cant say I have ever used this brass but I never use brass from the range in any of my rifles. When I get a rifle I buy 100 round of brass and do all my reloading from that. I found early on If you want consistant resaults you cant mix head stamps

+1

If a case "sticks" in a sizer it's because it was insufficently lubed around the head, not because of the brand.

Are some of you kidding about not being able to FL size brass, if you can't your doing something wrong it makes no difference who's brass it is YOUR NOT FL SIZING IT RIGHT, start again and take reloading 101 again.

Well US1 I do know how to size brass. Have you ever heard of a small base sizing die? Before you run off you mouth perhaps you should check some facts. A full lenght die usually DOES NOT fully resize the entire lenght of a case, specifically the area just before the extractor cut out. Perhaps you copy of reloader 101 missed this point or you skipped that chapter.

Just got back from the range and saw all the responses - thanks to all of you for your help.

I guess using brass from the range might not be a good idea but I did see the brass after the person left and it was once fired best I could tell - looked brand new and he did not pick it up so I guess he did not reload. Anyway, I have done this with R-P and Win. found "new" at the range and had no problems with it after FL resizing.

I do separate brass by brand and have been getting great results with Seafire's Blue Dot recipes for my kid with the .243 - sub-MOA even with this range brass. Just the FC that gave me trouble. I am using older RCBS dies, a Savage Model 11 rifle and trimmed all cases etc. I lubed well for FL resizing and decapping with no problem, then removed to trim to proper length then returned to press to place primer (did not remove the FL die however). Seemed to go in with little resistance and then STUCK. Cannot knock it out for nothing. Guess I should have re-lubed it again. However, I cannot chamber those rounds that I did complete as stated in my original post.

Just wanted to share my own personal experiences. I am using an RCBS RockChucker Press and RCBS FL Dies. I have also been using RCBS case lube. Just finished decapping/FL resizing over 300 Winchester and Federal .243 cases last night. No problems noted.

"A full lenght die usually DOES NOT fully resize the entire lenght of a case, specifically the area just before the extractor cut out."

Actually, a "normal" sizer does indeed size down to the web, just as does a "small base" sizer. The small base sizer just squeezes the case down another couple or three thousants smaller.

smithrjd

One you don't have a clue what your talking about not sizing all the way to the end your right if your NS or you die is not adjusted right, and just like the other post said a SB die usully used on semi-autos is just a bit smaller.

Also if you want to extract that case either make or buy a RCBS stuck case remover, if your using that one shot stuff you need to let it sit for a bit before resizing, I no long use anything except imperial sizing lube or Dillon spray even with the Dillon you need to let it sit for a min. before using.

Try some Lee collet dies there outstading.

I pick up once fired brass all the time and use it just FL size before using.

I must say that I am sorry about my rant in the other reply. Lubing indeed will stop stuck cases. The 243 brass from my other post is the only time I have had a stuck case in 20 years,lucky I guess. I normally only neck size or just beyond but usually the brass is returned to the rifle which first fired the case. In both my Lee and Redding 243 dies, both dies will not size the diameter enough for the case to chamber in both rifles. I have had this happen before when using brass fired in an old Garand, would not chamber smoothly in a model 70. Measuring the cases they were swelled just above the extractor cut out. Even with the dies run a bit beyond the shell holder they did not size down in this area. Darn sure worked the neck and shoulder however. I still think that it is differances in the chambers that cause this problem. They only way I see to fix this is with small base dies, which I do not have. I find it easier to just seperate the cases. The brand of the brass makes no real differance. I have seen and read several times that Full Lenght dies size lenght a bit more than diameter hence the reason for small base dies.

Could not get the brass out of the RCBS die so bought a Lee 3 die set (I wanted the FC die also). I already have an RCBS Neck die and seater. Have not read much good reports on the Lee Seating die (unless it is of the collet type) so I still use my RCBS Seating die.

Anyway, I re-read the posts on P/FL resizing and adjusted the FL die accordingly. Got great results and the FC cases chambered and extracted nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by aerostarp:
Could not get the brass out of the RCBS die ...

Hey Aerostarp,

1. RCBS makes a "Stuck Case Remover".
2. You can make one yourself by removing the Decapper, drilling and tapping the Primer pocket and screwing a Bolt through a Socket(which rests against the Diemouth) and tightening the Bolt.
3. Return it to RCBS and they will remove the stuck case and make sure the Die is sufficently polished for you.

Best of luck to you.

How do you correctley set up to full lenght size with a full lenght die? Not being funny here, I can not get my dies to size case diameter close to the extractor cut. This is with both Redding and Lee dies. If one runs the dies down to the shell holder is there anything else to do?

Hey smithrjd, If your Cases fit in the Rifle after Resizing, there is no need to go farther. If you see the Pressure Ring protruding just a bit, that is normal. However, if they won't fit back in the rifle, keep reading.

The Reloading community has been using the term "Caming Over" for as long as I can remember. It is what you will want to adjust for.

What happens is when you screw the Die down to just touch the Shell Holder and then you place a Case in to Resize that has had a SAFE MAX (or robust) Load, the Pressure of the Resizing will take all the slack out of each pin/link connection in the Press. Then the Case does not get a Full Resize.

The way around this is to screw the Die in so it touches the Shell Holder, lower the Ram, and screw the Die "into" the Press another 1/4 turn. Now when you go to Resize the Case, the Linkage will "Cam Over" and you can feel it happen. Normally that will Full Length Resize your Case.
-----

However, if you have an Aluminum Press, it has the potential to break something on it. It won't hurt a Cast Iron Press.

If you are using a Shell Holder that is made by someone other than the folks that made the Dies you are using, the dimensions might be off just enough to keep you from being able to FLR. Long ago you could simply "File Down" the top of the Shell Holder, but they are Hardened now. But you can Grind them down with an Emory Wheel or good old Side Grinder. Just measure across them with your Dial Calipers and take a few of thousandths off the top of the Shell Holder (0.003"-0.005") and that "should" fix it.

Or you may be one of the folks that simply needs a Small Base Die Set. It is very rare to see a rifle which needs one today though, even the semi-autos and pumps.

Best of luck to you.

Hotcore,
Thany you for the info. I have run the dies past just touching the shell holder by at least 1/2 turn. Still no joy other than sticking a case.. I have both an aluminum press (Lee) and an old cast iron press (Herters) still have the problem. I do have several different brand shell holders and to be honest I have not checked that. As the case in question is a 243, 30-06 size I have several. I do know that I have used the Lee shell holder with the Lee dies. As I stated above this has only happened when I use brass fired in a Winchester model 70 and resize the cases and attempt to chamber them in a Mauser in 243. Other way round is fine. I think that the chambers are just at opposite ends in size. The cases from the Winchester swell just a bit right above the extractor cut. This is with both factory rounds and handloads. None of them are what I would call hot. For now I just seperate the cases between the rifles and have no problems. That way I can neck size or a bit more as I normally do. I don't think it is worth the money to get small base dies but that would most likly solve the problem.

Some of you guys really have a fire under your asses! Man this is first class entertainment!!

aerostarp- I had picked up some FC at the range once and had a similar problem. Turns out the stuff was harder than a rock.. Had a friend of mine do a hardness test on it and came out WAY more hard than expected, can't recall the reading or scale used just that it was remarkably hard. I would have stuck a case but I am lucky to have what I call strip sense. When a bolt is about to strip out a tuned sense of touch can detect it. With the press it is the same thing just watch for excessive pressure in forming the case. If you experience excessive resistance then back off and relube, if that does not help THROW IT OUT. Seems to me you aught to get rid of the batch of brass.
Btw- glad you got it to work and if you send the die to RCBS they will get it out for you and (I think) for free.

quote:

Originally posted by smithrjd:
...the case in question is a 243, 30-06 size I have several. ...

Hey Smithrjd, If you have a totally different Die Set in say, 25-06, 260Rem, 270Win, 284Rem, 308Win, 30-06, 338-06, 358Win, or 35Whe, try measuring some Cases you have FLRed with them and see if you can locate one which is "smaller" than you are getting with the 243Win Dies. If you do, remove the Deacpping/Expander Stem and try running the 243Win cases into that Die to see if it will squash it down so it will work.

I do believe Grinding a bit off the top of a Shell Holder would cure the problem though.

Best of luck to you.