I've seen this touched on in the past but was hoping to get a fresh perspective on the matter.

What prompts this you ask? Well, I was loading for my 45-120 and got a case stuck in the die. Unfortunately, it is an RCBS Legacy die and therefore does not have an assembly you can remove on the top. I do not have a threading die of the right diameter to extract it.

This got me to thinking. Do I really need to full length size if fired cartridges extract and feed freely?

In particular I am asking in reference to 45-120 i.e., a straight-walled case, that is being used at fairly low pressure ie., <25,000 psi.

Thanks,
Eric

Eric:
If your ammo is used in various rifles it may be needed to full length size to specs. However, if you use your ammo in one rifle (as I do with all of my doubles) neck sizing is all that is required.
What I do is to place a 1/8" waasher between the press and the lock ring of the sizer die. That keeps the die raised so it does not full length size. Since the brass is worked less, it will probably last longer.
Cal

I use a nickel rather than the washer when I neck size!

shane

I shot a lot of 45-110 in a single shot,I have a custom die that BPCR guys use to neck size only,I had very good results using the custom die & neck sizing only,in a DR though,firstly I would take fired brass & make sure it can chamber in both chambers,if it does so without any problems then neck sizing is a good idea I think,the reason I suggest this is because not always are the two chambers the same,& as I discovered fired brass will not always interchange from one chamber to the other.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill73:
I shot a lot of 45-110 in a single shot,I have a custom die that BPCR guys use to neck size only,I had very good results using the custom die & neck sizing only,in a DR though,firstly I would take fired brass & make sure it can chamber in both chambers,if it does so without any problems then neck sizing is a good idea I think,the reason I suggest this is because not always are the two chambers the same,& as I discovered fired brass will not always interchange from one chamber to the other.

Bill is just saying what I would have said but he beat me to it!

I do exactly as he recommends for any rifle, not just doubles, and because of that I get very long life out of my brass!
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Exactly, what Bill and Mac said, size the cases until they work in both barrels, also I want them a just a barely tad loose when they drop into the chamber, but be careful here it is easy to overdo, but in the event of an aggressive buffalo you don't need to be squeezing a case into the chamber..Sometimes I crimp, sometimes I turn my expander ball down just a tad in a drill press or lathe, then use a powder that fills the case with some light compaction, that gives you a tight neck, backed by slightly compacted powder and use a very light crimp, it works real well as recoil with those cases tends to send a bullet forward and can tie up your gun. In the field I carry a rapid rod, or I go ahead and shoot the bullet out if possible and it usually is in a double, you open it properly and lose some powder in the action but may be ableto close it and fire the bullet out..or take a lunch break use the rapid rod to dislodge the bullet and then clean out the spillage.

These are the precautions one needs to take care of prior to the field, even then things can go South, so be prepared. However Im referring to a double rifle for the most part, in a single shot all you need to worry about is that the case drops freely into the chamber..

To get he stuck case out of your die..put die in a vise of some sort. grab the case with channel locks..grab your heating torch and heat the die up and the case will usually just drop out on its own as it cools but I usually keep some pressure on the channel locks pulling down lightly...The brass case will shrink at some point and come out.