Sizing die sticking in brand-new cases

[N8RV]

I have loaded several thousand rounds of both 9mm and .45 ACP on my Dillon XL650 with very few issues. All cases were previously fired brass.

I just started loading some brand-new brass in .45 ACP and was surprised that I really have to push up hard on the lever to unstick the sizing die from the new cases. I've never experienced this resistance before.

Is this something unique to new brass? Is it normal to have to lubricate new brass when loading for the first time? Or, is there another issue that I need to be aware of?

 

[billybob44]

New Brass..

New brass is-Well-New Brass..

When it comes out of the Box/bag, this brass has been COMPLETELY washed off of any lube or coatings.

When fired brass is used, it has a slight amount of "Lube" from burned powder/and or tumbling meida. This gives used brass some slickness.

Just take a small pass of case lube on your new brass, and shake around in a container, and load as normal..Bill.

 

[N8RV]

Thanks, Bill. Guess I'll have to go pick some up.

I figured this was the case, as it took a LOT of effort to pull a bullet from a bad load.

 

[N8RV]

One other thought to further confuse things ...

New brass should be made to size, right? It has not expanded due to firing, it hasn't been stepped on, and doesn't need to be decapped. Why not just remove the sizing die?

Any downside to just skipping the decapping/sizing step entirely?

 

[red_zr24x4]

I have gotten new brass without enough tension to hold a bullet, I always resize new brass. I've never noticed it being tight in the die like that.

 

[XtremeVel]

I have gotten new brass without enough tension to hold a bullet, I always resize new brass. .

^^^ That !

The new brass might drop into your cylinder/chamber fine... You might think the mouth is small enough because it's hard to start a bullet, but once you bell the mouth, often times you lack proper tension on the bullet... I always run new brass through the sizing die.

 

[billybob44]

Always re-size...

One other thought to further confuse things ...

New brass should be made to size, right? It has not expanded due to firing, it hasn't been stepped on, and doesn't need to be decapped. Why not just remove the sizing die?

Any downside to just skipping the decapping/sizing step entirely?

Yes, for the most part new brass has the proper size to load.

Think of it this way: One of the reasons that we handload is for the most accurate, and quality loads. A handloader should always re-size ALL brass for the MOST consistent loads that we can make. By doing this step we can insure that all loads will have the SAME case tension for proper retention of projectile.
A handloader that does NOT size new brass will have uneven release of projectiles when fired...Bill.

 

[billybob44]

Just re-read that...

"A handloader that does NOT size new brass will have uneven release of projectiles when fired."

^^^HA HA...Is THAT something that I will need Obama Care for??HA HA...Bill.

 

[red_zr24x4]

"A handloader that does NOT size new brass will have uneven release of projectiles when fired."

^^^HA HA...Is THAT something that I will need Obama Care for??HA HA...Bill.

I think they make a pill for that..

 

[N8RV]

It's just part of getting old, BillyBob.

Thanks for all of the responses, everybody. The resistance that I'm feeling isn't all THAT bad, but I just wondered if it's normal for new brass.

I did try tumbling a batch in cleaning media, just to see if having some media dust on it would make a difference. It didn't.

 

[Broom_jm]

Is it possible you're using a carbide 9mm die and a standard steel 45 ACP die? Bottom line: If your cases are sticking, or very hard to size, lube 'em...

 

[N8RV]

Is it possible you're using a carbide 9mm die and a standard steel 45 ACP die? Bottom line: If your cases are sticking, or very hard to size, lube 'em...

I just recently got my .45 ACP conversion kit from Dillon and had ordered carbide. I've reloaded a couple thousand .45 cases with no sticking problems until this new brass. I'll double-check the box that the die set came in, but they were supposed to be carbide.

FWIW, I did lube the last couple hundred or so cases and the difference was like night and day. A-hot-knife-through-butter kind of smooth! I may give the Blue Press folks a call and see if they have any other ideas.

 

[Broom_jm]

I just recently got my .45 ACP conversion kit from Dillon and had ordered carbide. I've reloaded a couple thousand .45 cases with no sticking problems until this new brass. I'll double-check the box that the die set came in, but they were supposed to be carbide.

FWIW, I did lube the last couple hundred or so cases and the difference was like night and day. A-hot-knife-through-butter kind of smooth! I may give the Blue Press folks a call and see if they have any other ideas.

I have a carbide sizing die for 9mm, but I find if I don't lube at all, resizing requires more effort than I prefer. I lube about 1 out of every 3 or 4 cases and the whole operation goes a lot more smoothly.

 

[sloughfoot]

I have experienced the exact same thing with some new 45 ACP brass I got. It made no sense why, but I experienced it. It was while removing the case from the FL sizing die that the case felt stuck for just an instant as it came out of the die.

I have been reloading for a long time and it felt like it was an outside burr on the case lip. For better or worse, I just powered through and loaded the brass up.

it was not fun though.