Stuck case in die....need help.

[Mike H]

Gentlemen, I'm pretty new here and need some help.
I've been reloading both pistol and rifle ammo for a long time and now I have a .243 case that is stuck in the resizing die.
My fault, I thought I could get by only lubing about every 3 case or so.
My equipment is a RCBS Rock Chucker press and RCBS dies.
So.......whats my best plan of action?

 

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

I had the same problem with my Lee press. Got to the point where I was lubing every case. Ruined a few decappers in the process. Curious to see if theres a fix.

 

[singlestacksig]

i got a 308 stuck once when starting out...
called lee, and the had me ship die to them & they replaced or removed it for free..

but there is a tool called "stuck case remover" ... midway might have it..

 

[VUPDblue]

Take the deprimer out of the die. Return the die to a single stage press. Lube the hell out of it from the top with CLP or penetrating oil. Obtain a thin brass rod and tap the case out from the top with a small hammer. You should always lube your rifle cases when loading them. I have had good luck with the RCBS lube pad. I tend to stay away from spray lube because it is too messy. Also, be sure to clean your dies after every few hundred rounds.

 

[chipdog4]

Stuck case removers are available.
All you need is a drill/bit, tap and handle, a bolt and washer with the same thread as the tap, and a 3/8" socket that fits over the case and presses against the bottom of the die.
Remove the decapping stem from the die. Drill the primer hole of the case out for the tap. Run the tap through the case. Set socket over case and against die and thread the bolt through the socket into the case and wrench it out.

Most the stuck case removers are 1/4" x 28, I believe.

 

[Marc]

i use a hammer, vice grips, craftsman stripped nut/bolt extractor (if you dont have this tool then use the vice grips there are times where i have to use one or the other but the vices grips have always worked the best), wire cutters, and pliers. i take the die, screw it in upside down, hammer the extractor on the brass, clamp the vice grips to the extractor and start twisting.keep in mind before doing that you should loosen the decapper till it falls freely so you dont break it) once i got the brass out, the decapper is still in the brass. i cut the brass with the wire cutters and then peel it open with the pliers. i repeat that until the decapper comes out of the brass. once that is done, put the decapper back in the die and start resizing brass. i marked all of my dies with a fine tip sharpie for when this happens i can put everything back into spec faster.

hope this helps some and also saves you guys time from shipping into lee and saving money from buying more equipment to fix a problem.


WARNING: THIS PROCESS MAY CAUSE YOU TO SWEAT A LITTLE!!!

 

[cordex]

I've used VUPDblue's method with success.

 

[Mike H]

Thanks for the replies.
At least now I know where to start.
I've been using Lee resizing lub, you can bet I'll clean the dies and use the lube on ALL the brass from now on.
Appreciate the tips
Mike

 

[Dr Falken]

I've been using Lee dies in .223 in a Pro Loader and lubing is critical. That being said and worrying about crimped primers, berdan primers, etc, I do my decapping first, that way I can polish and then size (removes media). It is an extra step, but using the Lee Universal decapping die I don't seem to have to worry about stuck cases, and it seems to work better when I go to reload as I don't have to worry about cranking down too hard on the handle if the primer is tough. Gives me a chance to clean the primer pocket too.

 

[thirty cal]

Just remember boys Lube makes everything work better.

 

[sloughfoot]

I have a buddy that throws the die with the stuck case into the freezer. He says the case falls out. I can't make it work though. I might be leaving it in too long.

As the others have said, every rifle case has to be lubed..

 

[jsn_mooney]

Hornady stuck case remover from midway is the only way to go.