CRNA
Well-Known Member
Sure is.
What did I do wrong? This sucks!!!
- Thread starter CRNA
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Sure is.
I see you are getting a lot of detached advice. I would call the die company and ask them if you can send them your dies and three fired cases(no sizing) and let them tell you what's up. It's really too hard for us internet junkies to diagnose with no way to measure, feel and see what's going on.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Did you ever get this fixed? I got a 300 RUM case stuck in a body die. I was using Hornady One Shot, but I'm convinced it wasn't the One Shot. It was simply a very stretched piece of brass from some over pressured loads which is a story in itself.
What I did to get out was to remove the die with stuck case and then screw it back in upside down. Then I took a drill with slight smaller than 1/4" bit a drilled a hole through the primer pocket. Then I took a 1/4" self drilling/tapping hex head screw and screwed it n with a cordless impact driver with the head of the screw about 3/8ths" above the head of the case. Then I got a 2' crow bar for some leverage, put a wooden block between the crow bar and the top of the press and cranked away. It took some force but it did come out. Believe it or not, I got another stuck a few minutes later and repeated the process.... and then... yet another. I finally learned to size those over pressured cases a little at a time. Bring the press handle down until I feel it getting tight then back up, then down again just a little farther, etc.
In your case it might be the dies. Take the advise to call Forster and get it figured out.
-Mark
What I did to get out was to remove the die with stuck case and then screw it back in upside down. Then I took a drill with slight smaller than 1/4" bit a drilled a hole through the primer pocket. Then I took a 1/4" self drilling/tapping hex head screw and screwed it n with a cordless impact driver with the head of the screw about 3/8ths" above the head of the case. Then I got a 2' crow bar for some leverage, put a wooden block between the crow bar and the top of the press and cranked away. It took some force but it did come out. Believe it or not, I got another stuck a few minutes later and repeated the process.... and then... yet another. I finally learned to size those over pressured cases a little at a time. Bring the press handle down until I feel it getting tight then back up, then down again just a little farther, etc.
In your case it might be the dies. Take the advise to call Forster and get it figured out.
-Mark
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CRNA
Well-Known Member
I am going to work on it today if time allows. I am going to drill, tap, and die. Thing is, I am doing to do a few dry runs on old brass just to get the feel. That way I have an opportunity to see where I may screw things up. I will definitely let you guys know how it turns out. I just got in my Imperial Sizing Wax yesterday. Now, if I stick another case, then I will be on the phone with Forster. I really think the case stuck because of my lack of lube.
I will report again later.
I will report again later.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
You can tap it if you like, but a self tapping screw will do that for you.
Looking forward to hear how it turns out.
Looking forward to hear how it turns out.
T3-OleMan
Well-Known Member
Before spending $$ I would use the HOT - then COLD trick. Never full sized any but done this on stuff in the past and it let go.
1. Put it in freezer over night.
2. In the morning, take it out and shield the case from the heat and heat up the die with hair blower, paint stripper, torch.....what ever. Just warm it up carefully and dont ruin the steel. It should expand just a silly little .000001mm and you might pull it out.
3. Next try heat it all, then, put case head on Ice cube or dry ice to make it smaller and try to pull it out - or punch it out.
This is simple but it saved my *** a couple of times on stuck metal.
Good luck.
1. Put it in freezer over night.
2. In the morning, take it out and shield the case from the heat and heat up the die with hair blower, paint stripper, torch.....what ever. Just warm it up carefully and dont ruin the steel. It should expand just a silly little .000001mm and you might pull it out.
3. Next try heat it all, then, put case head on Ice cube or dry ice to make it smaller and try to pull it out - or punch it out.
This is simple but it saved my *** a couple of times on stuck metal.
Good luck.
Trickymissfit
Well-Known Member
getting the stuck case out is easy if you gave a vise in your garage. Remove the whole stem assembly to gain access to the top of the case. Turn the die upside down and give it two or three drops of Kroil, and then let it soak awhile. Now while this is going on round up three or four flat 1/2" washers (cad washers prefered) and a #10 allen cap screw that's about 2 3/4" long. Then simply spush the bad case out of the die by closeing the vise jaws on the bolt head. Usually it only needs to move about .10" to loosen up. If you have access to an arbor press you in even better luck. Simply press the old case back out. Another way to do this is with the same washers, but drill a hole thru the primer pocket for clearend on the screw. Simply tighten a nut on the other end to pull the bad case out. I've done both ways in the past when I got a little too engergetic. Next time use Imperial die wax, and be done with it.
You said that you had sized some cases just fine, while this one froze up in the die. That should be a hint that there's either something dead wrong with the cases or the lube your using is worthless. When you remove the stem assembly check to see if the stem in bent. If it is you need to replace it. The Imperial wax seems to withstand higher pressures generated with bigger cases better than the spay on stuff.
Lastly when measuring a once fired case at the datum line, how does it compair with a chamber drawing? I've ran into long and short chambers more than once in the past
gary
You said that you had sized some cases just fine, while this one froze up in the die. That should be a hint that there's either something dead wrong with the cases or the lube your using is worthless. When you remove the stem assembly check to see if the stem in bent. If it is you need to replace it. The Imperial wax seems to withstand higher pressures generated with bigger cases better than the spay on stuff.
Lastly when measuring a once fired case at the datum line, how does it compair with a chamber drawing? I've ran into long and short chambers more than once in the past
gary
CRNA
Well-Known Member
Ok here's the newsflash:
I found my old tap and die set that I had never even used. (Got it from a local hardware store that was going out of business for a steal). Anyway, I decided to give it a dry run on a perfectly good case to see if I could get it to tap the way I wanted it. (Again, never done it before). Worked like a charm. Prettiest groves cut in that brass you ever did see!! Man I am getting ready to fix this problem!! ...............................then realized that the decapping pin is still protruding from the flash hole. The expander ball is below the case neck and stuck in the body. There's no pulling it out. Seeing that I am now in another dilemma, I found something else to do until I could think this thing through. I have an extra decapping pin that came with my die set. I could cut it off and enough of it could then be pulled back into the die to get it out of my way. I have read others say that one could cut the case head off with a Dremel, then drop the expander ball/spindle out the bottom of the die and tap the inside of the case body and pull it out that way. Just looks to me like that would ruin the inside of the die.
So, is there any way to get the decapping pin out that I don't realize? I have to say, if theres a good side to all of this, I sure am learning from my mistakes!!! Thanks for all of the good advice everyone. I will keep you guys posted on the outcome.
I found my old tap and die set that I had never even used. (Got it from a local hardware store that was going out of business for a steal). Anyway, I decided to give it a dry run on a perfectly good case to see if I could get it to tap the way I wanted it. (Again, never done it before). Worked like a charm. Prettiest groves cut in that brass you ever did see!! Man I am getting ready to fix this problem!! ...............................then realized that the decapping pin is still protruding from the flash hole. The expander ball is below the case neck and stuck in the body. There's no pulling it out. Seeing that I am now in another dilemma, I found something else to do until I could think this thing through. I have an extra decapping pin that came with my die set. I could cut it off and enough of it could then be pulled back into the die to get it out of my way. I have read others say that one could cut the case head off with a Dremel, then drop the expander ball/spindle out the bottom of the die and tap the inside of the case body and pull it out that way. Just looks to me like that would ruin the inside of the die.
So, is there any way to get the decapping pin out that I don't realize? I have to say, if theres a good side to all of this, I sure am learning from my mistakes!!! Thanks for all of the good advice everyone. I will keep you guys posted on the outcome.
T3-OleMan
Well-Known Member
Sorry it's getting deeper. LOL
lightbulbWhy not try Gary's Kroil approach and FREEZE it in a zip lock bag and then take it out and HEAT it. It will make it move a little, just through contraction & expansion and you didn't damage anything.
Good Luck
lightbulbWhy not try Gary's Kroil approach and FREEZE it in a zip lock bag and then take it out and HEAT it. It will make it move a little, just through contraction & expansion and you didn't damage anything.
Good Luck
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
Disregard...
The politicly correct way to handle this=Send the die and a couple of fired cases back to Foster.
Here is the red-neck solution-Use at your own risk.
#1 Freeze the die overnight (overday if you work in the daylight)
#2 Tap on the decaping pin while you are trying to unscrew the other end of it. It should come out far enough to drill and tap the head of the case.
#3 once the case is freed up cut the head off the case to retrieve the decaping pin assembly.
#4 Leave the decaping pin assembly out and measure the length of a well lubed fired case.
#5 Resize the well lubed case all the way down to the shellholder being carefull not to stick this one in the case
#6 Remeasure the case.
One of your pics shows a questionable seperation line????
Having shot/reloaded the 7 mag for many years and replaced 3 sets of dies as well as pulled one too many cases out of the chamber with a puller I for am done with the 7mag or any other belted mag for that matter. It was a dumb idea when they came up with it and it hasnt gotten any better with age!!
Here is the red-neck solution-Use at your own risk.
#1 Freeze the die overnight (overday if you work in the daylight)
#2 Tap on the decaping pin while you are trying to unscrew the other end of it. It should come out far enough to drill and tap the head of the case.
#3 once the case is freed up cut the head off the case to retrieve the decaping pin assembly.
#4 Leave the decaping pin assembly out and measure the length of a well lubed fired case.
#5 Resize the well lubed case all the way down to the shellholder being carefull not to stick this one in the case
#6 Remeasure the case.
One of your pics shows a questionable seperation line????
Having shot/reloaded the 7 mag for many years and replaced 3 sets of dies as well as pulled one too many cases out of the chamber with a puller I for am done with the 7mag or any other belted mag for that matter. It was a dumb idea when they came up with it and it hasnt gotten any better with age!!
CRNA
Well-Known Member
FINALLY GOT THAT CASE OUT!!!!
Ok, so I finally have that darn case out. Here's how it went down. (Or came out)
I called Forster and told them about my dilemma, the gentleman there said that the best way to do it was to 1) take the spindle loose from the die by removing the locking nuts at the top, 2) thread a hex nut on the spindle (with washers and a spacer) I used a socket for a spacer, and tighten the nut to pull the expander ball past the case neck and remove the whole spindle/expander ball assembly.
I had a member on here caution me that this may do some harm to the assembly and that I may or may not want to do it that way. Considering it sound advice, I called Forster back today to reconfirm what the gentleman told me. (I thought maybe I had not made myself clear that the expander ball was below the case neck and I had concerns that the case was in the die in such a way that the neck couldn't expand to let the expander ball out). I was assured by Forster that this was the best/safest way to get the spindle/expander ball assembly out of the die so the primer pocket could be tapped and the case removed. I picked up a nut from the Home Depot, brought it home and did what I described above. The spindle/expander ball assembly came right out just as the technician at Forster said. I then drilled and tapped the primer pocket with a 1/4" X 20 tap, and removed the case by using a socket as a spacer with washers and threading a hex nut on the stud and turning the nut until the case was pulled free. I didn't notice any damage to the die itself. The expander ball does have two very slight scratches to it that are very difficult to even feel, but I don't suspect that will cause any problems. Definitely a cheaper method than using the stuck case kits sold commercially. I have a few bucks in the stud, a few small washers, and a couple of nuts of the correct size. So the next time I full length size, I have my Imperial Sizing Wax at the ready. Thanks to everyone for all of the good advice. I certainly hope that someone with a similar problem can read this and learn from my mistakes, or at least acquire the information as how to correct the problem.
Ok, so I finally have that darn case out. Here's how it went down. (Or came out)
I called Forster and told them about my dilemma, the gentleman there said that the best way to do it was to 1) take the spindle loose from the die by removing the locking nuts at the top, 2) thread a hex nut on the spindle (with washers and a spacer) I used a socket for a spacer, and tighten the nut to pull the expander ball past the case neck and remove the whole spindle/expander ball assembly.
I had a member on here caution me that this may do some harm to the assembly and that I may or may not want to do it that way. Considering it sound advice, I called Forster back today to reconfirm what the gentleman told me. (I thought maybe I had not made myself clear that the expander ball was below the case neck and I had concerns that the case was in the die in such a way that the neck couldn't expand to let the expander ball out). I was assured by Forster that this was the best/safest way to get the spindle/expander ball assembly out of the die so the primer pocket could be tapped and the case removed. I picked up a nut from the Home Depot, brought it home and did what I described above. The spindle/expander ball assembly came right out just as the technician at Forster said. I then drilled and tapped the primer pocket with a 1/4" X 20 tap, and removed the case by using a socket as a spacer with washers and threading a hex nut on the stud and turning the nut until the case was pulled free. I didn't notice any damage to the die itself. The expander ball does have two very slight scratches to it that are very difficult to even feel, but I don't suspect that will cause any problems. Definitely a cheaper method than using the stuck case kits sold commercially. I have a few bucks in the stud, a few small washers, and a couple of nuts of the correct size. So the next time I full length size, I have my Imperial Sizing Wax at the ready. Thanks to everyone for all of the good advice. I certainly hope that someone with a similar problem can read this and learn from my mistakes, or at least acquire the information as how to correct the problem.
wanna-be-sniper
Active Member
i have the same problem with my 300 rum cases. i bought the rcbs kit and got the old case out, went to sizing again and the same thing happened. i tried cleaning the dies and everything else. i finally just lubed the hell out of them and they worked perfect and havent had a problem since. I am using hornady one shot, a good spray on all sides. i am also using the same dies. good luck.
Brice
Brice
