Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Resizing Troubles

  1. #1
    GunLoad Trainee
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default Resizing Troubles

    Got my Lee Classic Turret Press Sat. for my B-day. Set it up and loaded about 100 .357's. Went to range and shot them all. Now I notice my cases have developed a couple of scratches after I run them thru the Lee resizing and de-capping die. I took the de-capper out and sprayed a little clp break free on a q-tip and wiped the inside down. That made a noticeable improvement, but I can still see a couple of light striations.. Any advice on how to clean resizing dies or is it ruined? Should I stop using it and buy another?

  2. #2
    runfiverun runfiverun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs idaho
    Posts
    657

    Default

    use gun brush with some fine steel wool and some brasso or flitz on it clean your dies before you use them when new you probably got a little grit embedded in your sizer wall

  3. #3
    GunLoad Trainee
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default

    On these resizing dies, is it only the little collar (at the bottom of the die) that touches the case, or does it make contact higher up in the die as well. It looks to me like the little 1/4" collar is all that is touching the case.

  4. #4
    runfiverun runfiverun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs idaho
    Posts
    657

    Default

    it must be a carbide die set these are really hard you could try running a few clean and slightly lubed nickel cases through this may take some of the rough out i had a 308 sizer do this and it went away after a few hundred rounds and never seemed to hurt the brass just looked a little rough for a while

  5. #5
    runfiverun runfiverun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs idaho
    Posts
    657

    Default

    had to go look at my lee sizer dies real quick these are just a collar that is why they only make them for straight walled cartridges

  6. #6
    GunLoad Trainee
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default

    I may be to blame. I used some once fired factory brass that was not cleaned. I took the empty cases straight from my GP-100 and put them back in the box so no sand or dirt ever touched them. I did not have a tumbler at the time, I bought one yesterday. I noticed it when I used some new remington brass yesterday.

  7. #7
    Dogs Like Him versifier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,854

    Default

    gaston_r,
    I doubt if it was the brass. I think it was just some carbide grit left over from the manufacturing process. All new dies have to be cleaned, qtips and mineral spirits are usually enough, but sometimes you have to get serious if they sat at the factory/dealer for a while and the gunk hardens up. Usually they are pretty clean when they arrive, but I have had similar problems with sizers from three different makers, and now I make it a point to clean all new (and used) die sets thoroughly as soon as I can. Really bad ones go down to my mechanic for a bath in the parts washer, then they get rinsed in mineral spirits, left to evaporate dry, and lightly oiled before use. (They will rust if not protected.) It's not just the sizing dies that need to be checked/cleaned, either. All the others in the set should get the same treatment. It takes a few minutes, but it is time well spent.

    It is possible that the grit has scored the inside of your sizing die, but it's not the end of the world (or the die) if it has. As mentioned, Flitz is good stuff. Steel wool on a small slotted dowel will work, though I would apply it with a .45 or .50 cal bore mop chucked in a hand drill. The mops, made for muzzle loaders, are long enough to do the whole die, too. As you surmized, the only carbide is the little collar at the base, but some carbide grit may have embedded in the softer steel of the die body and that is what is doing the scratching of your cases. If you just ignore it, it will probably work itself out eventually. It is a cosmetic issue, not a safety issue, unless the brass is getting deeply scored and not merely scratched.

    You do not need to clean brass if you take proper care of it and wipe down with a rag anything that has hit the dirt. I do most of my shooting, rifle and handgun, with range brass, and have been for almost 35years. (Judging by the number of primers I have gone through, I'm well over the 50,000 round mark. I have never owned, nor do I plan to, a case tumbler. They are one of the single biggest sources of airborne particulate lead from the casting and reloading processes and IMO they are not healthy to have around, especially if you have kids in and out of your shop. I have several lots of .357 brass that are more than 20yrs old and have been loaded in excess of 25 times. They have never been cleaned. I will wipe cases down before sizing if I have been shooting a particulary dirty powder, but that's more to keep my hands clean. As long as the brass has no sand or grit on it, it won't cause any problems in your dies. With rifle cases, if FL sized, they have to be wiped down after sizing to remove the sizing lube, unless you lube with Universal Sizing Die Wax, so they get "cleaned" anyway.
    "Stand your ground.
    Do not fire unless fired upon.
    But if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
    - Capt. Parker, Lexington Militia, April 19, 1775

  8. #8
    runfiverun runfiverun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs idaho
    Posts
    657

    Default

    i hate to say anything bad about stuff but these are lee after all ihave had good and bad luck with these i would just go with them and try the plated case thing if you can [dont go buy a bunch of these i have never gotten very good life from them] by the way what load are you using ?

  9. #9
    runfiverun runfiverun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs idaho
    Posts
    657

    Default

    ihave found brake cleaner to do a very good job of cleaning out all that old oil and gunk out [remember to wear some eye protection]

  10. #10
    GunLoad Trainee
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    23

    Default

    Thanks for advice, I tried some very fine steel wool (0000) wrapped around a wore out .22 brush I had. I put in in my drill and cleaned the inside. Seems to have taken care of the problem. I think I can see a very faint scratch, but it could be paranoia... anyway I loaded up some 125gr copper plated x-treme bullets with 5.5 gr of Unique and CCI SPM primer in remington .357 mag cases. I was very impressed how mild and ACCURATE they were. I was shooting them out of a Ruger Speed-Six (fixed sights) and the hit very close to point of aim. I had been having trouble with most factory loads of 38 special and 357 158 gr shooting way high. I did have to use .71 cc disc cavity to get the pro-disc measure to throw 5.5 gr. This was a couple of sizes larger than the info said. I think it depended on the lot of powder available when they did their testing.. who knows..

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check        

Gunloads.com Sponsored Links