Mass resizing techniques

[Caveman Jim]

Good day my fellow reloading members. I praise the gracious act of @Mygrainman for letting me borrow his Dillon Super swage 600.

Over 5000 cases have been swaged with this most impressive tool and I pondered how much time I've saved verses using the Lyman Case Prep center with pocket cutters of the past.... I was bored one day and timed myself and in one minute I swaged 20-28 cases on average with a very methodical rhythm and
I figure it has saved me days in my estimation.

That being said, my next task is resizing this massive amount of brass. In the past I have resized hundreds of to 223/556 cases but I have never taken on a task of this size.

If anyone has any tips to help streamline this endeavor please speak up to save Ole Caveman from being stuck in his shop 24/7 for the next month doing this task.

Please keep in mind there are still fish in the lake that need to be caught LOL

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[jmh119]

Throw a "resizing party". If I didn't have family visiting with us right now I'd bring my RCBS over and help just for the chance to meet another member!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

 

[jordanka16]

Use a liquid or spray lube and lube them all at once in a big bucket.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i use oneshot in a gallon zip lock then shake the bag then spray again

 

[Mygrainman]

better chop some for Blackout while your at it.

 

[Caveman Jim]

That is freaking cool beans man. Thanks.
I tried the horizontal method but my shoulder could not handle it so I had to mounted vertically in my bench vise so I am pushing straight away from my shoulder.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Throw a "resizing party". If I didn't have family visiting with us right now I'd bring my RCBS over and help just for the chance to meet another member!

Boy howdy that sounds like fun.
I was actually thinking of doing that with my other press is also, the Lee Progressive 1000 and the Lee turret. I have 3 sets of 223 dies also.
LET'S PARTY!!!!

Oh and by the way if you haven't noticed you have tons of members in your area.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Use a liquid or spray lube and lube them all at once in a big bucket.

This is exactly what I was thinking, I use a lanolin mix. That would work great but wonder if it would be okay to leave it overnight or would I have to relube them the next day or even when I got back to it maybe in a day or two or 3?

 

[Caveman Jim]

better chop some for Blackout while your at it.

I'm one step ahead of your brother, I have noticed I have an abundance of annealed 223/556 cases.
That got me thinking that would cover me for my to 223/556 rounds (approx 4000).
The unannealed brass will be thrown in a bucket for future 300 Blackout cases. I figure I probably have at least 1500 to convert.

 

[jmh119]

Boy howdy that sounds like fun.
I was actually thinking of doing that with my other press is also, the Lee Progressive 1000 and the Lee turret. I have 3 sets of 2 to 3 days also.
LET'S PARTY!!!!

Oh and by the way if you haven't noticed you have tons of members in your area.

Between deal made and cleanup events I have met a few!

 

[Certaindeaf]

.
Over 5000 cases have been swaged with this most impressive tool..

Before you get too far ahead of yourself in the future, I'd make sure the swager is set up properly and or will work with that lot of brass. It'd suck to do 5000 of anything and realize it was for naught. I've learned over the years to check my work (via a chamber, measuring, gauges, firing etc.) before making/doing a ton.
I remember years ago using an RCBS pocket swager on 30-06 cases and to do it enough that they'd take a primer it actually destroyed the cases so I cut them with a pocket knife.. that learned 'em!

 

[Stomper]

Good day my fellow reloading members. I praise the gracious act of @Mygrainman for letting me borrow his Dillon Super swage 600.

Over 5000 cases have been swaged with this most impressive tool and I pondered how much time I've saved verses using the Lyman Case Prep center with pocket cutters of the past.... I was bored one day and timed myself and in one minute I swaged 20-28 cases on average with a very methodical rhythm and
I figure it has saved me days in my estimation.

That being said, my next task is resizing this massive amount of brass. In the past I have resized hundreds of to 223/556 cases but I have never taken on a task of this size.

If anyone has any tips to help streamline this endeavor please speak up to save Ole Caveman from being stuck in his shop 24/7 for the next month doing this task.

Please keep in mind there are still fish in the lake that need to be caught LOL

View attachment 486477 View attachment 486478

You're retired and can sleep when you're dead....

 

[jordanka16]

This is exactly what I was thinking, I use a lanolin mix. That would work great but wonder if it would be okay to leave it overnight or would I have to relube them the next day or even when I got back to it maybe in a day or two or 3?

The lanolin should work even after a few days.

 

[Mygrainman]

Before you get too far ahead of yourself in the future, I'd make sure the swager is set up properly and or will work with that lot of brass. It'd suck to do 5000 of anything and realize it was for naught. I've learned over the years to check my work (via a chamber, measuring, gauges, firing etc.) before making/doing a ton.
I remember years ago using an RCBS pocket swager on 30-06 cases and to do it enough that they'd take a primer it actually destroyed the cases so I cut them with a pocket knife.. that learned 'em!

An important lesson in reloading for sure!
I still have about 1000 rnds of 55g 5.56 that I have to finish pulling dumping and resizing because I had my die set wrong and didn't check any with a guage.
But.... lesson learned. I will never make that mistake again.

 

[Caveman Jim]

You're retired and can sleep when you're dead....

Oh I was not insinuating that I needed sleep, I'm an insomniac.
I was insinuating that I need to catch fish.
Try to keep up brother.

 

[Caveman Jim]

The lanolin should work even after a few days.

Yeah I plan to keep an eye on it if I have to break off for a day or two.

I'll tell you one thing, that stuff is slicker than Owl snot on a rainy night!!!

 

[Caveman Jim]

Before you get too far ahead of yourself in the future, I'd make sure the swager is set up properly and or will work with that lot of brass. It'd suck to do 5000 of anything and realize it was for naught. I've learned over the years to check my work (via a chamber, measuring, gauges, firing etc.) before making/doing a ton.
I remember years ago using an RCBS pocket swager on 30-06 cases and to do it enough that they'd take a primer it actually destroyed the cases so I cut them with a pocket knife.. that learned 'em!

I was actually curious because I've never used a Dillon swager, Hell, any swager for that matter. I don't like to cut pockets out on the Lyman case prep center because it seems like there is too much of a gap at the top of the primer.
I swaged about 40 223 cases with the military crimps of different headstamps and using the LEE hand primer. The results were surprising, over half did not take a primer so I I watched a bunch of you tubbie videos and gleaned pertinent information and all is good.
I did have a problem with a certain head stamp that would not go into the swager but cannot remember which one it was but I'll do some checking when I get back out in the shop.
Did I mention I had to come into the house because it's too freaking hot out there?

 

[Stomper]

Oh I was not insinuating that I needed sleep, I'm an insomniac.
I was insinuating that I need to catch fish.
Try to keep up brother.

I do what I can between hopping across ladders during this heatwave...

 

[Caveman Jim]

I do what I can between hopping across ladders during this heatwave...

I hear you brother, be safe.