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I'm pretty much brand new to reloading. I got the brass, primers, power and bullets. I got a hornady lock-n-load with eveything needed. everything.

I tumbled all the cases clean and went to deprime/re-size them. the problem is that some of the resize to a inside neck diameter that won't allow the bullet to slip though (I check each one this way) which seems right for when I place a new bullet there and then ram it home. But then some of them even fully ran through the die will let the bullet slip right on through. What is the problem?

the brass is mixed FC .223 and Lake City 5.56. thanks in advance guys.
 
Man, with all due respect you need to immediately stop what you are doing, take a deep breath and try to rephrase all this 'slip through' 'ram it home' and the 'some fully ran through the die' stuff. What is the issue here? Are you saying some bullets drop through the neck of the case and some are too tight? If your cases are all resized properly your bullets should have a snug fit when being seated and not 'slip through' - but then this terminology is still a little unclear with regard to your reloading. Also are you chamferring and deburring all your cases after sizing? I think we need a little more clear description of what is exactly taking place before being able to help.
 
I'm saying that some of the brass after the deprime/resize stroke allows bullets to fall through their necks while others do not.

I have a chamferr/deburr tool. Not sure I need to use it. All brass is once fired.
 
Your dies are maybe not set right? Read and then reread the instructions for setting up your dies. There should be a snug fit for those bullets, possibly even shaving a little copper off when seating that bullet. Anytime a bullet can fall into the case, that's obviously bad. Check the inside of your dies if they still do it after you've rechecked for proper die adjustment, and see if there is something wrong with the depriming rod/sizer ball thingy. Also, check dies for cleanliness as that can have a BIG impact on how the dies perform.

Good luck!
 
and see if there is something wrong with the depriming rod/sizer ball thingy
If that wasn't clear, it's at this point that your brass is telling you that you need to completely disassemble your sizing die, inspect the expander for debris, build-up, and overall soundness. Measure the expander diameter with your calipers and report back. While it's probably unnecessary, I'd sort the brass just to eliminate variables while I was beginning to reload.
 
I think your sizing die is set up wrong. Set your decapping in so it sticks 1/4" or so below the die body then to set up the sizing die itself pull the handle on your press so the shell plate is at it's hightest position then screw the die body down till it contacts the shell plate back it off a quarter turn and tighten the lock ring down. Have you read any reloading books/manuals? I would recommend if you have'nt pick up a few reloading books read them cover to cover, watch a few dozen videos on youtube of how to reload & set up a locknload ap. Then buy a single stage learn what you're doing and then use your progressive. How did you swage the primer pockets on that military brass?

You are sure you're using the right caliber of die?

Have you tried using case lube before resizing?
I'm just assuming if he was'nt using case lube he would be asking how to remove a stuck case from a die. Don't ask me how I know this. :s0131:
 
I am reloading .223/556 only at this point.

My die is brand new. Says RCBS 223 REM FL..10

I took apart the die and the resizer expander seems fine.

I am using case lube.

I used calipers and the neck expander is 0.222 exact.

I am not sure how to "set" the die. I followed John's directions exactly and got the exact same result.

I have 3 reloading manuals. Hornady current gen, Speer current gen and the flimsy soft cover ones you get at sportsman's warehouse. I've read and re-read the process many times before even opening the box and watched hours of youtube reloading videos.

I did get a single stage press.



..... So using johns advice I reset my die, and checked with an unloaded bullet the opening of 2 random already deprimed cases. one slipped through the other did not. ran them both through the re-sizer. the one who was tighter got very tight (pretty sure the right tolerance) and the loose one stayed loose. thus my problem.
 
I am reloading .223/556 only at this point.

My die is brand new. Says RCBS 223 REM FL..10

I took apart the die and the resizer expander seems fine.

I am using case lube.

I used calipers and the neck expander is 0.222 exact.

I am not sure how to "set" the die. I followed John's directions exactly and got the exact same result.

I have 3 reloading manuals. Hornady current gen, Speer current gen and the flimsy soft cover ones you get at sportsman's warehouse. I've read and re-read the process many times before even opening the box and watched hours of youtube reloading videos.

I did get a single stage press.



..... So using johns advice I reset my die, and checked with an unloaded bullet the opening of 2 random already deprimed cases. one slipped through the other did not. ran them both through the re-sizer. the one who was tighter got very tight (pretty sure the right tolerance) and the loose one stayed loose. thus my problem.
Is this running it through the progressive? Are you running the brass through any other stations? If you are running them through multiple stations check the brass after resizing only and see what it specs out at and do the same at every station to see what station the problem is at and go from there. If after all that you can't find the problem set the die up in the single stage.
 
What do you mean by "the one who was tighter got very tight"? Are you able to force the bullet into the neck with hand pressure? Does the bullet simply not fit and rests on the case neck? What are the headstamps or the source of the "tight" brass and "loose" brass? Maybe remove the expander, size the loose brass without the expander and see how easy it is to place a bullet in, up to and including seating a bullet and then trying to pull it out or press it in again.
 
Yeah,how did I know you were using RCBS dies?

I set my RCBS dies aside and bought Redding. The RCBS dies were way out of specs and just weren't sizing the brass right.
Again,as I have said in other threads,if you have been using RCBS for years,your dies were probably made correctly.
In fact they sent me a new resizing pin and it was way off.

Take the dies back and buy some Redding dies.

Then do what the others have suggested.
 
Sagaba-
The suggestions that have been made are all good. Please do follow those concerning reading the reloading manuals.

From what you have written I assume that you have some fired brass from two different manufacturers. To me this raises several questions about the brass. Are the cases that are too loose and not holding the bullet all of one manufacturer? Is the wall thickness of the case neck uniform? Is the wall of the case neck on those cases that do not hold the bullet cracked? Fired brass should be inspected during the decaping/resizing operation even when you fired it in your rifle. If you have purchased “once fired” brass or have brass that was picked up on a range carefully inspect it for flaws as you resize. Scrap any that you have doubts about.
 
I should have noted earlier that when you are planning to reload brass that you are not familiar with or that you purchased as commercial loads, fired in your rifle and plan to reload the overall length of the case should be checked and if longer than the tolerance range specified in your reloading manual trim the case to specifications after resizing. It has been my experience over the years that the only time one needs to deburr a case is after trimming.
 
Ok are you checking the brass after you put them in the first die but not before the second die?

If so Jon5335 is correct you have your first die the decapping die, the one that removes the primer set up wrong.
 
Hi sagaba,

You may want to buy the RCBS Precisioneered Handloading DVD I pickup the DVD from Bi-mart in Portland, Oregon. But you can Buy it from RCBS. They show you how to load Rifle, Pistol, & Shotgun Ammo.
Hope this helps,
Tony Portland, Oregon Area
 
I have RCBS dies for my .223 Rem. I've used them for my AR reloads in the past. But the dies read RCBS 223 REM SB ... 11 and I know RCBS makes this set more for the AR and semi weapons. Not sure on your application but you might try the small base (SB) dies. Part number 11103. Or as suggested get Redding dies.
 
You know, this is an odd problem, and from what I can tell there are several indications of multiple different problems:

1) your neck expander ball is too large, or the inside of your die is too loose

2) your cases are out of spec (yes, this happens even with LC brass) using a thickness micrometer, measure the thickness of the brass around the neck.

3) your brass has an incorrect temper (it is too hard, and thus too springy)

4) you have case neck cracks (caused by work hardened brass)

One thing I like about RCBS, is they are very good about customer service (something dillon and hornady should take note of).

What I would do is take a case (unsized, fired) remove the decapping/expanding assembly from the die, then measure the diameter of the case neck before, run it through the die and then measure it afterwards. Measure the inside of the case-neck and see how much smaller it is than .222.

If the case neck never gets below say .220" then there is a die problem, if your brass is thin, this can also be an issue. If the brass is too hard, and will not resize, then the brass is junk. No easy answers here ...
 
Yeah,how did I know you were using RCBS dies?

I set my RCBS dies aside and bought Redding. The RCBS dies were way out of specs and just weren't sizing the brass right.
Again,as I have said in other threads,if you have been using RCBS for years,your dies were probably made correctly.
In fact they sent me a new resizing pin and it was way off.

Take the dies back and buy some Redding dies.

Then do what the others have suggested.

I had more problems than I felt like dealing with in RCBS Dies. From sizing to seating, even Lee's did a better job.

I now only consider Redding, Forster, or Hornady when looking for a "premium die set" and if "good enough is my goal, then Lee.

Had exactly the same problem with RCBS that the OP stated. Went to Lee for a sizing die on my progressive and guess what? No more case/neck sizing issues, no more "lube dents", and no more broken or bent firing pins when a piece of berdan primed brass showed up.

My recent experience with the CG New Dimension Hornady dies has piqued my interest in them to replace my Lee dies. Price isn't much more and the visible quality improvement is immense.
 

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