Stuck case

[arakboss]

I figured out a nearly free method that will work on dies where the stem is threaded and can be removed through the top of the die.

I intentionally jammed a case up inside a modern RCBS 223 sizing die to flush out this idea. These steps apply to that type of die.

1st step is to remove the stems lock nut and guide bushing.

2nd step place a combination of washers and socket over the stem and resting on top of the die body.

3 Thread the stem lock nut down on to the top washer and tighten until the stem is pulled free of the case. Then lift the stem and washer combo out of die body. Now find an appropriate punch or rod that will fit into the die body and through the case mouth. It will need to be long enough to reach the bottom of the case and have an inch or so of travel room up top. I used a cheap harbor freight Philips screwdriver. A severly stuck case may require a more sturdy punch or rod.

It was a success and I was able to pound the case out with three whacks from a lighter weight hammer.

 

[arakboss]

Seems I can't win with the thread game. Start a new one people cry, not another new thread.
Recycle an old one, people cry why are you reviving an old thread.
There is a common theme here.

My advice is TWYLALTR.

 

[Bobbygun]

But if I were to try and remove a stuck case that was missing the head, I would go to my big tap set and see if I could fine one that fit the inside case diameter, drive that in then pound it out. Just make sure your tap does not bit all the way through the brass to the die. But that is only because I do not have any low temp alloy on hand to cast into the broken case, which would probably give better grip than tap threads.

I was thinking Tannerite, but yours is good too.

 

[RVTECH]

It was a success and I was able to pound the case out with three whacks from a lighter weight hammer.

It was most likely a success ONLY because the case you intentionally 'jammed' in the die was not stuck that tight. If it was stuck tighter, such as due to a 'real' sizing issue you could have possibly damaged something, such as the die or potentially cracking your press.

I am also surprised you were able to get the decapping stem out without any damage as the neck of the case is enclosed in the die and would NOT be able to expand to let the expander ball pull out very easily. I'm guessing you had to really tighten the lock nut to pull the stem free.

Reloading presses are not 'vises' intended to hold something while you 'wack' on it and I do NOT recommend you do this if you ever actually DO stick a case!

 

[Spitpatch]

Holy necromancy batman! That is an old thread someone found. And the worst part is the necrosmith was not even topical, as stuck case removers usually need a case head, which the OP specifically said his stuck case did not have. . . It's an interesting discussion, but kinda seems like it would warrant a new thread, not hijacking the shambling corpse of one from 2010.

But if I were to try and remove a stuck case that was missing the head, I would go to my big tap set and see if I could fine one that fit the inside case diameter, drive that in then pound it out. Just make sure your tap does not bit all the way through the brass to the die. But that is only because I do not have any low temp alloy on hand to cast into the broken case, which would probably give better grip than tap threads.

Comments disparagingly about the moss growing on this thread, shifts gears immediately and is compelled to offer the advice anyway.

To be witnessed here and only available on this website, folks.

 

[JRuby]

use an EZ out

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Ask me how I know

 

[arakboss]

It was most likely a success ONLY because the case you intentionally 'jammed' in the die was not stuck that tight. If it was stuck tighter, such as due to a 'real' sizing issue you could have possibly damaged something, such as the die or potentially cracking your press.

I am also surprised you were able to get the decapping stem out without any damage as the neck of the case is enclosed in the die and would NOT be able to expand to let the expander ball pull out very easily. I'm guessing you had to really tighten the lock nut to pull the stem free.

Reloading presses are not 'vises' intended to hold something while you 'wack' on it and I do NOT recommend you do this if you ever actually DO stick a case!

It didn't much effort to pull the stem out. You could always put the die in a vise if you are worried about the press. Watch the forester video. It is the same principle, only, I did it with free stuff instead of paying for the tool.

View: https://youtu.be/J73to_462xI?feature=shared

 

[arakboss]

It was most likely a success ONLY because the case you intentionally 'jammed' in the die was not stuck that tight. If it was stuck tighter, such as due to a 'real' sizing issue you could have possibly damaged something, such as the die or potentially cracking your press.

I am also surprised you were able to get the decapping stem out without any damage as the neck of the case is enclosed in the die and would NOT be able to expand to let the expander ball pull out very easily. I'm guessing you had to really tighten the lock nut to pull the stem free.

Reloading presses are not 'vises' intended to hold something while you 'wack' on it and I do NOT recommend you do this if you ever actually DO stick a case!

I am purchasing an RCBS die set next weekend with a truly stuck case. I will be trying this method first to remove it. I am not worried about my press. It's a tough little sucker.

 

[DLS]

If the base of the case is so far gone you can't use any of the stuck case tools, and you don't have a y Cerro-safe:

Plug the case neck with a seriously tight patch. Epoxy a deep threaded screw (for.more.bite) into the case body. Once the epoxy is set you can pull on the screw and the.stuck case will come out.

Throughly de-grease the case interior so that the epoxy has the best chance of adhering to the smooth case wall surface.

 

[DLS]

... I am not worried about my press. It's a tough little sucker.

Even the best quality presses are still made with castings, which do not do well with impact type of forces.

Hammer away at your own risk!

 

[arakboss]

Even the best quality presses are still made with castings, which do not do well with impact type of forces.

Hammer away at your own risk!

I have three rock chuckers and a t mag 2 waiting in the wings. The Lee is my first press and I am still waiting for it to fail.

 

[RVTECH]

The Lee is my first press and I am still waiting for it to fail.

It probably wont fail if being used for normal reloading procedures, but using it as a 'vice' to hold the die while you are beating on a piece of brass with a screwdriver as a punch might hurry that failure up.

There is a reason the guy in the vid you posted recommended putting the die in copper or brass jawed vise to pound the case out.

Oh, and thats another thing - using a screwdriver with a plastic handle as a punch is NOT a very good idea.

The plastic handle as well as the softer steel of most screwdrivers will absorb a lot of the hammer impact and only make removal of the case more difficult.

 

[arakboss]

It probably wont fail if being used for normal reloading procedures, but using it as a 'vice' to hold the die while you are beating on a piece of brass with a screwdriver as a punch might hurry that failure up.

There is a reason the guy in the vid you posted recommended putting the die in copper or brass jawed vise to pound the case out.

Oh, and thats another thing - using a screwdriver with a plastic handle as a punch is NOT a very good idea.

The plastic handle as well as the softer steel of most screwdrivers will absorb a lot of the hammer impact and only make removal of the case more difficult.

I used a light duty hammer. I figured the screw driver handle would fail before the press did. If I had used heavy duty punch and hammer, the case would have likely popped out with one whack instead of three. If I make a habit out of removing stuck cases I will buy some better equipment.

 

[arakboss]

I positioned the die in a vice. I used the remnants of my harbor freight screwdriver (after grinding Philips point off) and a real hammer. After a couple of whacks the case popped out. Expander button is still inside the case. Luckily I have a complete replacement stem that I bought on sale somewhere not knowing if I would ever need it. Glad I bought it.

 

[arakboss]

I positioned the die in a vice. I used the remnants of my harbor freight screwdriver (after grinding Philips point off) and a real hammer. After a couple of whacks the case popped out. Expander button is still inside the case. Luckily I have a complete replacement stem that I bought on sale somewhere not knowing if I would ever need it. Glad I bought it.

View attachment 1928860

The guide bushing would not thread into die body because of damage to threads of guide bushing. I used an exact knife and tiny file to clean the threads up a bit. Now the guide bushing threads right in with finger pressure. I would say this die set was worth the $5 price tag.


These are after pics, threads were much worse before cleaning them up.

 

[gmerkt]

I'm wondering if one of those .30 ruptured case extractors would work. They pull on the mouth of the case, don't need a case head to grip. They came in two types that I've seen, the one for bolt action rifles that hooks on the extractor, and the kind made for M1 Rifles, with a kind of lever on it. The one for bolt action rifles would be best, because it would engage the shell holder. If it has enough reach to get up into the die body.

I've got one of each of these but I've never had to use them.

 

[arakboss]

It's funny that all these years I was dreading the event of a stuck case. Now I am actually looking forward to it.

I wonder how many sizing dies are out there with stuck cases in them, probably mangled from failed attempts at removal.

Dies have become so cheap these days they are almost disposable.

 

[gmerkt]

It's funny that all these years I was dreading the event of a stuck case. Now I am actually looking forward to it.

In the decades that I've been reloading, I've never stuck a case in a sizing die. I've started a dry case into a die a time or to, but the noticeable increase in friction caused me to stop right away.

Way back (over 14 years ago), it was stated that this matter concerned a "nice, new set of RCBS dies" which made me think it was a newbie error.

 

[orygun]

In the decades that I've been reloading, I've never stuck a case in a sizing die. I've started a dry case into a die a time or to, but the noticeable increase in friction caused me to stop right away.

Way back (over 14 years ago), it was stated that this matter concerned a "nice, new set of RCBS dies" which made me think it was a newbie error.

I was far from a newbie when I made the mad dash to Fisherman's for a stuck case remover. I'd reloaded bottle neck rifle ammo for quite a while.

However it was a new set of RCBS dies... 30-06 Improved 40 degree, they said. The only die I've ever stuck a case in, and I've had more than one with that die. It's one of the reasons I'm goin back to neck sizing for that rifle, unless I can't close the bolt on a round!

 

[gmerkt]

I'm wondering if one of those .30 ruptured case extractors would work. They pull on the mouth of the case, don't need a case head to grip. They came in two types that I've seen, the one for bolt action rifles that hooks on the extractor, and the kind made for M1 Rifles, with a kind of lever on it. The one for bolt action rifles would be best, because it would engage the shell holder. If it has enough reach to get up into the die body.

Quoting myself.

Without having a stuck case with broken off head to experiment with, I decided to see if the ruptured case extractors would work. Mind you, what I have was designed to be used on .30-06 cases. It might also work on .308 Win. In the picture below, the upper tool is for use with the M1 Rifle. That one, you brace the butt end against the forward edge of the receiver heel and pry it out.

The lower one was designed for bolt action service rifles. The rear end of the tool is designed in the shape of a cartridge case head, and extracts using the rifle bolt. This is the one that might work as a stuck case extractor from a resizing die. The mandrel is threaded, and adjusts as to length. There is plenty of depth to reach the edge on the mouth of a cartridge case stuck in a die.

The question in my mind is, how stuck is stuck? Meaning, is a dry case jammed in a sizing die a tougher nut to crack than a ruptured case stuck in a rifle chamber? I'm thinking the ruptured case in a rifle chamber isn't as tight as a dry case in a sizing die.