A first time for everything

[DWalt]

I have been reloading since the early 1960s, but tonight something happened to me for the very first time. Last week I found several hundred fired 6.5x55 (Swede) cases I had not seen for years. I realized that I had not fired any of my 6.5 rifles (I have 3 of them) for more than ten years, so I decided to load the cases up for the next trip to my range. No shortage of 6.5 bullets, I have in the neighborhood of 2000 of them in various weights. Many years ago I was a bench rest shooter and used a custom 6.5x55 Mauser with a Douglas barrel, and did fairly well with it. I quit BR shooting about 25 years ago and sold that rifle. But I digress. While I was FL resizing the 6.5 brass, one of the cases separated leaving most of the case body stuck inside the die and the base in the shell holder, an event I have never previously experienced. After a moment of panic, I thought about it a little. Fortunately, my die set was an RCBS (most of my dies are) which allows the decapping pin assembly to be completely removed, either out the bottom or out the top, whichever way is appropriate, in this case, out the bottom. Looking down the hole in the top, I could see the case mouth, and it occurred to me that I might be able to knock out the case by making up a punch the exact diameter of the OD of a resized case neck. I had a large number of cases I had already resized, and I measured the diameter of a few necks with a micrometer, finding them to be around 0.293". So I went to my lathe and turned part of a 3/8" steel rod down to a diameter of 0.293". I stuck it in the top of the die to contact the case mouth and gave it a tap with a small hammer, and the case popped right out. That probably won't work with many brands of dies, but if you have any RCBS dies and get a case separation (or a stuck case), that is an easy fix, eliminating the need to send the die body back to RCBS for case removal. That is, if you have a lathe or access to one. I know RCBS used to provide that service free (except for the postage) and maybe they still do. Just how they do it, I do not know, but I suspect it was the same way I did it. Three cheers for the RCBS design.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Case head separation is very common in reloading 303 British shot in SMLE's long chambers. In WWI & WWII every soldier of "The Empire" was issued a stuck case remover. The American 30-06 remover, works well on 303 too. I also started carrying a large straight slot screw driver and would remove the bolt and just shove it in the 303 case, give a good firm 1/4 twist and it would come right ought.

I have dies from several manufacturers, and they all fall in the two types of die design: Remove the decapping rod from top or the bottom! So I own stuck case removers in both styles (I think RCBS refers to them as "I" & "II") and between the two of them, they work on every brand! But only if you actually read and follow the directions!

The worst cases to remove, are where there wasn't enough case lube. and the head separated! On these I have had to use a tap for various sized bolts and just thread them in the bottom and then gently drive them out from top. I'll keep this new "Punch" method in mind!

Thanks for sharing this idea!

Ivan

 

[Engineer1911]

This technique works for bottle neck cases. For a straight wall case that separates, .357, 44, 45-70, you need Plan B. Plan B ? ? ? ?

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I have dealt with case head separations and stuck cases several times. Always used a tap wrench and tap of appropriate size to engage the brass case, give it a twist and what is left of the case comes right out.

I have been fortunate in never having a case separation in a rifle chamber. I have a stuck case removal tool for the Trap Door Springfield rifles, but I think I would take everything else to a good gunsmith. I remember seeing the tools advertised regularly in American Rifleman and other magazines back in the 1970s, so I suspect that this is a fairly common occurrence.

 

[DWalt]

It didn't involve a case stuck in a reloading die, but about 15 years ago I encountered a separated 5.56mm case body stuck in an M16 chamber. I ran a threading tap into the case neck from the rear, then popped the separated case out using a cleaning rod from the muzzle. I don't remember the tap size I used, but I think it was metric. It might be difficult to find a suitable tap size to use with case necks of larger diameters.

 

[Model52guy]

I bought an Atlas 12X36 lathe about 30 years ago in an estate sale. I still find a use for it about once per week.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Very glad to read that everything worked out well for you.

I have ben very lucky and have yet to get a rifle case seperation in my dies
but I have had a .357 Magnum W-W case seperation while shooting my 686 6", which came as a surprise when I ejected the cases !!

Just what a shooter dreams for...........
"Little happenings"
Right.

Nice hear that you are blowing off the dust on some of your rifles.
I need to do the same and get off my duff and get out to the range for some fun.

 

[H Richard]

My experience was with 7X30 Waters, usually made from 30-30 cases. A "tell" of a potential case head separation is a slightly brighter ring around the case head about a 1/4" above the rim. A tool is able to be made that will confirm the potential. Using a paper clip, straighten it out, and put a 1/16" 45 degree bend in one end. File or sand the bent part to a sharp edge. To use this insert into the case neck, and use as a "feeler" on the inside about where that bright ring is. If separation is imminent you will feel a groove eaten into the case, any groove at all discard the brass.

 

[diyj98]

I have been fortunate in never having a case separation in a rifle chamber. I have a stuck case removal tool for the Trap Door Springfield rifles, but I think I would take everything else to a good gunsmith. I remember seeing the tools advertised regularly in American Rifleman and other magazines back in the 1970s, so I suspect that this is a fairly common occurrence.

I've read some say that the early problems with the trapdoor extractors pulling off the case heads may have been partially due to poor cleaning practices on the part of the solider, but either way I know the Army issues broken shell extractors in the late 1800's, so it was a real issue.

 

[DWalt]

I have never seen a purpose-made broken case extractor for a rifle, so I can only imagine what they look like. About the .303 Lee-Enfield, I had one many years ago, and had a broken case experience. I home-made an extractor and it worked the one time I needed it. I have read that something that may work is to force another fired case (bottle necked) into the chamber which will wedge into the broken case body, and you can then extract both of them. But I have haven't tried that. I imagine forcing a brass bore brush of the proper size into the broken case and pulling it might also work, at least for bolt-action rifles.

 

[DWalt]

My experience was with 7X30 Waters, usually made from 30-30 cases. A "tell" of a potential case head separation is a slightly brighter ring around the case head about a 1/4" above the rim. A tool is able to be made that will confirm the potential. Using a paper clip, straighten it out, and put a 1/16" 45 degree bend in one end. File or sand the bent part to a sharp edge. To use this insert into the case neck, and use as a "feeler" on the inside about where that bright ring is. If separation is imminent you will feel a groove eaten into the case, any groove at all discard the brass.

Been there, done that. It's generally a sign of case stretching due to excessive headspace, but it usually doesn't happen to cases which headspace on the rim. That is a good reason to neck-size only after the first firing (which fire forms it), then thereafter, the excess headspace for that specific rifle is always zero when using neck sized cases, as the neck-sized case fits the chamber precisely and cannot stretch. The other reason is that the brass lasts much longer if it is neck sized only. I have a heavy-barrel varmint rifle in .223, and I have several hundred cases I use in it exclusively which have always been neck sized only. You can neck size only using conventional dies by not running the case completely into the die, but I use a Pacific universal .22 neck size die that will work with nearly any cartridge case of .22 caliber (.222, .223, .220 Swift, .22-250, etc.)

 

[rockquarry]

Been there, done that. It's generally a sign of case stretching due to excessive headspace, but it usually doesn't happen to cases which headspace on the rim. That is a good reason to neck-size only after the first firing (which fire forms it), then thereafter, the excess headspace for that specific rifle is always zero when using neck sized cases, as the neck-sized case fits the chamber precisely and cannot stretch. The other reason is that the brass lasts much longer if it is neck sized only. I have a heavy-barrel varmint rifle in .223, and I have several hundred cases I use in it exclusively which have always been neck sized only. You can neck size only using conventional dies by not running the case completely into the die, but I use a Pacific universal .22 neck size die that will work with nearly any cartridge case of .22 caliber (.222, .223, .220 Swift, .22-250, etc.)

Good advice for longer case life and it works well for most rifle cartridges including belted magnum cases in all bolt-action rifles and in some other action types as well. Semi-autos, pumps, single shots, and some lever-actions may or may not require full-length sizing.

I use mostly bolt-actions and size just enough that a cartridge will chamber with very slight resistance. As stated already, a standard full-length sizing die works fine, just don't full-length size unless you must.

 

[cmj8591]

I imagine forcing a brass bore brush of the proper size into the broken case and pulling it might also work, at least for bolt-action rifles.

I can attest to the brass brush method. I’ve used it a few times including on a Winchester 94m, 44 mag that likes to find defective cases for me. In that case, I use a shotgun rod inserted from the muzzle. I force a 20 gage bronze brush into the receiver and attach it to the rod. Once I force it as far as I can into the chamber I tap it from the muzzle end. The bristles grab the broken case and pull it out of the chamber. It works like a charm!

 

[Nevada Ed]

I agree with just a neck resize if the case is used in a bolt action rifle.

I only full size again when the bolt needs a little force to close the bolt
which means the case is out of spec's for my chamber..........
or the pressures have finally done their thing to the brass.

 

[rockquarry]

I agree with just a neck resize if the case is used in a bolt action rifle.

I only full size again when the bolt needs a little force to close the bolt
which means the case is out of spec's for my chamber..........
or the pressures have finally done their thing to the brass.

My experience has been the same. In my New Ultra Light Arms 7x61 Sharpe & Hart Magnum, for example, I can get by with a partial resizing for about five loads, the sixth usually won't chamber without a full-length resize. These are using about maximum loads. I get similar results in other rifles. Less than maximum loads will usually prolong the need for full-length sizing.

 

[H Richard]

I also believe in neck sizing only after the first firing, but if you have several rifles in the same caliber, you have to be diligent about keeping track of your brass and which rifle it fits.

I was just out yesterday with my 22-250 Varmint rifle, checking zero, as I hadn't fired it in 3 years. There is something about that feeling you get when the bolt closes "exactly" and you have that little snug fit feeling. I did need to adjust the windage 2 clicks to the left, but elevation was dead on. Just love those custom elevation turrets by Leupold, designed exactly for your particular load.

 

[DWalt]

The only bad thing about reloading with neck sizing only is (usually) being unable to use the ammo in more than one gun of that caliber. In my .223 Varmint rifle, some of my designated cases have been reloaded easily over a dozen times each, requiring only neck sizing and occasional trimming. I don't keep track of how many times. But I have no other rifles in .223.