GB
Member
I have been reloading for about 50 years.
This makes me "experienced". it does not make me an "expert"! This fact was brought to the forefront again today as I was working at the bench, resizing mixed headstamp 223/5.56 cases. I, like most serious reloading "loonies", pick up range brass and eventually sort and process that brass. As I reached the bottom of the can, maybe 5 or six cases left, I ran a case through my, 1976 dated, RCBS 223 dies (I have several sets of 223 dies, neck sizers and dies set to load match cases and sets set up to load for my heavy barreled Savage and HB 700 Rem.) and as I examined the case after removal I noticed that there were scratches on the case from contamination. (probably fine sand, as much of the brass I prick up comes from non formal range shooting spots on the desert) I removed the die and while making comments that will not be repeated here, cleaned the dies and reinserted the die into the press. Sized another case and checked it. Rats! still showing scratches! This is not my first experience with damaged dies. I have scratched several carbide 38/357 dies (again from contaminated/dirty cases. Yes, carbide dies can be damaged! At one time I had three or 4 damaged dies that I have damaged myself or picked up on the cheap from people who had done the same thing and just bought another set because they were told there was no way to fix them.)
Several years ago I had an epiphany. I stumbled onto a way to repair the damaged dies, at home, with just the tools that the average person would have in the shop or garage. I took some jeweler's rouge and mixed it with some CLP and made a soupy paste. I applied this to a worn and dirty bore mop, chucked it into a drill(I used a small drill press but you could do it with a hand drill also) and inserted the mop into the die, from the bottom and polished the inside of the die. Removed and cleaned the inside and tried the die on another case. Waalaa, scratches gone! I got the aforementioned 223 die on the first try but carbide dies usually take more than one application as the carbide is so much harder but it does work.
I am sure that to the many experience reloaders, this tip is old news(or they have found an even better way, Please feel free to let us all know) but maybe it will help out some of the folks that are new to the hobby. And the problem wouldn't have happened if I had washed the cases (as I usually do) instead of being lazy.
This makes me "experienced". it does not make me an "expert"! This fact was brought to the forefront again today as I was working at the bench, resizing mixed headstamp 223/5.56 cases. I, like most serious reloading "loonies", pick up range brass and eventually sort and process that brass. As I reached the bottom of the can, maybe 5 or six cases left, I ran a case through my, 1976 dated, RCBS 223 dies (I have several sets of 223 dies, neck sizers and dies set to load match cases and sets set up to load for my heavy barreled Savage and HB 700 Rem.) and as I examined the case after removal I noticed that there were scratches on the case from contamination. (probably fine sand, as much of the brass I prick up comes from non formal range shooting spots on the desert) I removed the die and while making comments that will not be repeated here, cleaned the dies and reinserted the die into the press. Sized another case and checked it. Rats! still showing scratches! This is not my first experience with damaged dies. I have scratched several carbide 38/357 dies (again from contaminated/dirty cases. Yes, carbide dies can be damaged! At one time I had three or 4 damaged dies that I have damaged myself or picked up on the cheap from people who had done the same thing and just bought another set because they were told there was no way to fix them.)
Several years ago I had an epiphany. I stumbled onto a way to repair the damaged dies, at home, with just the tools that the average person would have in the shop or garage. I took some jeweler's rouge and mixed it with some CLP and made a soupy paste. I applied this to a worn and dirty bore mop, chucked it into a drill(I used a small drill press but you could do it with a hand drill also) and inserted the mop into the die, from the bottom and polished the inside of the die. Removed and cleaned the inside and tried the die on another case. Waalaa, scratches gone! I got the aforementioned 223 die on the first try but carbide dies usually take more than one application as the carbide is so much harder but it does work.
I am sure that to the many experience reloaders, this tip is old news(or they have found an even better way, Please feel free to let us all know) but maybe it will help out some of the folks that are new to the hobby. And the problem wouldn't have happened if I had washed the cases (as I usually do) instead of being lazy.
THANKS!! Brings to mind, some years ago when I was getting a LOT of brass from the H&K range a few miles away. At one point I scratched a 45ACP carbide die. All brass had been cleaned so the only conclusion I could come to was the primers that had not been removed- 
since that time I recap ALL brass before cleaning, & polishing. No, media in the flash hole is not a problem as it is removed when brass is resized. 
THANKS AGAIN!!
