Thread: Resizing brass vertical marks on neck

Hi guys,

Have started reloading my 308 and for some reason there is vertical marks on the neck of the case being left. These are extremely light and most of it has even tumbled off, the bottom mark is barely felt with a fingernail. I'm using case lube and is lapia brass with RCBS dies

Is the brass fine to use? The fact it's symmetrical lines suggests it's not grit etc in die body?

Id say its fine to use but I would want to find out why/how it is being caused and try to stop it.

Has the brass previously been crimped?

Is it a collet neck die?

Following this, I have recently come across this problem when reloading my 222 using a lee collet die.
I haven't fired any rounds yet.

If its a bushing die take the bushing out and inspect it for galling (bits of brass stuck to it) if there is they need to be polished off.

When pulling the brass back out ... is it tighter than usual?

What I am wondering is if the expander ball is set too high so that the brass is being squeezed between the two... ?

I am only guessing, but will also like to understand why it is happening.

Have just tried it without the expander in it at all and it's actually worse than with it in.

When pulling the brass back its not tight at all, just normal as such.

Not a bushing die, just a standard Sizing die

Dies are clean and have a mirror finish as such, no marks on them.
Brass was new, but have tried on once fired PMC brass and is occurring on that aswell

Zooming in on the photo it looks like it must be imperfections in the die, definitely looks like its burrs or something near the base of the neck section scraping brass down the neck

Could you be picking up dirt on the lube some how?

Polish the die with some 1000 grit wet dry.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Is it definitely happening in the die?
It has that H&K semi chamber look about it.

Yea 100% happening in the die, brand new brass and tried once fired. Will polish it tonight with 1000grit. As it seems so consistent and on the cases i dont think its a lube related issue, some of the marks are very light, as mentioned most even came off in the tumbler.

Will load some up tonight aswell and start load development, hopefully by time they all go through the resize die the problem has been rectified.

Greetings Southerner223,
Looks like a die problem to me. Try a different die. Are you cleaning the outside of the cases, especially the necks, before you size. If not this could be you problem. I polish mine with steel wool and then a Chux to get them clean. Any grit is the enemy of dies. The marks form the H@K chambers go down past the shoulder.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Lost In The Hill

Following this, I have recently come across this problem when reloading my 222 using a lee collet die.
I haven't fired any rounds yet.

Lee collet dies do this, it's part of how they work. You will always have these vertical marks because they are a crush die. Nothing to worry about at all.

Hi all,

I had cleaned all the cases and were also new, but i did ensure they were clean. After i noticed it i did pull the die to bits and its a very nice finish on the inside, no markings or anything.

Being so consistent around the neck it could be the edge between the shoulder and neck being rough?

Im trying to avoid buying new dies due to cost but if thats what it takes ill go down that road,

Originally Posted by Southerner223

Hi all,

I had cleaned all the cases and were also new, but i did ensure they were clean. After i noticed it i did pull the die to bits and its a very nice finish on the inside, no markings or anything.

Being so consistent around the neck it could be the edge between the shoulder and neck being rough?

Im trying to avoid buying new dies due to cost but if thats what it takes ill go down that road,

That's what I am thinking.

Could you wrap a bit of rag around something and put in a drill with some autosol or similar on it to polish that corner in the die ?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

That's what I am thinking.

Could you wrap a bit of rag around something and put in a drill with some autosol or similar on it to polish that corner in the die ?

Yea ill get a piece of dowel/ cut the handle shorter on mrs wooden spoon and a rag with autosol on it in the drill and try polish on that corner. Is possibly a minute build up/and or a burr right on that edge. Being so minute i dont see it taking much. THe pictured case was one of the worst, some of them is hardly noticable, hence me asking if this was normal in some examples