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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?
Attachment 162889
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7mmwsm
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lost In The Hill
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southerner223
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 examplesQuote:
Originally Posted by veitnamcam
Let us know how it goes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Southerner223
Sticking a cotton bud down the top of the die and working it around the neck area should show if there are any rough areas.
I've had this before, I can't remember which calibre..think it was 7mm08. Most of my die sets are RCBS. It annoyed the hell of me but no effect on brass life or accuracy as I would remember that.
Had done that to clean it and then a torch up it both ends with cotton off the bud so a plastic stick to even feel for ridges, I'm almost certain its on the first face/ridge/edge where its marking itQuote:
Originally Posted by Cigar
Yea this is RCBS as are all my dies, is annoying me as theres certain things i like to be tidy and mint and reloading is one thing i take great care in. Ill use these ones and then when they get resized after first firing hopefully my wooden spoon polish has done the jobQuote:
Originally Posted by Tikka7mm08
I wouldn't worry about it, happens with some dies, and not others, its negligible and purely cosmetic. Load some up, go shoot some shit, problem gone.
Greetings Again,Quote:
Originally Posted by Southerner223
I think that you are right about the problem being roughness on the neck shoulder junction. I think I can see a little ridge of brass at the lower end of the mark and a bright spot on the case mouth at the start. Your local sports shop should be able to point you at someone who has the right dies to check, or local NZDA or shooting clubs. The wooden spoon might just crack it though. I'm a bit OCD on handloading and would be unable to rest until I found and corrected the problem either.
Regards Grandpamac.
PS. Try chamfering the inside of the case neck before sizing as well,
Any updates?
Agreed. Lee dies are hard on the brass it seems to meQuote:
Originally Posted by Mathias
