stuck case

[Road America]

I managed to rip a .222 case in half inside my nice Redding sizing die. The top half is stuck in there (of course). Any ideas on getting it out without wrecking the die, or should I just buy a new one.
Those cases had been fired a LOT of times (too many I guess) in my Ruger #1. I tossed the whole mess of them out now, but I was one pull of the handle too late!
Jim S.

[soundguy]

not familiar with that die.. but if it has a removeable decapper.. take that out and see if you can get a tap in there to bite into the case innards and yank it out

[Alpo]

You say you "ripped it in half". Is that true, or just annoyed writing? If you pulled the shellholder through the rim, so there is no way to get hold of the case, but the actual head of the cartridge (with the primer pocket and flash hole, etc) is still there, they make "stuck case removers", which will take that case out.

If you did, in fact, "rip it in half", so that the neck and shoulder section is stuck up there, and the bottom of the case and the head are not in the die, then I believe you are hosed, and the only solution is another sizing die.

[Road America]

yup, it's ripped in half - only the upper half is in there. The part that came out looked like a 9mm pistol case.

[soundguy]

use a point nose oring pick.. poke in there and pry up a lip an bend it up and work around. that brass sounds soft adn thin if it ripped.. you should be able to peel it out.

[Skipper]

Shoot some Kroil in there and use an oversized bronze brush to pull it out.

[soundguy]

as a last option setup an electrolysis bath.. make the die the work pice / negative.. use a 6v 2a bat charger.. use sodium carbonate as the electrolyte.. put a copper wire into the bath and hook + clamp to that as the anode... cook a bit. iron will not be harmed. but don't do this if a stainless or chromed die..

brass and aluminum and copper on the work piece will be eroded.. should flake and become brittle.

I imaging you could also drop the die in a glass of amonia for a week and damage the brass that way too.

ps.. if you take the decapper out.. do you have access to the bottlenecked top of the case? perhaps something you could slip a dowel into to tap on.. after penetrant oiling of course?

might also boil a pot of water and drop it in and fish it out and hit it with the dowell.. the die will have a different thermal propertry than the brass and shrinkage and expansion forces should help free it up ditto with a propane / butane torch with a pencil tip.. just be carefull.

go at it with the idea the die is a loss.. but use techniques that will not mar the die walls, but will degrade brass or copper or tin.. and thus soften or embrittle the case to make it easier to remove. I restore antique tractors and routinely have to remove stuck fasteners, sleaves and bushings without maring parent bore.. some similar tricks to theis

good luck

[soundguy]

2 other thoughts hit me... if you again, have access to the top bottleneck.. get a 10d or similar nail.. crush the top in a bit.. grind nail head to fit into die if needed.. push nail down thru case mouth so that head bottoms against top of crushed case.. not try to yank out the bottom some mre.

lastly.. another long shot.. take some 1/4" copper tube.. tin the top 1/4" using that pencil torch flux and tin the inside of the brass a bit. be carefull.. don't tin the die

stick pipe up in there and hit it with the heat thru the top. ideally you are soldering the pipe to the innards of the shell up near the shoulder and not anywhere near the ripepd portion and the die. now let it cool a bit and start gently work that copper pipe.. the heat and whatnot should break it free..


post back

[Hammerslagger]

Lot of interesting ideas; especially from soundguy. One of them should work.

[steve4102]

Before you go poking, prying and spraying lube in there, put it in the freezer. Let it sit until it is good and frozen, the case should come out with relatively little effort.

[soundguy]

here's another one on that idea.. soak the die in water a few minutes.. now freeze for a couple hours.. then allow to warrm up.

cap action will draw water between case and die.. then as fereezing it will expand and shrik brass.. then it will fall out once melted..

[Hammerslagger]

RoadAmerica let us know what worked for you.

P.S. There is almost a 2X difference in the thermal expansion/contraction properties of steel and cartridge brass. I would try post #10 with an oversize bronze brush, first, and #11, second; if necessary.

[ozo]

Alpo...what's up with you lately ?????
"Is that true, or just annoyed writing?"--alpo

Your sarcasm is negative and far from wit.
Please refrain if wish to slam and criticize.....
this is a family channel....geez

Newcombers here will run to somewhere else if they
see you post in this manner....it is a 'borderline' attack
in the least. Seems frequent, from you, these days.....
Disgusted....

[CCHolderinMaine]

Originally Posted by soundguy

here's another one on that idea.. soak the die in water a few minutes.. now freeze for a couple hours.. then allow to warrm up.

cap action will draw water between case and die.. then as fereezing it will expand and shrik brass.. then it will fall out once melted..

Of all, I say try this first....

[steve4102]

Did you get it out? If so, How?

[Road America]

Thanks for all the ideas and sorry for not responding sooner. I couldn't find my post - thought it was in the technical questions page. Maybe it got moved or I just forgot where I put it. I got the decapper out but the case is still stuck. I'll try the freezer trick first. I have an old Herters die I could use, but those Redding dies are real nice and I'd like to save it if I can.
Jim S.

[steve4102]

You can save it, do not do anything that will harm the die. If you can't get it out without damage to the die, send it to Redding.

[soundguy]

any results back yet?

so far plenty of non destructive ways have been posted.. hopefully one or more of them will produce positive results.

[243winxb]

The brass breaking in half (case seperation) may be from case stretch. Excessive headspace, when FL sizing.

[312shooter]

This should be a easy fix now you have the decapping rod out of the way. Take a fresh casing to a local hardware store, home depot etc and match up a dowel rod to the diameter of the case mouth. Cut a piece of dowel 10" or so place it down the inside of the die so it contacts the stuck case mouth and tap away. Maybe follow Steves idea first with some freezing and tap it out. No damage to the die should result.