Need Help - The Firearms Forum

springerbuster · 09-11-2009, 12:09 AM

I am new to reloading and have a question on resizing. I have just set up my new Hornady LNL press and have ran about 1000 rds of once fired 223 brass through my full length resizing die. Before priming or charging I thought I would try to chamber them in my AR15. They seem to chamber rather hard and do not want to eject. I have a hard time getting them to extract. The factory ammo that I have chambers normally. I should add that I also trimmed the cases to 1.745 inches so I know that they are not to long. I then took 10 rds and ran them through the sizing die for a second time and they seem to chamber fine. My question is, is this normal? Shouldn't one time through the sizing die be enough? I should also add that the brass was originally fired in the same gun. Any help would be appreciated.

gdmoody · 09-11-2009, 12:24 AM

springerbuster, welcome to the forum, hope you stick around.

I will say this and I don't know if it would matter (but it might) the TRIM TO length for .223 service rifle (AR 15) is 1.750 so they may actually be too short for the extractor to grab them when chambered without a bullet.

NO, you do not have to run them through the resizer twice. It is possible that when you resized them the second time, it stretched the neck just enough for the extractor to get grab them the second time you tried.

This is just my opinion on the reason, but I am sure someone will come along and be able to give you a good answer.

springerbuster · 09-11-2009, 12:37 AM

Thanks gmoody for the reply. I should add that before I trimmed the cases I had the same problem ( I thought my problem may be that they were to long). The cases seem to fit to tight in the chamber. The ejector grabs hold of the case okay but you have to pull real hard to get it to eject.

gdmoody · 09-11-2009, 01:13 AM

I do not know what might be causing it, I would advise you to completely load a couple of rounds and try them. It might have something to do with the empty case in the chamber???????? Just be sure to follow the recipe in your reloading manual for weight of powder and so forth and be careful.

Hammerslagger · 09-11-2009, 11:53 AM

I believe that the .223 REM. (5.56 NATO) like most bottleneck rimless cartridges headspaces on a datum point on the shoulder, not the case mouth

You may have your resizing die end too close to (or actually hitting) the shell holder. In which case you may be "setting the shoulder back" creating an excess headspace situation. There are finished ammo gage dies available from places like Midway.

Alpo · 09-11-2009, 12:58 PM

Y'know, every set of die set-up instructions I have (rifle or pistol, straight case or bottleneck), from Lyman, Lee, Hornady, Pacific and RCBS, say to screw the sizing die down until it bottoms out on the shell holder, and then to screw it down 1/8 to 1/4 turn more, to take the slack out of the linkage.

If anything, you might not have it screwed down far enough, and are not moving the shoulder back far enough to chamber.

Or, possibly, you have it screwed down far enough, but on your first run-through you did not run the ram all the way up. Maybe you stopped just shy of a full stroke, because of the force needed to size, and when you ran them up the second time, since they were 99% resized, there was very little force needed, and you ran them completely into the die that time.

If this is your first time reloading, you might not have realized the amount of force needed to size brass, and stopped before you had a full stroke.

If the sizing die is screwed down as far as it will go, and it is moving the shoulder back too far, you have defective dies.

Hammerslagger · 09-11-2009, 01:26 PM

Alpo makes a valid point. I picked up on the extractor not engaging the rim.

Lee packages and sells a water soluble wax sizing lubricant in a toothpaste size tube. It is the material commonly used in industrial brass drawing operations. A little goes a long way. It seems to reduce brass friction with steel like magic. Most gun shops that sell reloading supplies sell it. Get some.

springerbuster · 09-11-2009, 07:19 PM

Thanks for all of your replies. I will try all of the different options you guys have given me and hopefully have a solution. Thanks again for your help.

springerbuster · 09-11-2009, 09:59 PM

Problem solved. I thought I had the sizer die down far enough, decided to try screwing it down a little farther and the brass chambers and ejects like it should. Next step, figuring out how to charge the cases. Thanks for all of your advice.

gdmoody · 09-11-2009, 11:55 PM

springer, Do you have a scale to weigh the powder charges?

springerbuster · 09-12-2009, 01:43 AM

Yes I do, gdmoody. I purchased an electronic scale at the same time that I bought the press. Since I haven't charged any cases yet I have not used it. Tomorrow I plan to set the powder drop up and try to complete some rounds.

gdmoody · 09-12-2009, 01:38 PM

Good luck, have fun, but most of all just be careful. Even though reloading is not rocket since, in some ways that is exactly what it is.

312shooter · 03-08-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by springerbuster

Problem solved. I thought I had the sizer die down far enough, decided to try screwing it down a little farther and the brass chambers and ejects like it should. Next step, figuring out how to charge the cases. Thanks for all of your advice.

Yep, the LNL is a bit more involved when setting the sizing die in station one, it can be decieving when raising the shell plated fully and looking inside the surface of the plate and bottom of the die. And some dies like Lee and RCBS have less than 1/2 thread remaining on the die body when you get it far enough down to resized the shoulder correctly. I think this the Hornady "gotchya" comes into play, however Lyman dies have enough threads to work well with the LNL.

BTW were in The H-E double toothpicks are all these spammers coming from......lets punt these guys!!!

09-11-2009, 12:09 AM	#1
springerbuster V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southwest Washington Posts: 154	Need Help I am new to reloading and have a question on resizing. I have just set up my new Hornady LNL press and have ran about 1000 rds of once fired 223 brass through my full length resizing die. Before priming or charging I thought I would try to chamber them in my AR15. They seem to chamber rather hard and do not want to eject. I have a hard time getting them to extract. The factory ammo that I have chambers normally. I should add that I also trimmed the cases to 1.745 inches so I know that they are not to long. I then took 10 rds and ran them through the sizing die for a second time and they seem to chamber fine. My question is, is this normal? Shouldn't one time through the sizing die be enough? I should also add that the brass was originally fired in the same gun. Any help would be appreciated. -->

09-11-2009, 12:24 AM	#2
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,362	Re: Need Help springerbuster, welcome to the forum, hope you stick around. I will say this and I don't know if it would matter (but it might) the TRIM TO length for .223 service rifle (AR 15) is 1.750 so they may actually be too short for the extractor to grab them when chambered without a bullet. NO, you do not have to run them through the resizer twice. It is possible that when you resized them the second time, it stretched the neck just enough for the extractor to get grab them the second time you tried. This is just my opinion on the reason, but I am sure someone will come along and be able to give you a good answer. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant) Last edited by gdmoody; 09-11-2009 at 12:26 AM..

09-11-2009, 12:37 AM	#3
springerbuster V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southwest Washington Posts: 154	Re: Need Help Thanks gmoody for the reply. I should add that before I trimmed the cases I had the same problem ( I thought my problem may be that they were to long). The cases seem to fit to tight in the chamber. The ejector grabs hold of the case okay but you have to pull real hard to get it to eject.

09-11-2009, 01:13 AM	#4
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,362	Re: Need Help I do not know what might be causing it, I would advise you to completely load a couple of rounds and try them. It might have something to do with the empty case in the chamber???????? Just be sure to follow the recipe in your reloading manual for weight of powder and so forth and be careful. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

09-11-2009, 11:53 AM	#5
Hammerslagger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,099	Re: Need Help I believe that the .223 REM. (5.56 NATO) like most bottleneck rimless cartridges headspaces on a datum point on the shoulder, not the case mouth You may have your resizing die end too close to (or actually hitting) the shell holder. In which case you may be "setting the shoulder back" creating an excess headspace situation. There are finished ammo gage dies available from places like Midway.

09-11-2009, 12:58 PM	#6
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,667	Re: Need Help Y'know, every set of die set-up instructions I have (rifle or pistol, straight case or bottleneck), from Lyman, Lee, Hornady, Pacific and RCBS, say to screw the sizing die down until it bottoms out on the shell holder, and then to screw it down 1/8 to 1/4 turn more, to take the slack out of the linkage. If anything, you might not have it screwed down far enough, and are not moving the shoulder back far enough to chamber. Or, possibly, you have it screwed down far enough, but on your first run-through you did not run the ram all the way up. Maybe you stopped just shy of a full stroke, because of the force needed to size, and when you ran them up the second time, since they were 99% resized, there was very little force needed, and you ran them completely into the die that time. If this is your first time reloading, you might not have realized the amount of force needed to size brass, and stopped before you had a full stroke. If the sizing die is screwed down as far as it will go, and it is moving the shoulder back too far, you have defective dies. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

09-11-2009, 01:26 PM	#7
Hammerslagger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,099	Re: Need Help Alpo makes a valid point. I picked up on the extractor not engaging the rim. Lee packages and sells a water soluble wax sizing lubricant in a toothpaste size tube. It is the material commonly used in industrial brass drawing operations. A little goes a long way. It seems to reduce brass friction with steel like magic. Most gun shops that sell reloading supplies sell it. Get some.

09-11-2009, 07:19 PM	#8
springerbuster V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southwest Washington Posts: 154	Re: Need Help Thanks for all of your replies. I will try all of the different options you guys have given me and hopefully have a solution. Thanks again for your help.

09-11-2009, 09:59 PM	#9
springerbuster V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southwest Washington Posts: 154	Re: Need Help Problem solved. I thought I had the sizer die down far enough, decided to try screwing it down a little farther and the brass chambers and ejects like it should. Next step, figuring out how to charge the cases. Thanks for all of your advice. __________________ The second amendment was put there to protect all of the other amendments

09-11-2009, 11:55 PM	#10
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,362	Re: Need Help springer, Do you have a scale to weigh the powder charges? __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

09-12-2009, 01:43 AM	#11
springerbuster V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southwest Washington Posts: 154	Re: Need Help Yes I do, gdmoody. I purchased an electronic scale at the same time that I bought the press. Since I haven't charged any cases yet I have not used it. Tomorrow I plan to set the powder drop up and try to complete some rounds. __________________ The second amendment was put there to protect all of the other amendments

09-12-2009, 01:38 PM	#12
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,362	Re: Need Help Good luck, have fun, but most of all just be careful. Even though reloading is not rocket since, in some ways that is exactly what it is. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)