broken case

[berrde]

hi,
i was resizing some .223 cases, i inspected all the cases first, then set up the die, lubed the cases, resized about 12 cases, then a case broke as i was withdrawing it from the die, about 2/3 of the case is still in the die, these were once fired factory loads, i have reloaded about 5 boxes of 50 rounds each with no problems, now i have a die with a broken case inside, what can i do

[300 H&H]

berrde,

Do you have a machine shop near you? Some one with a metal turning lathe? One approach would be to remove the neck sizing ball and decaping pin, and the center threaded rod that holds them. Once you have the "guts" taken out, the die can be chucked in a turning lathe, with the case side out. A tap die set can now be used to thread the inside of the case, with the tap that is just big enough to thread the brass without gettting into the walls of the die. Remove it from the lathe and turn a bolt into your new threads. Now you can take a punch down through the top of the die to strike the bolt, removing the broken case. I hope I have described this so that you can see wht I mean. Good luck, Kirk

[Alpo]

I would send it to the manufacturer, and ask for their help. Well, actually, I'd ask them first, before sending it. They might charge you something (but it would probably be less than getting something done at a machine shop), and the bonus would be if they damaged your die, they would probably replace it.

[olehippy]

I completely agree with Alpo. Having dealt with both Lee and RCBS customer service they always have bent over backwards to be supportive, in all likelihood it will only cost you postal charges for sending the die back to them. And, you know the die has been repaired to original specs. If there any updates, improvements ect on it, those will be included.

Miles

[Bindernut]

One of these tools should be a part of your reloading kit. If you're handy & have the tools, you cam make your own too.
RCBS or Redding stuck case removal tool.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/prod_det...-Case-Removers
Either of these two will get most of those stuck cases out...as long as the head is still attached.

As I understand the original post though, the entire head popped off inside berde's die.
You could try one of those claw-type shell extractors listed on the page I linked but those are mainly designed for use in the rifle chamber and I'm not sure how they'd work out if used on a case in a reloading die.
I suspect they would work better than trying to tap into a case if there is no head (web) to drill into since there isn't much brass to work with and you wouldn't be able to get much thread engagement without cutting through the casing...if the shell is stuck good, you'd probably strip out the threads you cut into the brass.


I've never had a head separation in the reloading die so I don't have firsthand experience, but I think Alpo might have the best suggestion of contacting the manufacturer.

[berrde]

I returned the die to RCBS and they replied that they could not repair it, I would have to purchase a new die

[johnlives4christ]

if you could take the guns out, why couldnt you use a broken shell extractor, shove it up into the casing and tap it out with a punch and hammer from the other end

or try this. sand the inside of the casing with some 180 or something on the end of a stick. then use some jb weld to glue a stick or something else inside the casing. take some grease and brush it gently onto any area's of the sizing die you dont want epoxy to stick, once it has dried a day or two give it few good taps.

[JLA]

broken shell extractor should work, if not Johns JB weld idea might.

[olehippy]

RCBS’s response was disappointing to me, I’m surprised and disappointed. Of course there might be damage to the die we don’t know about, but I’m a little shocked that, even for fee, they didnt offer to remove the broken brass.

But, at this point you don’t have anything to loose! I’ve never compared the cost of a broken shell extractor to replacing the die, but looks like your next step.

Miles

[Alpo]

Originally Posted by olehippy

RCBS’s response was disappointing to me, I’m surprised and disappointed. Of course there might be damage to the die we don’t know about, but I’m a little shocked that, even for fee, they didnt offer to remove the broken brass.

But, at this point you don’t have anything to loose! I’ve never compared the cost of a broken shell extractor to replacing the die, but looks like your next step.

Miles

Kinda was to me, too. So I wrote 'em and asked about it. Response I got this evening.

>Hi Ron:
Unfortunately, when we receive cases that have no case head, we have no way of removing the stuck case. Case head separation is usually detectable prior to sizing if your cases are properly inspected. We recommend that you inspect all your cases prior to sizing and not use any cases that have detectable case head separation or any cases that are questionable. Also, once you have a stuck case we can remove it if you send it to us. If you try to remove it yourself and cause damage to the case we have no way to remove it. This also voids the
warranty. Let us know if you have any other questions. Have a great day!<

I guess that first sentence covers it.

[JLA]

where theres a will theres a way! Those peckerheads just dont wanna invest the man hours into taking care of thier customers oh well...