.223 Reloading Difficulty

OneQuikSix · April 3, 2009, 07:35 AM

Good morning,

Last night I attempted to reload some .223 remington cases using a new set of Lee Pacesetter (3-die set) dies. I was using previously-fired brass of various manufacturers and ran into two problems. First, it was extremely difficult to prime the resized cases which makes me wonder if I picked up some military brass. After I primed several of these tough cases, the primers look flattened (almost damaged actually). Second, after resizing many of the cases, I found they would not chamber properly in my AR-15. Once chambered, the rounds were extremely difficult to extract. Many times, I had to pry open the rifle's action with a small screwdriver.

For some reason, every piece of brass with the "FNM 1-75" headstamp presented both symptoms. The weird part is I resized all cases with ease (including other brands which worked fine). I also verified the case lengths were within Saami specifications posted in several reloading manuals. I'm wondering if I have a defective resizing die or possibly overly tight chamber tolerances in my AR-15.

Once I isolated the FNM brass from the rest, I assembled 20 rounds using brass from other manufacturers. Of these 20, three rounds exhibited the same problem of becoming stuck in the chamber. All three of these stuck cases were from different manufacturers.

On a separate note, all brass cycled fine in my 1976 Ruger Mini-14. This situation has me perplexed and caused me to lose at least a few hours of sleep last night. If anyone would like to offer some insight, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks.

Tuzo · April 3, 2009, 10:41 AM

Check these items for proper function:

Remove the military primer crimp and clean the primer cup before setting new primers.

Check with a micrometer or decent caliper case dimensions after resizing.

Are cases being full-length sized or neck-sized. Semi-auto fired .223 must be full-length or small-base sized for proper fit and function.

If you are full-length sizing according to Lee's instructions and still having problems you may have a defective sizing die.

Check cartridge overall length (COAL) for recommended length.

Tuzo · April 3, 2009, 11:00 AM

Check your chamber - it may simply be fouled with dirt or soot. Worst case is an imprperly sized chamber.

For all my full-length (for Mini-14) and neck-sized (Savage bolt action) .223 cases I pass them through an LE Wilson case gauge. The gauge has caught about 5 improperly sized cases out of a few hundred.

Scorch · April 3, 2009, 12:14 PM

If you are going to buy and use brass fired in military weapons, you will run into these issues unless you remove the primer crimp and full-length resize to set the shoulder back to the correct place. A chamber guade would be a great tool to add to your reloading bench.

OneQuikSix · April 3, 2009, 12:26 PM

Thanks for the replies. I see the crimp removal being an inevitable part of reloading brass in this caliber due to the main supply being old military stuff. As far as the sizing operation, the Lee die is a full length one that I've adjusted as far down as my shellholder (on my single-stage) and shellplate (on my progressive press) will allow me. I've been reading about different case gauges all morning and think this is probably the best route to go. Then based on the results, look at a different full-length sizing die to get the job done. I'll post an update when I receive my case gauge. Thanks again.

**Unclenick** · April 3, 2009, 02:40 PM

A couple of things to try in resizing. Re-lube the tight cases and run them up into the sizing die and count to five, lower the press ram and count to five again, then raise the ram and count to five a second time. This usually knocks a couple more thousandths off a military case shoulder length.

If that doesn't do it, note that most shell holders have the case slot cut a little taller than it actually needs to be to slip a case in and out. If you have a stubbornly tight case, take the decapping pin out of the sizing die. Put the fat case in the shell holder and slip a 5 thousandths automotive feeler gage into the shell holder slot under the case head. That will get you that much additional shoulder setback, which should settle the problem. You'll then need to put the decapper back in and run the case through again without the feeler gage so the expander can adjust the case mouth ID. You can sometimes even fit a 0.010" gage in, but you really don't want to creat that much additional excess headspace, as it shortens case life. Just use the minimum needed to fire the cases once in your gun.

Once that's been done, the normal sizing die setup is likely to work just fine for you. The problem here is that the amount of shoulder setback being asked for is greater than would be the case if these cartridges had been fired in your chamber originally. All brass has some elasticity, so the longer it is when you run them into the sizer, the longer it tends to be coming out, up to a point. In sizing LC .30-06 fired by a large number of different Garands, I noticed about 0.005" variance in shoulder setback coming out of the sizing die the first time. That's when I figured out the run-back-in and rest it method. A lot of people also but a separate small base die, only to discover they only need it the first time they size once-fired brass, but that a regular sizing die works fine for the same brass thereafter.

One way around the extra work is to buy your once-fired brass from Scharch Manufacturing (Top Brass brand). Their's is processed. That is, cleaned, sized, and the crimp removed. Others may offer that service, but I am only familiar with this outfit.

Tuzo · April 3, 2009, 02:43 PM

Three .223 sizing dies sit in my inventory of reloading stuff. One each RCBS die for full-length and and neck-sizing plus a Lee collet die for neck sizing that I have yet to use.

My press is a single RCBS Rock Chucker that I adjust to cam over for sizing. I am not familar with Lee presses and do not know if cam over is specified. Cam over means adjusting the die until it touches the shell holder and adding 1/8 to 1/4 more turns so that the press mechanism has resistance when the shell holder touches the die base plus a little more until full handle travel.

For military crimp removal a simple and readily available hand held cutter is all I use. For removing crimp from many, many, many cases a powered cutter is available. Once the crimp is removed it is gone for good.

Have fun.

Alleykat · April 4, 2009, 08:48 AM

Clearly two different issues here. One is easy; just remove the crimp. Two is also easy. Per Tuzo, just screw the sizing die down a little more. I'm reloading on a Dillon 650, and I have to "cam over" the sizing die, in order to get proper headspace. I'm using a Wilson case gage for setting up the sizing die.

When I was loading on a Lee Loadmaster, I found that the design of the press/shellplate precluding my proper bumping of the .223 brass, in order to get proper headspace, using Lee dies.

I use the RCBS X die now, for .223 reloading, but have loaded several thousand rounds using a Lee sizing die.

FM12 · April 4, 2009, 10:22 AM

Reloading brass shot in another rifle can pose problems. A Small Base die (sizes the case a little more than a full length die, made by RCBS) may be your salvation, even though some say they are not needed. Mil spec chambers may be a little "larger" than standard. Also, 5.56 cases (Nato specs) and .223 (SAMMI specs) are not always the same, even though they are SOMETIMES interchangable. See if you can borrow a small base die to see if it might correct your problem.

**Unclenick** · April 4, 2009, 10:45 AM

Actually "cam over" refers the press linkage mechanics. Most are compound mechanisms with a linkage that has a fixed pivot on the press body and a moving one on the press handle. The other handle pivot is at the bottom of the ram. When you get the press handle near the bottom of the stroke, the linkages line up such that the handle pivot on the bottom of the ram is camming up at its maximum and the ram is pushed up as high as it can go. Pushing the handle beyond that point sees the ram start back down slightly. That is crossing over the point of maximum camming action, or camming over. When the handle is pushed beyond that maximum, the press is said to be in cam over position.

As the ram movement approaches zero at the maximum camming height, the mechanical advantage of the linkage approaches infinity and achieves the maximum upward pressure the press can apply. It is so much mechanical advantage that even if the die is tightened down further than will fit, it will stretch the press frame rather than stop the handle from moving. It makes for some stress and occasionally is known to break a press, though they are made to withstand it if you don't screw the die in too far past touching down on the shell holder.

The Lee presses I have do not cam over. The Challenger, for example, has the linkage pivot on the frame forward of alignment with the ram so maximum camming is not straight up into the ram and the handle linkage stops the movement of the handle before it gets to that maximum camming point. The Classic cast press has the linkage pivot in line with the ram, but it also has stops cast into the linkinge to prevent the cam from quite reaching that bottom dead center point where the ram and linkage would all line up. Both presses still have plenty of mechanical advantage to stretch the press frame elastically against a die turned past touchdown on the shell holder, but Lee apparently decided they could prevent unnecessary frame breakage by guys who screw the dies in too far past that point if they stopped the handles short of maximum camming. I know one big guy on another forum reported he broke two RCBS Rockchucker frame castings that way. He posted the pictures to prove it. I forget what didn't work that he thought he had to push that hard? The Lee Classic Cast would be almost impossible to break the way it is configured.

dlb435 · April 4, 2009, 01:07 PM

I'll second what FM12 said. The small base dies did the trick for me. No more chambering problems.
You can clean the primer pocket with any good primer pocket tool. It's faster to swag them but the tool cost more.

KellyTTE · April 5, 2009, 12:03 PM

I had the same issue with brass from NATO 5.56 chambers out of my Colt and Heather's Sabre. Compounding this was unknown source brass from a friend. The rounds wouldn't chamber and if they would I couldn't extract them, even by hand without excessive force.

After talking to Sinister over at M4Carbine.net, who is a Former Cmdr at the US Army's AMU, I tried a Redding small base die and my problems vanished. So that's where I'd start, since it sounds like you are having the same problem I was.

OneQuikSix · April 6, 2009, 01:16 PM

I just swapped my Lee die with an RCBS full-length resizing die (borrowed one from work) and problem solved. For whatever reason, the Lee full-length die was not adequately resizing the brass. I actually took a case resized by the Lee die and ran it through the RCBS die and could feel a substantial amount of resizing taking place on the second pass. It looks like I need to order a new die. Thanks for everyone's replies.

OneQuikSix · April 7, 2009, 12:04 PM

I'm thinking about loading some ammo this afternoon using my borrowed set of RCBS dies mentioned above. I am wondering if I will be ok using these dies if I come across any military brass with crimped primer pockets. The last thing I want to do is destroy a set of my boss's antique dies. Thanks for any advice.

PCJim · April 7, 2009, 04:44 PM

The resizing die has no effect on the primer pocket. The only possible problem I can imagine that "might" happen would be to snap a decaping pin if you come across a case with too tight a crimp, or maybe a berdan primer. If these two possibilities worry you, use your Lee die to remove the primer, then the old antique RCBS to properly FL resize the cases.

OneQuikSix · April 8, 2009, 12:15 PM

good idea...thanks.

30Cal · April 8, 2009, 06:19 PM

The case gage is still a good idea. IMHO, if you have a FL die, you should have a gage for it. 1/16 of a turn makes a huge difference and without the gage, you're basically working in the blind.

Also, keep your screwdriver out of the AR action. Safety on, drop the magazine and bang the buttplate on the ground while pulling down on the charging handle.

OneQuikSix · April 12, 2009, 01:02 PM

As promised, here's an update. I received my Dillon case gauge in the mail yesterday and began measuring headspace on many different cases before and after resizing. I also compared stuck cases with good cases and found some interesting results. All cases fit in the Dillon case gauge perfectly once sized in the Lee full-length resizing die. All cases measured had headspaces between 0.0015" and 0.004" respectively. There does not appear to be any correlation between headspace and stuck cases with those tested in MY RIFLE at the above tolerances. I'm sure there is a point at which either excessive/inadequate headspace would cause a problem. All I know is that there is another variable at work here.

I forgot to mention that the borrowed RCBS dies are actually SMALL BASE dies (which I had never heard of prior to this problem) which are apparently preferred by many when resizing military brass to be used in semi-automatic rifles. I suspect this is the intervening variable mentioned above. I ordered a set of RCBS small base dies for myself and will attempt to confirm this to be the situation when they arrive. I'll probably still use my Lee die to knock out the primers prior to resizing in the RCBS die to avoid breakage of the RCBS primer knockout pin.

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions. I know I'm certainly learning quite a bit from this experience. I'll post additional updates when my dies arrive.

jepp2 · April 12, 2009, 04:01 PM

Two things for you to consider.

If you are going to decap prior to sizing in your RCBS die, you might want to get a Lee decapping die. They have a much stronger decapping pin, to deprime crimped primers with ease. You don't have to lube to use it.

After the initial sizing of brass in your small base die, you might be able to use your Lee die to resize it in the future for your rifle.

April 3, 2009, 07:35 AM	#1
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	.223 Reloading Difficulty Good morning, Last night I attempted to reload some .223 remington cases using a new set of Lee Pacesetter (3-die set) dies. I was using previously-fired brass of various manufacturers and ran into two problems. First, it was extremely difficult to prime the resized cases which makes me wonder if I picked up some military brass. After I primed several of these tough cases, the primers look flattened (almost damaged actually). Second, after resizing many of the cases, I found they would not chamber properly in my AR-15. Once chambered, the rounds were extremely difficult to extract. Many times, I had to pry open the rifle's action with a small screwdriver. For some reason, every piece of brass with the "FNM 1-75" headstamp presented both symptoms. The weird part is I resized all cases with ease (including other brands which worked fine). I also verified the case lengths were within Saami specifications posted in several reloading manuals. I'm wondering if I have a defective resizing die or possibly overly tight chamber tolerances in my AR-15. Once I isolated the FNM brass from the rest, I assembled 20 rounds using brass from other manufacturers. Of these 20, three rounds exhibited the same problem of becoming stuck in the chamber. All three of these stuck cases were from different manufacturers. On a separate note, all brass cycled fine in my 1976 Ruger Mini-14. This situation has me perplexed and caused me to lose at least a few hours of sleep last night. If anyone would like to offer some insight, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 3, 2009, 11:00 AM	#3
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Another thought Check your chamber - it may simply be fouled with dirt or soot. Worst case is an imprperly sized chamber. For all my full-length (for Mini-14) and neck-sized (Savage bolt action) .223 cases I pass them through an LE Wilson case gauge. The gauge has caught about 5 improperly sized cases out of a few hundred.

April 3, 2009, 12:14 PM	#4
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	If you are going to buy and use brass fired in military weapons, you will run into these issues unless you remove the primer crimp and full-length resize to set the shoulder back to the correct place. A chamber guade would be a great tool to add to your reloading bench. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

April 3, 2009, 12:26 PM	#5
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	Thanks for the replies. I see the crimp removal being an inevitable part of reloading brass in this caliber due to the main supply being old military stuff. As far as the sizing operation, the Lee die is a full length one that I've adjusted as far down as my shellholder (on my single-stage) and shellplate (on my progressive press) will allow me. I've been reading about different case gauges all morning and think this is probably the best route to go. Then based on the results, look at a different full-length sizing die to get the job done. I'll post an update when I receive my case gauge. Thanks again. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 3, 2009, 02:40 PM	#6
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	A couple of things to try in resizing. Re-lube the tight cases and run them up into the sizing die and count to five, lower the press ram and count to five again, then raise the ram and count to five a second time. This usually knocks a couple more thousandths off a military case shoulder length. If that doesn't do it, note that most shell holders have the case slot cut a little taller than it actually needs to be to slip a case in and out. If you have a stubbornly tight case, take the decapping pin out of the sizing die. Put the fat case in the shell holder and slip a 5 thousandths automotive feeler gage into the shell holder slot under the case head. That will get you that much additional shoulder setback, which should settle the problem. You'll then need to put the decapper back in and run the case through again without the feeler gage so the expander can adjust the case mouth ID. You can sometimes even fit a 0.010" gage in, but you really don't want to creat that much additional excess headspace, as it shortens case life. Just use the minimum needed to fire the cases once in your gun. Once that's been done, the normal sizing die setup is likely to work just fine for you. The problem here is that the amount of shoulder setback being asked for is greater than would be the case if these cartridges had been fired in your chamber originally. All brass has some elasticity, so the longer it is when you run them into the sizer, the longer it tends to be coming out, up to a point. In sizing LC .30-06 fired by a large number of different Garands, I noticed about 0.005" variance in shoulder setback coming out of the sizing die the first time. That's when I figured out the run-back-in and rest it method. A lot of people also but a separate small base die, only to discover they only need it the first time they size once-fired brass, but that a regular sizing die works fine for the same brass thereafter. One way around the extra work is to buy your once-fired brass from Scharch Manufacturing (Top Brass brand). Their's is processed. That is, cleaned, sized, and the crimp removed. Others may offer that service, but I am only familiar with this outfit. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; April 3, 2009 at 02:45 PM.

April 3, 2009, 10:41 AM	#2
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Check these items for proper function: Remove the military primer crimp and clean the primer cup before setting new primers. Check with a micrometer or decent caliper case dimensions after resizing. Are cases being full-length sized or neck-sized. Semi-auto fired .223 must be full-length or small-base sized for proper fit and function. If you are full-length sizing according to Lee's instructions and still having problems you may have a defective sizing die. Check cartridge overall length (COAL) for recommended length.

April 3, 2009, 02:43 PM	#7
Tuzo Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2007 Location: Louisiana Posts: 797	Sizing dies Three .223 sizing dies sit in my inventory of reloading stuff. One each RCBS die for full-length and and neck-sizing plus a Lee collet die for neck sizing that I have yet to use. My press is a single RCBS Rock Chucker that I adjust to cam over for sizing. I am not familar with Lee presses and do not know if cam over is specified. Cam over means adjusting the die until it touches the shell holder and adding 1/8 to 1/4 more turns so that the press mechanism has resistance when the shell holder touches the die base plus a little more until full handle travel. For military crimp removal a simple and readily available hand held cutter is all I use. For removing crimp from many, many, many cases a powered cutter is available. Once the crimp is removed it is gone for good. Have fun.

April 4, 2009, 08:48 AM	#8
Alleykat Junior member Join Date: July 26, 2007 Posts: 3,668	Clearly two different issues here. One is easy; just remove the crimp. Two is also easy. Per Tuzo, just screw the sizing die down a little more. I'm reloading on a Dillon 650, and I have to "cam over" the sizing die, in order to get proper headspace. I'm using a Wilson case gage for setting up the sizing die. When I was loading on a Lee Loadmaster, I found that the design of the press/shellplate precluding my proper bumping of the .223 brass, in order to get proper headspace, using Lee dies. I use the RCBS X die now, for .223 reloading, but have loaded several thousand rounds using a Lee sizing die.

April 4, 2009, 10:22 AM	#9
FM12 Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2007 Location: Monroeville, Alabama Posts: 1,683	Reloading brass shot in another rifle can pose problems. A Small Base die (sizes the case a little more than a full length die, made by RCBS) may be your salvation, even though some say they are not needed. Mil spec chambers may be a little "larger" than standard. Also, 5.56 cases (Nato specs) and .223 (SAMMI specs) are not always the same, even though they are SOMETIMES interchangable. See if you can borrow a small base die to see if it might correct your problem.

April 4, 2009, 10:45 AM	#10
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Actually "cam over" refers the press linkage mechanics. Most are compound mechanisms with a linkage that has a fixed pivot on the press body and a moving one on the press handle. The other handle pivot is at the bottom of the ram. When you get the press handle near the bottom of the stroke, the linkages line up such that the handle pivot on the bottom of the ram is camming up at its maximum and the ram is pushed up as high as it can go. Pushing the handle beyond that point sees the ram start back down slightly. That is crossing over the point of maximum camming action, or camming over. When the handle is pushed beyond that maximum, the press is said to be in cam over position. As the ram movement approaches zero at the maximum camming height, the mechanical advantage of the linkage approaches infinity and achieves the maximum upward pressure the press can apply. It is so much mechanical advantage that even if the die is tightened down further than will fit, it will stretch the press frame rather than stop the handle from moving. It makes for some stress and occasionally is known to break a press, though they are made to withstand it if you don't screw the die in too far past touching down on the shell holder. The Lee presses I have do not cam over. The Challenger, for example, has the linkage pivot on the frame forward of alignment with the ram so maximum camming is not straight up into the ram and the handle linkage stops the movement of the handle before it gets to that maximum camming point. The Classic cast press has the linkage pivot in line with the ram, but it also has stops cast into the linkinge to prevent the cam from quite reaching that bottom dead center point where the ram and linkage would all line up. Both presses still have plenty of mechanical advantage to stretch the press frame elastically against a die turned past touchdown on the shell holder, but Lee apparently decided they could prevent unnecessary frame breakage by guys who screw the dies in too far past that point if they stopped the handles short of maximum camming. I know one big guy on another forum reported he broke two RCBS Rockchucker frame castings that way. He posted the pictures to prove it. I forget what didn't work that he thought he had to push that hard? The Lee Classic Cast would be almost impossible to break the way it is configured. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; April 4, 2009 at 10:55 AM.

April 4, 2009, 01:07 PM	#11
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	I'll second what FM12 said. The small base dies did the trick for me. No more chambering problems. You can clean the primer pocket with any good primer pocket tool. It's faster to swag them but the tool cost more.

April 5, 2009, 12:03 PM	#12
KellyTTE Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Location: Denver CO Posts: 123	I had the same issue with brass from NATO 5.56 chambers out of my Colt and Heather's Sabre. Compounding this was unknown source brass from a friend. The rounds wouldn't chamber and if they would I couldn't extract them, even by hand without excessive force. After talking to Sinister over at M4Carbine.net, who is a Former Cmdr at the US Army's AMU, I tried a Redding small base die and my problems vanished. So that's where I'd start, since it sounds like you are having the same problem I was. __________________ Kelly H Cool no bs gear & gun reviews http://www.ttellc.net - [email protected]

April 6, 2009, 01:16 PM	#13
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	I just swapped my Lee die with an RCBS full-length resizing die (borrowed one from work) and problem solved. For whatever reason, the Lee full-length die was not adequately resizing the brass. I actually took a case resized by the Lee die and ran it through the RCBS die and could feel a substantial amount of resizing taking place on the second pass. It looks like I need to order a new die. Thanks for everyone's replies. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 7, 2009, 12:04 PM	#14
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	I'm thinking about loading some ammo this afternoon using my borrowed set of RCBS dies mentioned above. I am wondering if I will be ok using these dies if I come across any military brass with crimped primer pockets. The last thing I want to do is destroy a set of my boss's antique dies. Thanks for any advice. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 7, 2009, 04:44 PM	#15
PCJim Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Location: FL Posts: 570	The resizing die has no effect on the primer pocket. The only possible problem I can imagine that "might" happen would be to snap a decaping pin if you come across a case with too tight a crimp, or maybe a berdan primer. If these two possibilities worry you, use your Lee die to remove the primer, then the old antique RCBS to properly FL resize the cases.

April 8, 2009, 12:15 PM	#16
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	good idea...thanks. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 8, 2009, 06:19 PM	#17
30Cal Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 1,264	The case gage is still a good idea. IMHO, if you have a FL die, you should have a gage for it. 1/16 of a turn makes a huge difference and without the gage, you're basically working in the blind. Also, keep your screwdriver out of the AR action. Safety on, drop the magazine and bang the buttplate on the ground while pulling down on the charging handle.

April 12, 2009, 01:02 PM	#18
OneQuikSix Junior Member Join Date: November 19, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 14	As promised, here's an update. I received my Dillon case gauge in the mail yesterday and began measuring headspace on many different cases before and after resizing. I also compared stuck cases with good cases and found some interesting results. All cases fit in the Dillon case gauge perfectly once sized in the Lee full-length resizing die. All cases measured had headspaces between 0.0015" and 0.004" respectively. There does not appear to be any correlation between headspace and stuck cases with those tested in MY RIFLE at the above tolerances. I'm sure there is a point at which either excessive/inadequate headspace would cause a problem. All I know is that there is another variable at work here. I forgot to mention that the borrowed RCBS dies are actually SMALL BASE dies (which I had never heard of prior to this problem) which are apparently preferred by many when resizing military brass to be used in semi-automatic rifles. I suspect this is the intervening variable mentioned above. I ordered a set of RCBS small base dies for myself and will attempt to confirm this to be the situation when they arrive. I'll probably still use my Lee die to knock out the primers prior to resizing in the RCBS die to avoid breakage of the RCBS primer knockout pin. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions. I know I'm certainly learning quite a bit from this experience. I'll post additional updates when my dies arrive. __________________ Chris [email protected]

April 12, 2009, 04:01 PM	#19
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	Two things for you to consider. If you are going to decap prior to sizing in your RCBS die, you might want to get a Lee decapping die. They have a much stronger decapping pin, to deprime crimped primers with ease. You don't have to lube to use it. After the initial sizing of brass in your small base die, you might be able to use your Lee die to resize it in the future for your rifle.