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Old June 21, 2011, 09:23 AM   #1
gtaylor98
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Disassembling Loads

I am new to reloading and created a problem last night. I have a bag of .204 Ruger brass that I purchased new. I did not resize as I checked dimensions with calipers and they all seemed to be within specs. So after loading them all with primers and filling some different powder charges the first 2 bullets I attempted to seat crushed the brass where the shoulder meets the body. I determined the necks are too tight to seat the bullets.

So, now that I need to resize, what do I do with all of the live primers in the brass? Can I carefully run them through the decapping/sizing die? Also, can the primers be used after decapping?
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Old June 21, 2011, 09:32 AM   #2
GURU1911
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Solution to your problem

1. Use a kinetic bullet puller to remove the bullet from the case.
2. Dump powder charge back into the correct powder can.
3. Put on safety glasses
4. Put decapping die into the press
5. Lightly lube the cases
6. Put case in shell holder & gently lower press handle. Primers will pop out.
7. Removed primers cannot be reused, as they have been slightly "crush deformed" to a degree. Remove all used primers from benchtop.
8. Before loading the cases, measure over all length (oal) with dial micrometer & trim if too long.

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Old June 21, 2011, 10:16 AM   #3
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Chamfer

Did you chamfer the inside of the case mouth ? This has to be done with new Brass too . Give that a try first and you will probably be okay !
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Old June 21, 2011, 10:20 AM   #4
Don H
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Could raise the decapping stem a bit so that it doesn't contact the primers.
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Old June 21, 2011, 10:55 AM   #5
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GT, all new brass should be FL sized before loading. It makes the mouth of the case round, allows a good chamfer to be put on the inside of the mouth. This is what caused your collapsed neck.

The solution for you is to back the decapper/inside sizer stem UP so it does not push the primer out. This will size the case and expand the mouth. THEN chamfer the inside of the mouth so the bullet will enter the neck without catching on the mouth. On lee and Hornady dies, you have to loosen the collet on the top of the die to back out the decapper stem. On others, it's a lock nut that holds it in position, just screw it back up about ½ inch.

Yes, you CAN re-use decapped live primers. I've done it countless times IF they were installed correctly to start with. And to those scared of doing it, they don't explode if done gently. Safety glasses are a must when loading anyway.
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Old June 21, 2011, 11:19 AM   #6
Saltydog235
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If you have cases that are just charged with no bullets, empty out the powder. Remove the decapping pin from the die and just use the sizer on the neck to true it up, a little dry neck lube doesn't hurt either. You don't have to cycle the full length if the brass otherwise meets chamber specs. Chamfer the case mouth with the case mouth end down so brass shavings don't get into the case. If the bullets are already seated, pull the bullets with a bullet puller and follow the above instructions. Chances are if the bullets seated OK the first time around, you don't have a problem but doubtful they'll be exactly what you are looking for. Unless you are just plinking and not looking for accuracy you might be able to reuse the old bullet if it isn't scarred up or burred too badly.

Primers are relatively cheap, no way I would reuse a live primer that has been decapped. Throw them in a bucket with some old oil or the like to kill them off.
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Old June 21, 2011, 12:34 PM   #7
Marco Califo
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I reuse such primers and have never had any incidents.
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Old June 21, 2011, 12:43 PM   #8
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That would be my solution, though only some brands of die allow removal of the decapping pin and leave the expander on.

Make sure you didn't crush the cases because you made the mistake of turning the seating die all the way down like a sizing die. That would cause the crimp groove to crush them, assuming these are standard dies.

Another solution, if you intend to experiment with neck turning in the future, is to buy a mandrel die body from Sinclair International and purchase the correct size mandrel to set the case mouth ID and make it round. These mandrels are tapered and will remove indentations as well as set the ID.

The earlier suggestion to chamfer matters particularly for loading flat base bullets. The 14° VLD taper chamfering tools make it most easy, but a standard one should work. Most boattail bullets will slip past even a tight mouth. Keep in mind that the mouth is supposed to be 1 to 2 thousandths smaller than the bullet OD.

I never bothered to do anything to the primed .223 Winchester brass I bought as long as the mouth of the case wasn't indented visibly. However, I was loading moly-plated bullets, so they were dry lubricated. So another thing you can do is dip either the bullet bases or the case necks into powdered graphite or motor mica dust (just before putting the powder in). That will dry lube the seating of the bullet, which may help with your new brass. The bullet bases may be rubbed with some graphite powder on a rag to burnish it in a little. I don't recommend moly powder unless you intend to shoot moly bullets later, as it does affect bore lubrication. Graphite will burn out like carbon and be easily removed by a carbon cleaner.
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Old June 21, 2011, 06:19 PM   #9
jepp2
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Quote:
Make sure you didn't crush the cases because you made the mistake of turning the seating die all the way down like a sizing die.
+1 on this. First thing to check is make sure the die isn't collapsing the case neck due to excessive crimp. Easiest to fix and probably most likely for a new reloader.
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Old June 22, 2011, 08:53 AM   #10
gtaylor98
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Problem Fixed

I played with it last night and determined the die was in fact set too low. I chamferred the necks and raised the die, and everything worked perfectly. Thanks for all of the responses, I learned a great deal. I had not thought of simply raising the decapping pin on my sizing die to avoid ruining good primers.
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Old June 22, 2011, 03:39 PM   #11
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I wopuld also suggest fully processing 1-2 cases and check for fit all the way through the process before doing all of them. You might also want to CAREFULLY chamber 1-2 rounds to be sure the bolt will close on them. It's a real PITA to have to disassemble and re-do a bunch of ammo, isn't it? I think we've all done this once. We try not to do it more than once.
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