The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - 50 BMG

gnomus · May 24, 2010, 09:41 AM

I have been trying to reload for 50 BMG but so far I have been unable to full-length resize a single case!!

The cases I am using are Igman Zavod, Konjic, Yugoslavia (2008). I have a Lee Classic Cast Press along with the Lee 50 BMG die set.

I tumbled the cases for a few hours beforehand. I used a wire plumber's brush to clean the "crud" from inside the case necks. I used Imperial Sizing Die Wax. I applied a reasonable quantity to the outside of the case by hand. I used a cotton bud to apply a liberal quantity inside the case neck.

My first attempt to resize led to a case that stuck fast approximately 0.5 inch before the "fully home" position. I could not move the press handle up or down. Use of a rubber mallet seemed to do very little (except for the fact that the handle of the press now has a slight bend in it). Eventually, I decided to lean all of my (not inconsiderable) weight on the press handle. The result of this approach was that I split the ~2" thick laminated beech worktop on my bench!

It took me a week or so to obtain and affix my new worktop and bolt everything back down to it. I set up to do the second case. Again this spent several hours in the tumbler. Once again I was reasonably sure that I had carefully cleaned all the crud out from the inside of the case neck. Imperial Wax was applied as before and - once again - the case stuck fast. This time I was able (eventually) to unstick the case by disassembling the Lee die and hitting the decapping pin assembly with a hammer.

I'm not sure how best to proceed at this point because I don't know why I am having these problems. I don't know if my Lee die might be "too tight" - if such a thing is even possible.

Does anyone have any idea as to what I might be doing wrong?

May 24, 2010, 09:41 AM	#1
gnomus Member Join Date: November 26, 2009 Posts: 26	50 BMG - Stuck Cases I have been trying to reload for 50 BMG but so far I have been unable to full-length resize a single case!! The cases I am using are Igman Zavod, Konjic, Yugoslavia (2008). I have a Lee Classic Cast Press along with the Lee 50 BMG die set. I tumbled the cases for a few hours beforehand. I used a wire plumber's brush to clean the "crud" from inside the case necks. I used Imperial Sizing Die Wax. I applied a reasonable quantity to the outside of the case by hand. I used a cotton bud to apply a liberal quantity inside the case neck. My first attempt to resize led to a case that stuck fast approximately 0.5 inch before the "fully home" position. I could not move the press handle up or down. Use of a rubber mallet seemed to do very little (except for the fact that the handle of the press now has a slight bend in it). Eventually, I decided to lean all of my (not inconsiderable) weight on the press handle. The result of this approach was that I split the ~2" thick laminated beech worktop on my bench! It took me a week or so to obtain and affix my new worktop and bolt everything back down to it. I set up to do the second case. Again this spent several hours in the tumbler. Once again I was reasonably sure that I had carefully cleaned all the crud out from the inside of the case neck. Imperial Wax was applied as before and - once again - the case stuck fast. This time I was able (eventually) to unstick the case by disassembling the Lee die and hitting the decapping pin assembly with a hammer. I'm not sure how best to proceed at this point because I don't know why I am having these problems. I don't know if my Lee die might be "too tight" - if such a thing is even possible. Does anyone have any idea as to what I might be doing wrong?